On Saturday, September 17, 2011 a skate jam memorial was held for Van Wastell at Skatelab Skatepark in Simi Valley, California. It was three years ago that Van passed away while on tour in Germany. The session started at 7 P.M. Many of Van’s friends and family skated: Mike Anderson, Mike Taylor, Justin Case, Eddie Villa, Sean Foy, Bryce Mandel, Tyler Cichy and Jeff and Kurt Wastell (just to name a few). In addition to the jam, Skatelab paid further tribute to Van by highlighting his career in their Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum Room. (Until January 1, 2012, Skatelab will display an array of Van Wastell memorabilia: his pro model deck, early childhood photos, a video collection of nearly all of his seen footage, and posthumous tributes in the form of shoes, ads, etc.) The night was an overwhelming success; it enabled Van’s family to connect with a lot of Van’s old friends—people they hadn’t seen in a while or never knew—and the session was a blast. Big ups to Skatelab for making the night happen. (For more information, check out their website: http://www.skatelab.com) –Ryan Leach
Van’s Wall
Jen Villa (Van’s mom) with Van’s friend Sean Foy
Eddie Villa (Van’s brother) and step dad Ed Villa
Brothers Jeff, Kurt and Andy
Mike Anderson and Lawrence Quero
Tuna and Moose
Clip by Tyler Cichy.