Born in 2004, Go Skateboarding Day is a global celebration held every year on 21 June, dedicated to pushing skate culture forward and getting skaters out on their boards.
And what better way for Vans to honour the spirit of the day than with a full-on community-led day?
Friday: Clearing the Deck
Skateboarding has always been built on a DIY spirit, from fixing spots and building makeshift ramps to showing love to the places we skate.
That energy came to life on Friday as the Vans crew and friends came together to clean up Mill Street Skatepark.
Clearing trash, painting ledges and prepping the space for a heavy weekend ahead, the day was a reminder that taking care of skate spaces is just as core to the culture as being on the board.
Saturday: Skate, Connect, Celebrate
Saturday brought the energy all the way up with a full day of programming that blended creativity, community, and skateboarding:
Beginner Workshop: In collaboration with Queer Skate and Skate Smiles Club, Vans hosted a welcoming workshop and safe space for queer skaters. The session was followed by a dedicated FLINTA* jam and cash-for-tricks for the Queer and Women skate scene.
With Melissa Williams on the mic, everyone walked away with something in their hands.
Cash‑for‑Tricks & Tricks‑for‑Product: With decks up for grabs thanks to Baseline Skate Shop and hardgoods supplied by MCDC, local skaters took to newly introduced obstacles to land tricks, earn R20,000 in cash prizes, and get their hands on product.
For the final round of cash-for-tricks, Vans brought in a custom ledge painted by graffiti artist Romi Flowers. Her work complemented the essence of the park, raised the difficulty, and challenged skaters to a new way of skating Mill Street.
Session Skate Mag Launch & Malaka Premiere: The celebration continued with the Session Skate Mag launch party, followed by the premiere of Vans South Africa’s latest skate film, Malaka.
“Off the hype of House of Vans, the Vans Europe and SA skate team crammed into a van and hit the crustiest corners of Johannesburg,” says Janine Louw, Action Sports Marketing Manager at Vans South Africa. “It was non-stop mayhem from Sandton to Soweto—ditches, rails, busts, and bails. Pure chaos that had Yann Horowitz leaning out the back, shouting ‘Malaka!’ into the streets of Jozi.”
“Go Skateboarding Day is about showing up for each other, making space, and keeping the culture alive,” Janine adds. “What we saw this weekend was a community in motion, from cleaning the park and creating inclusive spaces, to just skating for the love of it. That’s what it’s all about.”
This Go Skateboarding Day, Vans and local skaters reminded everyone that skateboarding is a lifestyle, a community, and a culture.
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