The third day of Vans x The Bloom started out a little more regimented; learning from the day before, instead of trying to make a park work that didn’t speak to anyone, the goal was to get in and get out, there was no wasting time today. Angie had set this pace the night before with the crew, this included having everyone meet in the lobby for 8 AM, which she would end up regretting pretty quickly. With her Angie-like giggle, she muttered to herself, “Why do I do this to myself” after getting back in at 1 AM from exploring San Francisco and seeing an unlit Golden Gate Bridge. If you’ve known Angie as long as I have, she’s got some traits and characteristics that just make Angie the endearing girl that she is, this includes (sometimes) not showing up on time – even to her own deadline. Funny enough, Angie was the last one out again, but only because she and Maca accidentally went to the fourth floor instead of the lobby and were stuck for 12 minutes.
To start the day, we went to a small coffee joint to grab some breakfast – I think we absolutely overwhelmed them with the size of our crew. While waiting for our food I chatted up with Alan Vano, our RV driver since the beginning of the trip. Like Jerry, he’s been with Vans for a long time, first as an athlete and now as an employee. Seems like when you join Vans, you’re set for life.
We spent a few minutes chowing down and then off to Pacifica we went. Pacifica was another great stop with 2 large bowls, and an open one with a few ledges and rails; it had something for everyone in our crew. Pacifica was nestled in a pretty stunning setting, on one side a large green hill and another side the Pacific Ocean. It was a cooler day, a bit windy as well, but the sun was high and it kept the crew primed to ride. The girls were finding their lines pretty easily and it was nice to see Colin and Dan strut their stuff as well. After a couple of hours of riding and capturing a lot of footage, it was time to move onto Potrero; located in San Francisco’s Mission District.
In the last few days, we’ve also been riding with Samar, a local rider and owner of STF; a lifestyle brand that also has a race team. He’s been so helpful in helping us pick out parks and routes. With Potrero, I guess it wasn’t considered a great area, so we were told to keep things nice and tight and not have loose things laying around. There were definitely some questionable characters, like the dudes I saw rolling joints in the women’s bathroom and adding more spray paint to the walls, but with the large group we had, there wasn’t much to fear. Pacifica was a park littered with graffiti, on one end you had a park/street section with some hips and flat banks, and then on the other side a deep bowl which Teresa, Maca, and Perris destroyed.
The last official stop of the day took us to Treasure Island; San Francisco’s first DIY spot. I was picturing something crusty as that’s what most DIYs are known for, but this park looked like it was built by professionals. While the majority of the crew was riding the DIY spot, Linda took off with Samar and found a street spot to play with, just a few pedals down the street.
As the sun was slowly coming down, it was time to get out and get to a scenic spot for a group photo. It was our last day in beautiful San Francisco, but it was time to head a little further south towards Santa Cruz.
Save the Date!
Vans x The Bloom Jam @ Vans Off The Wall Skatepark
7471 Center Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92647
March 16 2022 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Join us on Wednesday, March 16th from 5 – 8 pm and celebrate the last day of the trip with us. This event will be open to everyone and will include free food, drinks, giveaways, and more. Come out for the Cash for Tricks Jam and hang out with some of your favorite riders. The event will be live broadcasted on Brakeless TV for those who can’t make it.
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