Step into the time machine and dial back to September 16, 2011—a time when longboarding in Vancouver was still carving its own path, ready to emerge into the gnarly beast we know today.
Before dedicated longboard shops popped up around every corner, Rick Tetz of CalStreets, Michael Brooke of Concrete Wave, and Graham X Peat of BoarderLabs teamed up with the legendary MC Bricin Lyons to present the 2011 Longboard Film Festival and Trade Show!
Held at The Vancouver International Film Center, the event’s vibe was equal parts trade show, film fest, and longboarder’s fever dream. Picture this: industry giants showing off their sickest decks, a curved three-story glass atrium glinting in the sun, and an audience split between hardcore longboarders and bewildered tourists wondering if they’d stumbled into a rolling cult meeting.
The vendor list read like a who’s who of the early longboarding world: Landyachtz, Original, Five Mile, Bucsoboards, Arbor, BoarderLabs, Sector 9, Oust, Ultimate, LAX, Dregs, Xylan, Orangatang, Mirmar, S & J, Gullwing, Bear Trucks, Loaded, Comet, Xylan, Cult, Skatera, Paris, Atobe, Kebbek, CalStreets, and NeverSummer. It was like Pokémon, but with longboards—you just had to catch ’em all!
The theater was packed with longboarders and curious skate onlookers, all there to witness the latest in longboarding films. There was a certain buzz in the air as the projector flickered to life. The mix of high-octane downhill footage, creative freestyle runs, and some truly gnarly bails had the audience alternating between gasps, cheers, and the occasional awkward chuckle when a particularly bad wipeout hit the screen. One brave soul in the back might have shed a tear during a slow-motion slide—it was that kind of day.
Out on the trade show floor, attendees weaved through the bustling booths, dodging rolling wheels and the occasional rogue longboarder trying to “test the merch.” Kids were geeking out over limited-edition stickers, parents were pretending to understand what a slide glove was, and vendors were passionately debating the merits of wheel durometers like scholars at a philosophy conference. There was a sense of camaraderie in the air—the kind you only find when hundreds of people with a shared obsession gather in one space.
All in all, the 2011 Vancouver Longboard Trade Show wasn’t just an event—it was a movement. It proved that Vancouver wasn’t just a pretty city with mountains and ocean views; it was a longboarding mecca, a place where longboarders of all stripes could come together and roll free.
And to think, it all started with a few visionaries, a lot of stoke! Cheers to those who were there, and to those who missed it—there’s always next time. Or maybe just catch a whiff of the event’s spirit still rolling around at CalStreets BoarderLabs!
