I'm not sure if Mike Anderson put together this edit or not, but watching this heartfelt tribute to the late Van Wastell is one way to make your day better, I promise.
Spoken over a random minute of timeless clips, Anderson’s voiceover paints a picture of who Van was in the simplest, yet most powerful way. Effortless on the board. Stylish in everything he did. A quiet influence on everyone who knew him. Van is sorely missed and will always be remembered as one of the best. Press play:
I'm pretty sure one of Van's brothers manage the "Van Wastell" YouTube page, but either way, I wanted to make sure I shared their thanks: "Huge thanks to Brian Slattery , Mike Anderson, Joe Krolick and Krooked for this Van Wastell Krooked Instagram Edit Mike Anderson 2025."
Mike couldn't have said any of this better. Van was a true original, and as Manderson mentions, the dude didn't care about the rules and the no-nos that existed in skateboarding at the time. It was his way or the highway, and no one would've had it any other way.
The timing of this edit couldn't have been better, since Krooked just dropped their first-ever Van Wastell re-issues a few weeks ago as well. Have you seen them? So rad! Tap the post above for a closer look and more details on these limited, super-special decks. Wall-hangers for days!
Van was super original and always had a way of making everything look awesome. And it was during a time when nobody was really doing stuff like that, you know? I won’t say those tricks are simple by any means, but it was a perfect example of less is more in such an impactful way. Keep your laser flips! This is what I want.
While I didn’t know Van personally, he still impacted my life the same way he did countless others, through his skating and his clear positivity. He always seemed to be smiling and having a good time—truly enjoying himself—and that’s how he’ll always be remembered as far as I’m concerned.
RIP VAN. We miss you.
