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Nothing screams classic Americana more than nacho cheese, hot dogs, baseball, and the iconic Vans waffle sole.

This past Friday, all were found in abundance at California State University Fullerton, where Vans celebrated the release of Rowan Zorilla’s second signature model, the Rowan 2, with a good old-fashioned game of our country’s national pastime. Attendees were in high spirits as they arrived at Goodwin Field on a picture-perfect autumn evening. As I entered the ballpark, I was greeted by the soothing sounds of DJ Severe, the official DJ for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite growing up in North County San Diego, Zorilla has been a life-long Dodgers fan. The initial colourway of the Rowan 2, which features a royal blue and white upper, pays homage to his favorite team.

The first thing I saw as I approached the perfectly-manicured field was the ever-enthusiastic Steve Van Doren, nestled inside a six-foot tall, checkered Sk8-Hi on wheels. He shared some product details about the Rowan 2, which include ImpactWaffle technology and a SickStick rubber cupsole for impact protection. To ensure that Zorilla would be able to wear his own shoe during the game, Van Doren worked with the Vans design team to make a one-of-a-kind pair for the special occasion.

‘I made him a pair of Rowan 2s, with cleats, for him tonight,’ Van Doren said. ‘He’s gonna be just like Michael Lorenzen, who pitched a no-hitter for the Phillies this year in a pair of Vans all-terrain shoes with cleats on them.’ When the team bus arrived, I briefly spoke with the man himself about his second shoe before he sprinted onto the field to start warming up. He mentioned that he loves the amount of skating, and impact, that the Rowan 2 can handle with its new sole. I asked him which Vans silhouettes, past or present, played a role in the Rowan 2’s design process. ‘Well, my first shoe was super influenced by the TNT 5, the Rowley, and the Half-Cab,’ Zorilla said. ‘The Rowan 2 is more of an updated version of the first one. Some of the older shoes, like the XL2 and the Fairlane, were not direct influences but I looked to those when thinking about Vans cupsoles.’

Next I met Vans director, brand management skate Jamie Hart, who told me how much of a milestone it is for Zorilla to earn a second signature model. He notes how versatile he is as a skateboarder, which has helped him throughout his career. ‘Rowan is one of those people that can fit in so many crews, Hart said. ‘He can go from a Supreme trip to a Thrasher Hellride trip to a Vans trip. He's a leader in all those spaces. It’s cool to see him go from being a kid we flowed shoes to getting the cover of Propeller after being on the team for a year-and-a-half.’

Vans teammate Christian Hosoi was on the scene with his signature Hammerhead complete in tow. Using style as the measuring stick, he explained why he likes Zorilla as a skateboarder. ‘For me, it's all about style,’ Hosoi said. ‘Rowan has a distinct, unique style that separates him from most skateboarders. Not only his skateboarding, but his personality and his character. I like his approach–he's all skate, less talk. He's a cool cat, that's what I love about him.’

As nightfall descended, the cold beer was steadily flowing and ‘Rowan Dogs,’ pretzels, and nachos were flying out of the concession stands to a hungry audience. Once everyone was seated, Ray Barbee blessed the crowd with an incredible rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, followed by an eruption of applause. Shortly after, Zorilla’s father Dan threw the opening pitch of the game to his son. When he came back into the stands, I spoke with the proud parent about what it means to see Zorilla get a second signature model. ‘I was just talking with some of the Vans team about him doing the first shoe,’ Dan said. ‘It was so important for him, but I don't know, this one seems bigger. It’s different for us because back then we didn't know anybody. Now, we can feel the family dynamic at Vans and meet a lot of people who have helped him along since the last one.’ 

Zorilla’s mother, Anne, was also beaming with pride. Holding back tears, she confided how far Zorilla has come since he first started padding up to go skate when he was five years old. ‘We can't quite even wrap our heads around it,’ Anne said. ‘It's going to make me cry!’ Greg Hunt has traveled the world filming Zorilla since he joined the Vans family as an upstart. Hunt admires Zorilla’s humility, a character trait that has not changed since he first met him. ‘My favorite thing about Rowan is that he is one of the most genuine people,’ Hunt said. ‘There is something really special about him. He's good at everything, and I think it's just because he has such pure intentions with everything that he does. You can see that it just flows through him.’

Following the game, which Team Rowan won 9-6, spectators gathered in the outfield for the first screening of Vans’ newest film, Blurry. Zorilla opened and closed the video, with a team montage sandwiched in between his two parts. In the video, the global Vans family sported the Rowan 2’s in a variety of colourways, making the shoes look amazing on-screen.

Thanks to Vans for putting together such a memorable, wholesome evening. Watching some of my favorite skaters run the bases, while laughing along the way, was a spectacle I didn’t know I needed. With Van Doren mentioning another possible ballgame in the future, I look forward to when that day comes.

To learn more about the Vans Rowan 2 and shop online, follow this link here.