The Colorful Characters Of The Vans Duct Tape Invitational Sayulita, as shot by Zak Bush
Hockney-style
Words by Stab
Reading Time: 4minutes
Our time at the Vans Duct Tape Invitational & Festival Sayulita was a refined mixture of culture, community, logging, and passionfruit margaritas. The beauty of the Duct Tape is that it isn’t all about the competition. Of course, there is a fire within each of the invitees, especially when there is money on the line. But at the end of the day, the Duct Tape is a celebration of the colorful characters that eat, sleep, and breathe the lifestyle, with a fair bit of fun on the side.
In addition to capturing all things competition and associated high jinx, we traveled to Sayulita with the intention to shoot a conceptual portrait series of the invitees and shapers. For the shoot, we took inspiration from the great David Hockney and his fractured collage photographs. We then delivered the brief to one of our favorite Los Angeles-based photographers, Zak Bush. Next thing you know, he was hopping a flight to connect his lens with competitors between heats, tacos, and pool drinks.
Your favorite logger’s favorite logger. Jules Lepecheux. From Biarritz, France.
Style and grace, in and out of the water. Duct Tape Invitational Sayulita Champion. Kelis Kaleopa’a. From Waikiki, Oahu.
Surfer, shaper, skateboarder. Grant Noble. From Costa Mesa, California.
La Bailarina de Sayulita. Lola Mignot.
Here for a good time, not a long time. Andy Nieblas. From San Juan Capistrano, California.
Vans skateboarder, surfing enthusiast, and Duct Tape shaper Rowan Zorilla did numbers on Shore Skatepark.
It’s not all logs and crowded lineups in Sayulita. Karina Rozunko. From San Clemente, California.
