LOS ANGELES, CA- In what was almost a celebratory party for Shaun White’s triumphant outing at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Air + Style returned to Los Angeles for a weekend filled with music, snowboards and skateboards. The two-day festival, which Shaun brought to Los Angeles in 2015 from Austria, combines music, snowboarding and now skateboarding to create a truly unique experience that appeals to both music fans and extreme sports lovers.
It has been a couple years since I’ve attended Air + Style, but the overall atmosphere and vibes were familiar. Air + Style has a noticeably different air about it as compared to some other mainstream festivals I’ve attended (i.e. Coachella, FYF Fest and Camp Flog Gnaw) in that the crowd is much more family oriented and congenial. There were parents aplenty with children on their shoulders in the crowd watching musical acts and sporting events. Whether it was Shaun’s own congenial spirit, or the spirit of fun athletic competition amongst friends, Air + Style’s laid-back and chill vibes was a refreshing change of music festival pace.
There were also some noticeable differences at this year’s outing from the year that I went. Gone was the huge snowboard jump. It was replaced with a tricked-out street-style snowboarding course where skilled boarders could exhibit their agile dexterity by sliding, gliding and even flipping down the course. While perhaps not as death-defying as the huge-air jumps from past Air + Styles, it still gave snow sports enthusiasts something to be enthralled with.
On the other end of the park ground, a skate park was built from the ground up to serve as the stage for a fast-paced skateboard trick competition. I spent way too much time at this venue as I couldn’t get enough of watching these athletes perform tricks that I used to dream of executing when I was a kid.
Another truly ingenious change to the Air + Style format was the addition of combining certain sporting competitions with live music. During the “Best Trick” events for each sport, a hard hitting rock or punk band would provide a visceral soundtrack for the exhilarating thrills. Those bands included Ex-Cult, Surfbort, The Birth Defects and The Paranoyds. I actually opted to check out those bands than catch some of the main and second stage acts that performed during the same time.
Of course, the musical line-up was the main draw for those in attendance. Though Air + Style was competing against both The Oscars telecast and the electronic dance music festival CRSSD in San Diego on this particular weekend, sizable crowds were dancing along to the music provided by artists like Phoenix, Zedd, Phantogram and Tinashe, some even dancing in the rain during Cut Copy when it briefly poured for a handful of minutes (be sure to check out individual music performance posts below!).
And whether you came to Air + Style for the snowboarding, the skateboarding, the music, or even just for the chance to meet Shaun White or other celebrity (just ask me about my Chloe Kim story), the weekend provided a wide range of entertainment which ensured that there wouldn’t be a moment where you be found wanting for anything.
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BELOW ARE LINKS TO THE MUSICAL ACTS WE WERE ABLE TO CATCH AT AIR + STYLE 2018. CLICK ON THROUGH TO CHECK IT ALL OUT!
March 3, 2018
A.Chal Gets Up Close And Personal With The Early Air + Style Crowd
Wet Returns To Los Angeles And Gives Air+Style A Soothing Afternoon Of Chill Vibes
With Only Half Of The Tandem Present, Cut Snake Lived On At Air + Style
Cut Copy Keeps The Dance Party Going In The Rain At Air + Style
D.R.A.M. Proves To Be More Soulful Than Your Average Rapper At Air + Style
March 4, 2018
Mija Kicks Off Day 2 Of Air + Style With Her “Fk A Genre” Sonics
BadBadNotGood Expand Minds At Air + Style With Their Nu Jazz Jams
Tinashe Delivers Another Flawless Performance At Air + Style
Phantogram Exhilarates Air + Style With An Upbeat Performance of Hit Singles and Fan Favorites
The Birth Defects Provide Visceral Soundtrack To Air + Style’s Free Snowboarding Competition
The Paranoyds Power Through Technical Issues To Slay At Air + Style
Phoenix Rounds Out Air + Style’s Musical Offerings With A Spirited Performance
