Remembering a Former Van Club
Channel Islands Vans
FOUNDED: 1973 (Group had been together for some time before becoming a voting club)
LOCATION: Ventura, California
FOUNDING MEMBERS INCLUDE: Greg Bridges, Dave Williams, Sandy Williams, Nancy James, Tim Gibson
NOTABLE ACHIEVMENTS & ACTIVITIES: During the height of the vanning movement the club garnered a large amount of trophies and was heavily covered by Truckin’, Vans & Trucks Magazine (club of the month issue #1 ‘76), Van World Traveling’ Vans, Custom Vans, Truck & Van Ideas, and also appeared in books about vanning, like Vans & Vanners by Arnold S. Wolf, Van People by Douglas Kent Hall, and Van Year ‘77 with photo coverage by Raggedy Vandy. Some of the club vans that were covered by magazines over the years include:
Lime Rickey to-Go, VAN-TURA, Late Late Show, Dutchman’s Boogie, Blind Mans Bluff, Half Pint To-Go, Tequila Sunshine, Vangerine, Gentle Bens Den, Thumper, Apache Gold, Vantasia, Journeys End, Magic Bus, Kraut-Van plus many, many more.
ANNUAL EVANTS: The club held five truck-ins under the banner CIV - Tequila Turnout and the San Antonio Lake run 1&2 ‘75 ‘76, plus sponsoring El CAP INVITATIONAL ‘76. In addition, a club member Roger Ternuezen who owned a custom van accessory shop in Ventura, held Dutchmans Boogie Presents Annual Rally for Tots event ‘76-‘78.
DISSOLVED: circa 1987 [needs confirmed]
CLUB LEGENDS AND ANECDOTES: CIV attended the Vans Ltd Disney Van Day and challenged San Diego Vans to a canoe race that ended in the canoe sinking and everyone having to swim to Tom Sawyers Island, only to be apprehended by security and end up in “Disney Jail” while they shut down the lake for two hours to retrieve the canoe. The rumor amongst Disney staffers was that the club was fined $20,000 which was not true and eventually everyone was let go after some quick talking from VP Gary Smith.
ALUMNI: After the club disbanded, the remaining CIV members stayed in contact and continued to work the Ventura fairgrounds together running the gates, security and parking for the RG Canning antique markets in Ventura & Pasadena Rose Bowl; They also worked the CSH Hotrod and Customs show in Ventura and Santa Barbara. The club members worked many of these events into the early 90’s. This was just one way the club hustled up money to pay for the hundreds of truck-ins that were attended, sponsored and held in the height of van scene...and later post ‘87 possibly just for a few beers, some pizza and some extra cash with former club brothers.
Nathan Cabrera, a second generation vanner and CIV alumus, has been collecting and saving anything and everything from dusty attics and storage boxes that pertains Channel Islands Vans in order to preserve the club’s legacy in the future. He is finding and contacting the former members about a book he is publishing in honor of the club and it’s place in the scene, including 100’s of pictures, shirts, jackets, banners, flyers, paper goods, dash plaques and more.
Do you have more or better information about the above van club? If so, please provide it to the Museum using the submit button below.
