Recently, Fuel had the chance to have a little chit chat with our friend Dan Maiman at Vans on our current iPhone game Vans Sk8: Pool Service, here's what he had to say...

How did you guys get into the skate business?

Vans began in Southern California back in 1966 when skating was first coming alive. Skaters liked the way the Vans shoes and our waffle sole gripped their boards and they began using the shoes as a means of self expression by customizing them with their own designs. That's why we still offer the Vans Customs program where folks can design their shoe with different colors and patterns.

You’ve been part of the skate scene for almost half a century.  How do you keep it punk rock in today’s commercial skate industry?

It's really about our team riders, events, artists, music and the personalities we align with. Vans stays with what it knows and doesn't attempt to follow the latest fads that come and go.

How many riders does Vans sponsor besides Bucky and Omar?

More than 5 and less than a 1000... Seriously, between all the different divisions (Skate, Surf, Snow, Bmx, Pro and Am) that would take a while to figure out!