(From top left to right): Ashley Moltz, Women's Accessories Category Manager; Chris Mascarenas, Apparel Graphic Designer; Daniel Hernandez, Mens/Boys Apparel Product Manager

Tell us the story behind your first pair of Vans.
Moltz: "I was in high school and they were a pair of mint and lavender checkerboard Slip-Ons. I was the rare East Coast girl who surfed and skateboarded. So, of course, I was going to be wearing Vans if I was skating!

Mascarenas: "My first pair of Vans that I recall were Chukka Boots ordered from Intensity Skates."

Hernandez: "In 1999, I was 14 years old and I first saw The Seedling, Thomas Campbell's surf film about logging. My best friend John and I were obsessed. All we did was beg our moms to drive us to Malibu, Cardiff, or San-O to surf. When we weren't doing that, we were watching that movie. My favorite surfer was, and still is, Joel Tudor. He rode for Vans, so I had to wear them, too. I went to the tiny store on Beach Boulevard with my mom to get my first pair of navy Authentics. She was psyched. At that time, kids were into the Osiris D3s and other huge, puffy, and not to mention expensive skate shoes, so she was happy I was into pairs that were less than $40."

What's your funniest/most memorable moment working with the company?
Moltz: "I had only been with Vans for two months when I won a raffle that flew me and a friend to the North Shore for the Triple Crown!"

Mascarenas: "A few weeks ago, I threw a fart bomb in the war room while four of the graphic design dudes were having a meeting. It blew up on the table and exploded on someone's face. The whole department stunk. People told me that if I was in middle school, I would have been expelled. Sorry dudes!"

What was your interview process like to snag the job?
Mascarenas: "I originally came in as a freelancer to work on The Vans x Dennis Hopper Project, which was an honor and privilege to work on. After the project was complete, I did everything that I could to stay around, and luckily I was able to establish a fan base and they hired me!"

Hernandez: "Gnarly. I was interviewing for the Management Trainee position fresh out of college. Basically, it was an internship on steroids. First, I had a group interview. Then an interview with the VP of HR, the VP of Footwear, then the VP of Apparel. I swear I got the job because I was the only person in the group interview that had some beat-to-shit Authentics on. Everyone else was either not wearing Vans, or had bought a fresh pair just for the interview. Mine were definitely on their last legs."