Vans collaborate with Pukas
Vans has produced a shoe range in collaboration with Pukas, the world renowned and leading surfboard producer in Europe. Pukas have taken the iconic classic slip-on style and produced four unique colourways featuring the repeated Pukas logo.
“The collaboration is a way of creating synergies between two different product companies, Vans shoes and Pukas surfboards. Both brands have been in the surfing industry since the very beginning without losing the core and they continue more alive and fresh than ever” Pukas
Pukas was founded in the early 70’s by a group of young surfers including Inigo Letamendia, Raul Dourdil, Merodio and Carlos Beraza. Sharing many common interests such as music, beach lifestyle and fashion, it was their overall passion for surfing which led to the decision to build the first surfboard factory in Spain. The place they chose was Casa Lola in Santander and the company name was “Tablas de Surf Santa Marina”.
A few successful years later the first surf shop opened in San Sebastian and at the same time the name Pukas was born. The name Pukas is chosen in honor of the famous Hawaiian necklaces. The necklaces were made of small shells with holes in the middle eroded away by the salt water, which were often sold by surfers in order to pay for their surf trips. Puka, in the native Hawaiian language, means hole, which in turn has a symbolic meaning understood by all surfers: the tube.
By the mid 70’s, surf competitions had become increasingly popular and Pukas organised their first contest which quickly became the most important comp in Spain. In 1988 Pukas organised the first professional Spanish surf contest, taking place in Zarautz. At the same time, the business continued to grow and soon two new stores opened, one in Zarautz and the other in San Sebastian.
Today Pukas is well known for its high quality surfboards, produced by the best shapers/designers in Europe and utilising only the best materials. Pukas now runs its operations from a highly modernised two floor factory in Oiartzun producing unique and bespoke surfboards for professionals and amateurs alike.
The Vans-Pukas collaboration continues with a line of high performance surfboards by shaper Peter Daniels featuring the same pattern as the shoes. Peter Daniels has shaped this model focusing on experimental surfers that want to improve their surfing with a high quality technical surfboard. Available from 5´10 to 6´10.
