Q: How did the name "Nuke" come about?

A: We asked CEO and founder Alex Chesnekov that question, and this is what he had to say about the origins of the company name: "My father was a nuclear research scientist who'd defected from the former Soviet Union back in 1952. When he moved to the United States in 1954, his expertise in plutonium extraction landed him a job at Hanford, a nuclear research facility in Washington State. So I grew up in the shadow of the bomb -- surrounded by nuclear imagery. I guess because of my father's unique perspective, I viewed the race to construct weapons of mass destruction more as a rivalry between two opposing 'teams,' with the scientists as 'players' and the bomb as the goal. Really, when you get right down to it, competition can bring out the finest in us. Who would've believed we could come up with a device that can level entire cities? So when I started the company I looked around for a name symbolic of the achievements which can arise from competition. For me, that's what 'Nuke' represents: mankind's capacity to achieve just about anything when we put our minds to it."

Q: I've seen the radiation shield used as a warning sticker on some radioactive materials, and it's oriented differently than the Nuke logo. In fact, the Nuke shield appears to upside down. Why is this?

A: Nuke is all about taking the Cold War context of nuclear weapons -- the fear, the dread -- and turning things on their head. So the Nuke "radiation shield" isn't a warning; it's an exhortation to go out an achieve all you're capable of -- to, literally, "Unleash the Power!"

Q: Does Nuke give tours?

A: At present, neither the Corporate Campus in Tacoma nor The Test Site in Nevada conducts tours for the general public. However, Ground Zero Arena on The Test Site Annex is open to the public in conjunction with special events, such as the Ground Zero Classic basketball tournament or the Spike! America volleyball match.

Q: Who does those cool ads for Nuke?

A: Weidel & Flogg, a highly-regarded advertising firm based in Seattle. They recently completed work on a new spot for Nuke -- "Kandahar" -- which will be airing during the Super Bowl.

Q: Where will the next Ground Zero stores be?

A: As a result of the tragic events of September 11th, Nuke has entered into talks about purchasing a portion of the World Trade Center property with an eye towards establishing a combination memorial/Ground Zero store on the site. In addition, Nuke has also just broken ground on two new Ground Zeros overseas: one in Karachi, and the other in New Dehli.

Q: What's the most expensive shoe Nuke makes?

A: Among shoes available to the general public, Nuke's Stealth II basketball shoe retails for $195, narrowly edging out the Cruise Missile running shoe ($190) for top honors, though Nuke also makes a number of limited-production shoes designed for individual athletes. Among these, the size 16 shoes specially designed for former Portland TrailBlazer's center Sauran Artunitas are generally considered the most expensive shoes ever created by Nuke -- though exact figures are unavailable.

Q: How many endorsement athletes does Nuke have in its stable?

A: Excluding schools or teams, Nuke had 1,536 athletes on its payroll as of January 1, 2001, representing over forty different sports in almost 120 different countries.

Q: Does Nuke have any plans to actually buy an entire franchise?

A: Actually, Nuke already owns all or part of over a dozen different teams world-wide, including the Arizona Impact of the NBA. Nuke is currently seeking to acquire an expansion franchise in the NHL.

Q: Where can I find out more about Nuke? Have any books been written about the company?

A: At present, three excellent books have appeared on the subject. Michael Blumlein's Footrace: The Story of Nuke's All-Out War With Springbok examines the heated rivalry between the two sporting goods giants, while Stuart West's First Strike provides a vivid account of the early years of the company. Ian Richardson's Tomorrow the World focuses on the global expansion of Nuke, including a detailed account of the company's involvement in the 1996 Olympic Games. In addition, a book by Kenneth Crawford providing an inside look at Nuke and other Northwest corporations, The Centrifugal Force at the Edge of the Prayer Wheel, is in progress.