18 Event Core Sports Series Extends Geographic Reach; Each Event to be Broadcast on Either NBC Sports or Fox Sports Net.
Santa Fe Springs, CA (February 12, 2003) – Vans, Inc (NASDAQ: VANS): Vans announced today the complete schedule for the Vans Triple Crown Series, the leading series of world-class competitions and lifestyle events in Core Sports. With 18 events across the country, fans will be able to experience the best athletes in skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, wakeboarding, BMX and freestyle motocross as they vie for the title of Vans Triple Crown Champion in each sport. Highlights in this year’s schedule include first time stops in the New York City metro area, New Orleans and Minneapolis. All events will be telecast on either NBC Sports or Fox Sports Net as part of the networks’ coverage of the Vans Triple Crown Series.
“Last year more than 275,000 fans attended Vans Triple Crown events and nearly 40 million viewers watched Vans Triple Crown action on NBC Sports and Fox Sports Net,” said Jay Wilson, Vans vice president of entertainment. “We’re excited to offer fans around the country the opportunity to see the best Core Sports athletes and events in the world.”
The Vans Triple Crown Series features top athletes from around the globe competing in 18 championship events in six sports and boasts the largest prize purse in Core Sports history at more than $2,000,000 annually. Top names competing in the Vans Triple Crown Series this year include: skateboarders Geoff Rowley, Bob Burnquist and Eric Koston; snowboarders Ross Powers, Danny Kass, Daniel Franck and Tara Dakides; surfers Kelly Slater and Megan Abubo; BMX riders Dave Mirra, Cory Nastazio and Stephen Murray; wakeboarding champions Darin Shapiro and Tara Hamilton; and freestyle motocross superstars Kenny Bartram, Dustin Miller and Tommy Clowers.
2003 Vans Triple Crown Schedule
Event
Event Dates
Broadcast Date
Built Ford Tough Champs of Snowboarding (Mammoth Mountain, CA)
Jan. 23-26
NBC – Apr. 5th / 2 PM EST
Vans North American Champs of Snowboarding (Big Bear, CA)
Mar. 6-9
FSN – Apr. 10th / 4 PM Local
XBox Pro of Freestyle Motocross (Minneapolis, MN)
Apr. 4-5
NBC – Aug. 9th / 3 PM EST
Vans Wakeboard Pro (Fort Worth, TX)
Apr. 24-27
FSN – June 12th / 4 PM Local
Vans Slam City Jam (Vancouver, B.C.)
May 1-4
NBC – May 10th / 5 PM EST
Mountain Dew National Champs of Skate (Liberty State Park, NJ)
May 29 – June 1
NBC – June 22th / 2 PM EST
Mountain Dew National Champs of BMX (Denver, CO)
June 27-29
NBC – July 12th / 5 PM EST
Right Guard BMX Champs (Cleveland, OH)
July 11-14
NBC – Aug. 2nd / 5 PM EST
Built Ford Tough WWA Wakeboard Nationals (Indianapolis, IN)
Aug.21-24
NBC – Sept. 27th / 5 PM EST
XBox World Champs of Skate (Oceanside, CA)
Sept. 25-28
NBC – Dec. 20th / 3 PM EST
Vans Champs of BMX (Oceanside, CA)
Sept. 25-28
FSN – Oct. 30th / 4 PM Local
Mountain Dew WWA Wakeboard Worlds (Orlando, FL)
Oct. 3-5
FSN – Nov. 20th / 4 PM Local
Mountain Dew National Champs of FMX (New Orleans, LA)
Oct. 10-11
FSN – Nov. 13th / 4 PM Local
Vans Freestyle Motocross Champs (Richmond, VA)
Nov. 7-8
FSN – Dec. 4th / 4 PM Local
Vans Hawaiian Pro (North Shore, HI)
Nov.
FSN – TBA
Rip Curl Cup (North Shore, HI)
Nov.
FSN – TBA
Mountain Dew Pro Nationals of Snowboarding (Breckenridge, CO)
Dec. 11-14
NBC – TBA
XBox Pipeline Masters (North Shore, HI)
Dec.
NBC – TBA
Ten of 18 Vans Triple Crown Series events air nationally on NBC Sports with the remaining eight airing during the Vans “Off the Wall” programming block Tuesday and Thursday afternoons on Fox Sports Net. The Vans “Off the Wall” hour airs during the coveted 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. after-school time slot with an overnight repeat airing.
NBC Sports produces a variety of Skateboarding, Snowboarding, BMX and Freestyle Motocross events for the Vans Triple Crown Series. Emmy Award-winning Producer Billy Matthews, considered one of the leading production voices for action sports, will work with Vans’ “Off the Wall Productions” Coordinating Producer Brian Murphy to oversee the Vans Triple Crown Series broadcasts.
The Vans Triple Crown Series is made possible through the support of a partnership of the world’s leading marketers and media companies including: Ford Motor Company’s Ford Division Trucks, Pepsi Cola Company’s Mountain Dew brand, the Xbox™ video game system from Microsoft, the Gillette Company’s Right Guard Xtreme, Transworld Media, Fox Sports Net and NBC Sports.
Vans (Nasdaq: VANS) is a leading worldwide brand for Core Sports™ specializing in performance and lifestyle footwear, apparel, snowboard boots and bindings. Its contributions to Core Sports include the Vans Triple Crown™ Series, the operation of 11 large-scale Vans Skateparks, the High Cascade Snowboard Camp™, majority ownership of the Vans Warped TourŇ and the continued sponsorship Vans World Amateur Skateboarding Championships. Vans collections are sold in the United States through 169 company owned stores and factory outlets as well as a network of independent retailers. Vans also distributes to approximately 50 countries internationally through distributors, sales agents and foreign subsidiaries.
For more information on Vans and the Vans Triple Crown Series, please visit http://www.vans.com.
Media contact:
Chris Overholser, Vans
(562) 565-8372 / (310) 213-2659 cell coverholser@vans.com
