I was asked over nine years ago by Kevin Lyman ( President, 4 Fini, Inc .) to be involved in a punk rock tour he had started the previous year called The Warped Tour. He explained the concept – punk bands on multiple stages, with a skate ramp showcasing skateboarders, BMX bikers and rollerbladers and a festival village where grassroots surf and skate lifestyle companies and independent record companies could promote themselves to the kids. The concept sounded perfect for what Vans needed to do to help grow our brand for the future. We told him that we wanted to establish a skateboarding contest each year that would involve most of the major cities in the US . Kevin explained that the Warped Tour could travel to cities all over the U.S. and have the Vans skate contest as part of it, but he just needed some corporate backing get the tour on the road. In 1996, Vans signed on to the tour as the presenting sponsor, re-dubbing it The Vans Warped Tour.

Kevin Lyman is one of the hardest working and most determined people I have ever met. He is passionate about the youth market and really cares what they have to say. He is constantly on-line reading the thousands e-mails he receives from bands all over the country requesting to play the tour as well as thousands more from fans asking that their favorite band get to play. I also would say that Kevin is one of the most in-tune people in the music business today. He is respected by the record labels as well as the bands. Being from the corporate side I see the immense value Kevin has given to my brand, Vans, over the past nine years by creating the best and longest running punk rock festival tour in history, as well as giving thousands of bands their first big chance to perform live on a major tour circuit.

Kevin is the originator of the concept of a low priced ticket, 40 to 50 bands playing all day in a festival atmosphere, while watching skateboarders and other crazy activities. In 10 years, the integrity of the Vans Warped Tour concept has not changed – the ticket price is still low, the bands are still plentiful, and the sideshow gets crazier every year. No matter what has been thrown at Kevin he always stuck to his beliefs and has been successful for it.

As an executive of Vans, the 350 million dollar corporation started by my grandfather, I can say for a fact that we would not have grown the way we have without the Vans Warped Tour and Kevin Lyman's beliefs and passion.

Steve Van Doren, Vice President of Marketing: Vans, Inc.