FORD TOUGH INTEGRAL PART OF NEW MICHIGAN SKATE PARK

FORD TOUGH INTEGRAL PART OF NEW MICHIGAN SKATE PARK

DEARBORN, Mich., June 14, 2002 – Ford Trucks, an active supporter of core sports across the country, provides some of the toughest, coolest scenery for skateboarders in the new Novi Vans Skatepark opening this weekend.

The Built Ford Tough Zone, part of the 25,000-square-foot indoor street course in the skate park, includes a Ford Ranger XLT suspended from the ceiling, a Ranger tailgate at the top of the course’s vert ramp, Team Ranger banner sequences and posters, and Built Ford Tough pole pads and pool drain cover.

Novi Vans Skatepark, which opens Saturday to the public, is a 53,000-square-foot facility offering indoor and outdoor skating for the Detroit area’s 100,000 skateboarders. Ford Truck has been a Vans partner and sponsor of its Vans Triple Crown Series for three years and has developed strong relationships with a number of core sports athletes.

“Our current and future customers like to work and play tough, so this is a natural alliance for Ford Truck,” says Drew Cook, Ford Division Truck marketing communications manager.

The Vans Triple Crown Series includes competition in skateboarding, wakeboarding, surfing, snowboarding, BMX and freestyle motocross. International athletes in each specialty compete in three championship events for prizes totaling $2 million.

In 2002, Ford Motor Company signed on for two more years as a series sponsor. Ford is giving a Ford Ranger FX4 off-road performance truck to the winner of each series event. Ranger FX4 has the 4.0-liter SOHC V-6 engine, fully upgraded suspension system, skid plate and high ground clearance that appeal to action sports enthusiasts.

Ford also has established relationships with six athletes in these disciplines, outfitting each one with a Ford Ranger Edge and customizing it to the unique needs of the athlete in his or her sport. Ford is sponsoring Abe Teter in snowboarding, Omar Hassan in skateboarding, Tommy Clowers in freestyle motocross, Tara Hamilton in wakeboarding, Serena Brooke in surfing and TJ Lavin in BMX riding.

“These athletes embody the idea of Built Ford Tough, so it only makes sense to support them in trying to reach the top in their respective sports,” says Cook.

Ford Trucks has been a partner of the Vans Triple Crown Series since 2000 and is the exclusive, official automotive partner of the 2002 and 2003 series.

Ford Trucks is the title sponsor of the Built Ford Tough North American Championships of Snowboarding in Sierra-at-Tahoe in Lake Tahoe, Calif., and the Built Ford Tough WWA Wakeboarding Nationals in Dallas. Ford Trucks is a presenting sponsor at the remaining snowboarding and wakeboarding events and an associate sponsor at the other skateboarding, BMX, FMX and surfing competitions.

At each Triple Crown series event, Ford captures the “toughest moment” by an athlete. Footage obtained makes up the Built Ford Tough Moment of Truth shown when the events are televised during the year.

“Our involvement in the core sports of the Vans Triple Crown Series helps us show people who work hard and play hard that our trucks are up for that challenge. For our part, we get a good look at what products and attitudes these customers are looking for – both in their lifestyles and the vehicles that fit into those lifestyles,” Cook said.

“And, because these sports have such appeal to kids who aren’t yet able to drive, we are able to expose our products in a credible manner to up-and-coming generations of Ford customers,” he added. “This is a great opportunity to make some of these kids customers for life.”

Besides Novi, Vans operates skate parks in California, Virginia, Texas, New Jersey, Colorado, Arizona, Georgia, and Florida.

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 twelve large-scale Vans Skateparks, the High Cascade Snowboard Camp™, majority ownership of the Vans Warped Tour? and the continued sponsorship Vans World Amateur Skateboarding Championships™. Vans collections are sold in the United States through 161 company owned stores and factory outlets as well as a network of independent retailers. Vans also distributes to more than 50 countries internationally through distributors, sales agents and its subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. For more information on Vans and retail stores/ skateparks, please visit www.vans.com.

The Built Ford Tough lineup of trucks includes Ranger, F-150, F-150 SuperCrew, F-Series Super Duty and E-Series vans and wagons.

Ford@Off-Road.com