Dean Kirsten has a strong connection with the Volkswagen hobby. From first working on his older brother’s VW in 1968, to owning and building his first ’67 Bug and getting into the February 1975 issue of Hot VWs. His first contribution to the magazine world was in July 1975, and later went to work for Hot VWs from 1977 to 2015. During those 38 years, Dean has authored over a thousand stories, photographed hundreds of Volkswagens, and traveled worldwide covering the VW scene. Today, he restores old Volkswagens and has become more of a VW performance historian, doing research on the roots of our industry. He joins the EMPI team during its 70th Anniversary year.