I mentioned the incident out loud stating "now why would Tina Brubaker leave this Vice magazine here?" No one had an answer, however, my good pal Carey mentioned something else. "You've seen her card right? The Manbreaker one."
Excuse me? And that is when this came into my possession.
It brings up a good point and got me thinking about promotions. And scanning in kisses and putting them on cards. I dug around through my bag of tricks (which is really just a bag that I've been carrying around with me for the last year) and came up with some other rider cards that I've found along the way.
Our pal Sven has a few cards to his name too. Here's what you do to get these cards at the European races. Show up. The thing that kind of blows my mind is that we're not doing more of this here, and I think that Tina and Co. are right on track. They are designed by Shannon Holt of Grey Matter, so the cards are going to be a little better than most.
I made a point of getting all the American's that I could find.
There was of course Molly's, but she's usually ahead of the curve when it comes to promotions (I mean, she has me right?) and hers is good. However Trebon? Come on. Seriously. Our National Champion has left the design of his rider card to Swiss Stop. Not America Stop. Or even U.S. Stop. Swiss Stop. Ok, well, at least we're getting some good representation on the world circuit. There is a reason that I tried to hide it behind the others. We need good representation here people.
In fact, let us look to the Euro's and see how they are doing things. Sven Nys pretty much has everything on lockdown. Or at least his lackeys have it down to a science. In fact, here are three examples. The first two look very similar...but they're not. All sponsors represented and then do a second, in color so that the Belgian National Champion has a little bit of a spotlight....and then, into the studio so that we can shoot the one for Betafence.
Here is the key though. Results on the back. Information. The Swiss Stop one had brake pads on the back.The Marianne Vos card though was the prize. I think that it happens to be bent and trashed like this because Molly tried to wrestle it away from me. Or maybe it was because the race took place on New Years Day and I was more hungover than I've been in a while, or since.
In any case, we got to see her race against Georgia Gould in the Pentage Race in Luxembourg. Then, we got to hang out with her in the Supporters Club afterward and found out that she's also an amazingly sweet and generous person, despite her aggressive racing style. (I shot this at the Pentage race.) World Champ? No big deal.
So, I'm going to put it out there. Who will be making them this year? I have watched grown men beg for these in Belgium. They hoarde them. They drop their cigarettes and literally run toward the people who come to hand them out. And who the hell know's what they're doing with them? Selling them on ebay? Trading them with there friends late at night over beers? Its working though, people know who Molly Cameron is because of her racing, but also because they can look at the card that they've just recieved.
Maybe I'll take some Super Relax cards with me when I head back to Europe late this fall...
Who doesn't want to see a baby faced J. Hufnagel covered in sandwich cookies?
