The History of Plaid
The Plaid jersey was born in 2018, as a way of congratulating riders who embarked on the 10-day 1,200-mile journey around the Upper Peninsula. That year, I invited people through Facebook to join me as we rode the inaugural ride discovering this 1,200-mile loop. To be honest, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had never ridden back-to-back centuries prior to that first TDY. And never organized an event.
I designed the Orange Camo jersey as something we could all wear for bike safety awareness as we rode to showcase the many miles of quiet and safe pavement in the Upper. I wasn’t sure if anyone else would join me for all 10 days, and designed the Plaid jersey as an award accomplishment if they did. Alas – I was the only one. But… everyone on that initial journey asked me to bring the event back next year – as they continued their Chasing Plaid pursuit.
Since that first ride, I’ve been blown away by the people I’ve met. You are an inspirational group to say the least. You have made me a better person and I thank you tremendously for advancing this TDY thing to what it has become today.
Because of you, and what you’ve shown me is possible physically, mentally, and most importantly – the humanity of caring for others – Plaid jerseys evolved.
The first Plaid variant is because of Dani and Ken Schettig. They reached out and asked for the 1,200-mile routes, in a version that they could take their time getting from one town to the next. I designed a special route I call “The Journey”, that is longer and with more route options than the original. Dani and Ken spent three months riding their bikes, packed with all the necessary gear, around the entire perimeter of the Upper Peninsula. Amazingly, we ran into them on the way to Grand Marais during our event and had dinner that night at the restaurant. They saw some of us wearing Plaid, and asked if they would get one when they completed their journey. The answer was most definitely yes, but I wanted it to be different than the traditional Red Plaid. They were breaking the days into shorter distances, while ultimately discovering more about the Upper Peninsula than most others. I designed the Green Plaid jersey – to be awarded and worn only by those that embark on a more exploratory journey of biking around the Upper Peninsula.
That was going to be it – two Plaids. And then 2021 came along, and two people truly blew my mind. It started in 2020, when Joe Cekola, Tom Garrett, and Jim Heath showed up to ride and earn their Plaid. Three friends from the Kalamazoo area, incredible people ready for an adventure. Tragically, Joe hit a pothole unexpectedly and lost control of his bike, crashing onto the pavement and breaking his collar bone. It was devastating. Joe and his girlfriend, now wife Chelsey, stayed with the group for the remaining 7 days round the UP in their RV, dog, and endless supply of beer for the riders as they cheered on their good friends.
A couple of days before the crash, one of my longtime friends, Connie Marchek, had joined their group. From an outside observer, you would have thought that Connie had known them for decades. Connie, Tom, and Jim finished each day together – and on day 10 rode the final section wearing Plaid.
Joe Cekola wasn’t finished. He healed, trained, and came back in 2021 to earn his Plaid. And he didn’t do it alone. He reached out to his good friends Jim and Tom – and Connie – and asked them to join him so they could finish this thing together. Tom and Connie said yes. Now, any of you that have tackled this adventure before, you know it isn’t easy. Connie proved to be a force. But she was not a “biker” prior to 2020. She bought a bike for the 2020 ride, and I wasn’t sure if she was going to ride it again after that. And yet, she signed up to ride with Joe and “finish what they started – together”. On the route from Escanaba to Iron Mountain, Joe found that same pothole and took his revenge. Drinking a beer and then appropriately filling the hole with other fluids.
The three riders were an inspiration, and halfway through the 2021 ride I knew I had to come up with something unique to celebrate the kind of unbelievable people we meet along TDY. Tom and Connie are the reason for the White Plaid jersey. They represent the gift of humanity, sacrifice, love, and support we can give one another. Unlike the Red Plaid jersey, White Plaid can only be earned by riding the 1,200-mile route in 10 consecutive days. It is my way of memorializing the gift they gave Joe, and the thoughtful lessons I learned, witnessing them on that 2021 ride.
Purple Plaid was born in 2023, when two remarkable human beings, Zack Smith and Kevin Liberacki, returned to ride their bikes a third time around the Yoop. I’ll say it simply, these guys make life “better”. Spending a day riding a bike with them will add months, maybe even years, to your life. They are the quintessential leader that inspires by doing. When you are among people like them, you become more compassionate, more able, more aware – just more. And not to take away from Zack and Kevin, but TDY is made up of these kinds of people. I decided that the Plaid variant journey wasn’t quite over, and designed Purple Plaid to recognize the continued delight we enjoy by having such giants of humans show up and support others along their Chasing Plaid journey. Giants come in all ages, and there is much significance to the colors purple, yellow, and gold. In 2021 we partnered with U.P. Lions Serve Childhood Cancer to raise money and awareness for the families with children battling cancer in the U.P. Purple and yellow are the colors of International Lions Clubs and gold stands for childhood cancer. The families and children battling cancer we support and sometimes get to meet along our ride are incredible people that are taking on a much bigger challenge than us. Purple Plaid is our salute to them, and is earned by riding your bike around the U.P. three times, in as many years as it might take.
And we aren’t quite done with the Plaid’s. People like Lisa Graziano, Stephen Luyckx, Dan Dalquist, and Derek Ruonavar show up – already having earned their Plaid – and ride a few days each year with the group. They bring fresh legs, excitement, encouragement, knowledge, inspiration, and joy to all the riders. They keep coming back and experiencing different sections, making their way around the entire 1,200-mile route a second time. This is a different experience than riding all 10 days in a row for both the rider, and the benefit of the other riders within the event. That 2x around the Yoop version will be unveiled during our 2024 annual ride as we get to celebrate them wearing it. This variant can only be earned by riding twice around the U.P. – with the second time being completed over more than one year.
So how many more Plaid variants will there be? Probably 3 more. We have our first e-bike rider in 2024, and there’s a special plaid for that. Some riders are going for a 4Peat in 2024. And then there will be likely the final version in 2025 - bringing it right back to where it all began.
Plaid is my gift to you. Thank you for making Tour Da Yoop, Eh what it is.
James -