You can buy a Tesla Plaid but not a Plaid Jersey
Want to buy Plaid? You have a better chance at buying the world’s fastest production vehicle, the Tesla Plaid, than you would buying a Plaid Jersey. In fact, if someone offered me 1 million dollars for a plaid jersey, I would not give them one. I swear. Test me on it. No amount of money would be sufficient. Plaid is only earned (Hall of Plaid).
“I Believe in People” and “We are Capable of More than We Realize” are two mantras at my core and the underlying philosophical foundation of the Tour Da Yoop, Eh: Chasing Plaid challenge. The satisfaction of wearing Plaid is born from the journey taken to get there. I would never take that experience away from someone.
Dan Dalquist and Patti Howes working towards earning Plaid!
(Counter clockwise from bottom center) Patti Howes, Dan Dalquist, Zack Smith, Patty Pemble having earned Plaid! Jingfang Niu still riding for it.
Some people ask me why there isn't a Plaid for doing all 10 in 10 consecutive days and a different one for doing all 10 over multiple trips/years. It's a different animal to do all 10 in a row, there's no doubt about that. Your body and mind go through some serious learning along the way. Red Plaid is earned when you get all 1,200 miles done in 10 full sections. I don’t care how many days or years it takes. It’s a hell of a milestone!
Here’s Todd Morley - Definitely the face of a guy that just earned Plaid riding 10 straight days!
“Tour Da Yoop, Eh” was always meant as an invitation. Come ride your bike around the UP with me, OK! I don't care how many years it takes to earn plaid. All I care about is that I get a chance to show you some awesome roads, meet incredible people, and have a great time. You put your mind and body through some work. In doing so you realize people are amazing, you are amazing, and we are all capable of more than we realize!
When you've done that, you've earned the right to wear Plaid.
Plaid is unique to the U.P.: we have a special holiday called Plaid Day on the sixth of September each year. I'll let you think about why that date is significant. Let me know if you know the answer.
Wolfgang Brandl and Markus Legut came all the way from Germany to earn Plaid. Carrie McCoy came from Hawaii to be the first woman to cycle all 10 days straight to earn Plaid.
31 people including 7 women have earned the right to wear Plaid. We’ve been through a ton these past couple of years and the world is far from healed. Do something massive and memorialize 2022 as the year you took on a challenge that just might change your life for the better!
Carrie McCoy - first woman to earn Plaid cycling 10 days straight and James Studinger, founder and first person to wear Plaid.