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Here we are kicking off the day right in Mil-i-wau-kay, a word which Alice Cooper will have you believe is Algonquin for "the good land." Newsie Anna pedals towards knowledge on the water bike of liquid trivia. But, what does "Milwaukee" actually mean? Lots of people think it means "gathering place by the water", which is awesomely appropriate. When we find the true meaning, it belongs in our stack of ring toss trivia questions. Even if we can’t speak with etymological certainty we can say the river was beautiful, the beer flowed next to it, and the good people of Milwaukee were pleased to be at Tour de Fat with fellow bike and beer lovers. What a day! I'm sure Anna got this guy to think outside the box.
Whoa—Look at all our new bicycle hats! Not only do they shade your eyes from the direct sunlight, absorb sweat, and look fashionable, they are also worn by Edgar Beiber, member of the 1936 US Cycling Team for safety's sake. Check out this fantastic article about Edgar Beiber (http://www.gwu.edu/~bygeorge/nov5ByG!/bieber.html)
Devil Dan is Wolverine Farm's spiritual twin. His rapid fire paddleball skills match our volley of words as we bounce ideas off our audience. In all, Dan makes our Tour de Fat stop in “The Cream City” magical. Of all the places in the world, he has opened my mind to the Bellyacres, a refuge for jugglers in Hawaii. Read more about it here: http://directory.ic.org/23079/Bellyacres For all his spinning, Dan has his head where it belongs and uses it regularly. He also travels around in his own rig with a restored trailer to boot.
Kris Hite is a giant Newsie. Yet somehow his internal character, personality, and brilliance outstrips his gigantic body. Uncanny!
We met people from Growing Power and the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, two groups benefited by the event. Growing Power is one of the most organized, friendly, and influential urban gardening groups around. After the organization was started by Will Allan he received a "Genius" award, was named one of the 100 most influential people by Time Magazine. Will has changed the face of urban gardening projects forever. Check them out at http://www.growingpower.org/.
The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin does all kinds of great projects as well, including the Safe Route to School program. Check it out here: http://www.bfw.org/education/index.php?category_id=3880
Newsie and Wheelman Aaron attended Beer School, an introduction to the exact science of quaffing correctly. These New Belgium carnies know their stuff! He learned a lot to share with his fellow Newsies over food at the Comet Cafe.
Finally, the Newsies celebrate a grand and sweaty day. One more Wayne's World reference, please indulge us. Do these guys know how to party or what? http://youtu.be/bw1cHykOxqg
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