Keirin: Speed Racers on Nowness.com.
Inside the High-Octane and Lucrative World of Japan’s Cycling Spectacle
Before fixed-gear bikes became de rigueur for urban aesthetes, they were the weapon of choice for Japan’s fearless Keirin cyclists. A gladiatorial incarnation of track cycling that dates back to 1948, the Japanese sporting phenomenon operates by an intricate set of rules that sees competitors jostling for position on steeply banked tracks at lightning fast speeds, all but encouraging spectacular crashes. In today's film for NOWNESS, Jonathan de Villiers (whose fashion photography and portraiture has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Wallpaper* and Fantastic Man) traveled to the national Keirin school in Tokyo and the Tachikawa and Yokkaichi velodromes to decode the strategy that governs the racing phenomenon. “I knew next to nothing about it when I went,” says de Villiers, “but I'm a big admirer of the anthropological documentary where you get taken into a whole different world. And what a strange, special and complex universe it turned out to be.” The state-run industry amasses tens of billions of dollars in gambling revenue each year. To read about the Tokyo-based bicycle design company that has won the affections of cyclists around the world.
I was fortunate to be apart of "The Supermarket Street Sweep" last year. Killer race through the bustling streets of SF with multiple check-points. An unusual alley cat in that it requires racers to check in at various supermarkets spread out through San Francisco to purchase non-perishable food. The race is split into two divisions: speed or cargo. Racers for the speed race expect to spend anywhere from $15-30, and the cargo racers spend hundreds of dollars. It takes a financial commitment to contribute to this amazing event. Last year the event raised 7,507 lbs of food, which is over 6,000 meals! Great race for a great cause. Check out the photo opt - 1st column, 2nd row.
