Jerry MacDonald: More Than the Miles

Cycling has been a huge part of Andy Bestwick’s life, but it’s a chapter of the Spirit of CAN. story he hasn’t shared very often.

In this episode of the Defeating CAN’T Podcast, Andy sits down with one of his best friends, Las Vegas native and retired Metro Police Officer Jerry MacDonald, to talk about the miles, races, friendships and experiences that made cycling about much more than a sport.

Andy and Jerry look back on their years riding and racing together, including an unforgettable Race Across the West, Andy’s years co-directing the Allegiant Air Cycling Team with Tony Gebbia, and the lessons endurance sports teach about setting big goals, doing the work and discovering that CAN’T often shows up long before we’ve actually reached our limits.

They also revisit the hardest chapter of their cycling story: losing teammate Pete Makowski, who was struck and killed while riding outside Las Vegas in 2013. That loss led Andy, Tony, Jerry and their friends to create Three Feet for Pete, an effort to raise awareness of Nevada’s Three Foot Law and encourage greater safety for cyclists.

What began as a ride to remember Pete eventually grew into the Ride to Remember, an annual Las Vegas cycling event honoring all those who have lost their lives on the road while reinforcing a simple message: the most important part of every ride is making it home safely.

The conversation also comes full circle with the launch of the first Spirit of CAN. cycling kit, an idea Jerry kept pushing Andy to finally bring to life. The kit brings together CAN., Andy and Jerry’s cycling history, and a tribute to Three Feet for Pete.

It’s a conversation about friendship, loss, endurance, community and why sometimes the best way to defeat CAN’T is simply to keep moving forward.

Learn more about Spirit of CAN. and the cycling kit at spiritofcan.com.

Learn more about Three Feet for Pete and the Ride to Remember at threefeetforpete.com.

Order you CAN. Cycling Kit

Ride to Remember Reg 

Visit our store: Spirit of CAN.
Social media: Instagram 

Remember, the discussions and concepts discussed in this podcast are for informational purposes only. If the 'can't" in your mind ever becomes too much, we encourage you to consult with a qualified professional. CAN. Ask for Help.

Transcript

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Keali'i 0:00

Struggle is real. Struggle is true. All my people stand firm and I will stand with you. Struggle is real. Struggle is true.

Speaker 0:16

Aloha and welcome back to another episode of the Defeating Camp podcast. I'm Andy Bestwick, founder of the Kann brand and host of the Defeating Camp podcast. One part of my story I haven't shared very often or connected closely with the spirit of Kann brand is cycling. I think I wanted to remain humble and avoid using past accomplishments to promote the brand. I also wasn't sure how relevant that part of my life was to a brand more closely connected with surf and island culture. And if I'm being completely honest, I may have even wondered whether my cycling story was cool enough to share and connect to the Kann brand. But through the encouragement of some incredible friends and a coach I hired who implored me to tell more of my story, well, here we are today. Cycling is a huge part of who I am, and leaving out the Kann story means leaving out many of the experiences that shape the brand. Cycling has taught me a lot about setting huge goals, putting in the work, and continuing to move forward when things get uncomfortable. It also gave me some of my closest friendships, plenty of great stories, and a few reminders that can't usually shows up well before we've really reached our limits. Some of my proudest moments in cycling came from racing, co-founding and directing the Allegion Air Cycling team for many years out of Las Vegas, and winning the Race Across America, widely considered one of the toughest endurance events in the world. But the sport's greatest impact on my life has come through the people, the teammates who become family, the friends who shared the hardest miles, and the responsibility we felt to honor a teammate we lost. much of this story, we're gonna share today, and also a really cool piece of apparel, a cycling kit. Today, my guest is Gerry McDonald, who is one of my best friends, an important part of the cycling story. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Gerry also served his community for twenty-five years with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. We spent countless hours on our bikes and even raced as teammates in an incredible ultra-endurance event. Gerry is also the person who finally convinced me that Spirit of Can needed a cycling kit. He came to me and essentially said, "I don't wanna wear another cycling kit unless it has a big can across the front." Sometimes you need a friend who knows your story well enough to show you what should come next. In this conversation, Gerry and I revisit the years of cycling, racing, and pushing ourselves beyond what we thought we could do. We also talk about the most difficult chapter of that journey: losing Pete Makowsky when he was struck and killed while riding outside of Las Vegas in twenty thirteen. We began a nonprofit called Three Feet for Pete to honor our teammate and bring greater awareness to Nevada's Three Foot Law. My best friend, Tony Gebbia, who co-directed the Allegiant Air Cycling Team and raced with me for many years, is who led us through the creation of this nonprofit, Turning our grief into something that could make a difference. what started as a memorial ride for Pete has grown into The Ride to Remember, honoring all those we have lost on our roads and reminding every rider the most important part of any ride is making it home safely. For both Gerry and me, cycling has always been more than a sport. It's friendship, it's medicine, it's purpose. and one of the most powerful ways we know how to defeat cancer. Here's my conversation with my great friend, Gerry McDonald

Andy 3:32

welcome back to another episode of the Defeating Camp podcast. Today, I have one of my best friends in the world, Jerry McDonald. Jerry and I go way back, but not as far as his wife, Denise, who- Uh, Denise and I ran on the same track team, along with my wife, Angie, in junior college in Idaho, where we all met. And, the rest is sort of history. And, Jerry came along in the picture, and we all became just best friends. And today we're gonna kinda talk about some of that history, but a, a, a lot about the cycling community and, some inspiration of him helping me put together the first canned cycling kit And I'd love, Jerry, for you to kinda talk a little bit about, your Las Vegas history, 'cause, uh, I jokingly... When I moved to Kauai, and then a decade later I moved back and I see people with Battle Born tattoos, and I thought it was hilarious, 'cause I'm like, "Nobody before I left was proud to say they were from Nevada." But you were born and raised-

Jerry 4:27

I was.

Andy 4:27

Yep. Uh, so just tell us a little bit about your background, please.

Jerry 4:31

yeah, a native, native Las Vegan, born and raised here. Um, 1968. Sunrise Hospital. Las Vegas was a pretty, uh, small town back then, but, it was, uh, a great place to grow up as a kid. I, I loved, I loved growing up here. I grew up in a great neighborhood, which is kind of in the middle of town now. But, uh, you know, You grew up on a street where there was tons of kids and you're, you know, wiffle ball and street football and kick the can, and all that stuff was going on back in the day, and it was just a great place to grow up, so. Yeah. But, uh, yeah, all my life here. Now 58 years and-

Andy 5:04

Yeah

Jerry 5:04

seen this town become what it is now, which is- Pretty wild. Yeah. That's a different place. Pretty nuts.

Andy 5:08

Yeah, pretty nuts. Pretty nuts. And, uh, and you, you have a pretty phenomenal career. So I had, Denise on, the podcast early on because she had an incredible career at, as a metro police officer- Yeah uh, here in Las Vegas. And, uh, Jerry similarly had an awesome career with Metro. I did. And you were, similarly what Denise ended up doing, you sort of spearheaded, uh, for the department in terms of use of force investigation.

Jerry 5:33

I did,

Andy 5:34

yeah. Uh, so if you can share just a little bit about that background.

Jerry 5:36

Sure. Um, well, as a kid here growing up, I don't remember how old I was, but I was pretty young when I knew I wanted to be a policeman. Um, I'm one of the few people I think in, in this world that can say they grew up and kinda realized their dream professionally. Yeah. Which I did. So yeah, I did it. I, you know, I became a policeman at, 25 years old, and I served for 25 years and, retired, uh, just recently in 2019. Well, I guess that's, you know, that's sh- that's eight years ago. Sorry. Yeah. Did I swear on the radio? It's

Andy 6:04

okay. It's

Jerry 6:04

fine. I'm sorry.

Andy 6:04

We're not on the radio. Oh,

Jerry 6:05

okay. It's not live. Uh, but, uh- It

Andy 6:07

is. Yeah

Jerry 6:08

yeah, no, I had a great career at Las Vegas Metro. Loved every second of it. it just gave me an opportunity to serve my community, more than anything else. I think I- it's something I wanted to do. You know, and got to do some really, really cool things. I, I guess I have to put at the top of that list was meeting Denise, right?

Andy 6:24

Yeah.

Jerry 6:24

You know, Denise, Denise came through. Yeah. You know, I was on staff up at the academy- Yeah and she hired on and, uh, I put her through the academy and, you know, the rest is history, right? Uh-

Andy 6:34

Yep, yep, yep. That's great history right there. So- We won't get too far into it.

Jerry 6:36

Nope. But, but, but with that obviously came, you know, the relationship that exists here, right? Sure. With, uh- Yeah with you guys. Yep. 'Cause you guys were all in college together and- We fully vetted you. You were, uh- Totally. 100%. Yeah. That, that story in and of itself is great. Yeah, well- You know, the first time we all met in short, we, we weren't, we weren't sure Denise, Denise's choices, uh, but, uh, um, you just turned out to be the most awesome guy of

Andy 7:00

So, uh- Oh and, I got to know Jerry and then through cycling, that was a huge hobby for me and, and in sport and managing a team here, and he started to get into the sport and, uh, and just tenacious and a great athlete, so he took to it really quickly even though you know, later on in life. And, he decided to try out racing and then eventually got on one of our teams, which we were doing these ultra races, Race Across America. And, uh, and Jerry wanted onto, to a team and, definitely proved his ability to suffer, and these, these races are, are no joke. Uh, you gotta go pretty deep in them. And so we put together a four-man team to do Race Across the West, and this was back in 2013.

Jerry 7:44

2014.

Andy 7:45

2014. Sorry. 2014, and, and it was, myself on the team with, with Addison and, and Matt Shackley. And, we ended up setting the fastest time at the time in, in that race- That's right From Oceanside, California to Durango, Colorado. And, it was just a, just kind of a, a great example of commitment to the sport and what you learned about cycling and maybe you can share a little bit about that experience too.

Jerry 8:11

Yeah, you know, that, that experience kind of evolved from an epic failure. Uh, and what I mean by that is the fact that we tried to get... so, you know, when you guys did the, the eight man- or the, the r- Race Across America-

Andy 8:24

Yeah

Jerry 8:24

and I think you guys had done that two times, um- Yeah, we

Andy 8:27

started out with a six-man team. Yeah. I always joke because it was a discount airline that sponsored us. We were- And it

Jerry 8:31

was supposed to be an eight-man team, wasn't it?

Andy 8:32

We were an eight-man division- Yeah but we did it with, um- So we did it with the owners of Allegiant Air- Right who was our title sponsor.

Jerry 8:39

Right.

Andy 8:39

And then three, three team riders, myself, Tony Gebbia, and, uh, J- Javon were all on that team together, and it was a blast. But go ahead, yeah.

Jerry 8:48

Yeah, so, so in, in my eagerness to kind of want to do something similar, I tried to pull together an eight-person law enforcement team to go do- Yeah. Yeah Race Across America. Yeah. And, uh, we worked kinda hard at that for a while. We just couldn't raise the funds and raise the money to do it. It's w- you know, it was an expensive adventure to, to get into. But what we did is, is we actually managed to come up with enough money to pay for the entry fee, and when we failed at putting that eight-person team together- Tell us

Andy 9:15

about all about this.

Jerry 9:15

Yeah. Um, we, we- You remembered they basically- That's right deferred my entry to the following year. That's right. That's right. And s- and, and, and they suggested, "Well, why don't you just do the Race Across the West?" And, you know, I didn't think much about it at the time, but a year later, I think you, me, Tony, and then, you know, and then we pulled, we pulled enough resources together, and we pulled enough money together- Yeah and we went and did the Race Across the West.

Andy 9:35

Yeah.

Jerry 9:35

Uh, and just, it's singleh- it's one of the greatest cycling experiences of my life was that adventure.

Andy 9:41

Yeah, super cool.

Jerry 9:42

It was super cool. Um, just an unbelievable effort on the part of not just the four riders, but the staff, the team, everything because it was a, you know, a 24/7 thing for-

Andy 9:53

Yeah for a couple of days It's such a sta- it's such a volunteer-heavy-

Jerry 9:57

Yeah

Andy 9:57

r- race. Y- y- you not only we were so lucky 'cause it Allegiant Air underwrote it and then we ended up did, we did net a lot for Ronald McDonald House a- as our goal to do fundraising. But- Mm uh, you, you had to have someone underwrite it and commit to, and it's thousands and thousands of dollars. And then you've- It is gotta have a bunch of staff to support you along the way. So you're right it's huge. But then you've gotta train yourself up to be ready for the, the pain and suffering and, uh, emotion of getting through that- that damn thing. Yeah. Um, and then we had done Race Across America on a four-man team, um, with Tony Gebbia, and I'm mentioning that 'cause we'll talk about him a little bit more later on in Three Feet for Pete. But Tony and I had started the Allegiant Air team, and then we, uh, we did Race Across America and won that, set, set the second fastest time that still stands, which is really cool. And, and that was part of our being part of this Allegiant Air cycling team that we ran together, Tony and I did for uh, many, many years. throughout the time we spent running this Allegiant Air cycling team Jerry was involved with a lot of the, the rides, and training, and things that we did. And, um, the most significant and hardest thing that came out of all of that was we lost a teammate out on the roads. Uh, and Jerry as a police officer knows, um, how dangerous the roads are in general, but in Las Vegas- Yeah um, they can be very, very dangerous, just the, the speeds. And I always joke that this, this place was set up as like a grid, so it's just a racetrack. You just basically floor it from one light to the next. And, um- Sure it can be kinda terrifying. But all cycling can, um, out on the road. So just gotta be really careful. But unfortunately our teammate, Pete Makowski this, that was in 2013, that, he was on South Las Vegas Boulevard. And we're not talking anywhere near the strip, we're talking about rural at the time. And the only thing that was out there was, gravel trucks and things of that nature. And, and you kinda know a little bit more about the case and all of that. Maybe you can share a little bit about you don't have to go into it too deep, but just kinda what happened to Pete.

Jerry 12:04

Yeah. Well, I remember, um, because Pete, you know, you know, Pete also trained, and this is, this is, was the interesting nexus with it all. Um, not just my connection to you and, and to the Allegiant team, but Pete- Pete was being trained at the time by Greg Choat, who, ran Las Vegas Sports Performance. Yep. And so Pete was doing his strength training with Greg, and Greg was also doing some cycling coaching with him. And I mean, a- and you would know this more than I would but Pete was kind of new to cycling, and then just kind of, boom, showed up on the scene.

Andy 12:33

Yeah. Yeah.

Jerry 12:33

And-

Andy 12:34

Yeah and just- Motocross athlete moto- it's- I mean, I mean, you, you, dive, I have, like, these incredible pictures- Yeah of him. Yeah, he raced, I think, at a pretty elite level motocross. Yep. And then a lot of motorsport racing, and then the guy was just a total gearhead because he was a, uh, a jet mechanic- And, uh, so yeah, just a phenomenal human being. Yeah. Kindest, sweetest guy, but, he was a monster athlete. Yeah. And then he, when he started racing, he won his first race. He broke away. I think he put 20 minutes into the field, and then he also won- a time trial. And, uh, and then he was just progressing. And you're right. Yeah. And so, so he was doing everything he could to be the best athlete he could be, and-

Jerry 13:13

Yeah, he, he really burst on the scene pretty fast and, and got really good fast. And so he was being coached up by Greg, and then he was racing with you guys. And then, and of course, I was also training at Greg's facility as well because Greg was training me up at the time to do Race Across the West and some o- you know? Yeah. He was just getting me stronger on the bike.

Andy 13:29

Yeah.

Jerry 13:29

And, um, and then I'll never forget that day, I remember it just coming across various text messages or whatever about a cyclist that was killed out w- on a training ride out on South Las Vegas Boulevard.

Andy 13:41

Yeah.

Jerry 13:42

And, you know, back then, uh, I knew people trained out there. I also knew that, Pete trained out there, and I remember just grabbing the phone real quick and calling Greg and saying, "Hey, had you heard about this?" And Greg had already received confirmation that it was Pete.

Andy 13:54

Yeah. Yeah.

Jerry 13:54

You know, and then, and then obviously my next call, you know, and we- then I spoke to you and, and- Yeah uh, it was just, you know, it was a really sad day for the cycling community when that occurred. And you know, there had been obviously previous cycling-related deaths up to that point, but I don't know how much people really paid attention to them, to be honest with you. Um- Yeah. You know, honestly,

Andy 14:13

back in the day, you know, there, there were some, some riders that had been hit really bad and injured and, uh, and, and I know we had some deaths, but, um, yeah, it was pretty shocking.

Jerry 14:23

Yeah. It did shock our system, or it shocked our system to me, like into action almost. Uh, 'cause I remember, I remember going to Pete's, uh, service at the church.

Andy 14:32

Yeah.

Jerry 14:33

And then obviously there was a... I think we went to, uh, Pete's apartment. I think we were helping pack up some stuff. It was at, yeah,

Andy 14:39

in his house,

Jerry 14:39

all those- In his house, yeah kits sitting on the

Andy 14:40

floor and-

Jerry 14:41

On the floor talking about

Andy 14:42

what, what could we do-

Jerry 14:43

Yeah and all

Andy 14:43

that.

Jerry 14:43

Yeah. And that's, that's when, uh, the Three Feet for Pete idea, which I think either came from you or Tony. Yeah. But it, it was more than that. Uh, but yeah. It was not something just that popped into... It was an idea that just kind of blew up from there. Yeah. And real- and quickly we, we, we kinda ran with it. I think you were very, fast with getting, uh, we got the organization set up quickly, the 501[c][3], the charitable f- uh, organization set up- Yeah really fast.

Andy 15:08

I give so much credit to Tony 'cause he's just such an incredible leader.

Jerry 15:10

Yeah.

Andy 15:11

He's a guy that like, once he gets something in his head, he just crushes it. Yeah. He puts it all together and just- No doubt and, and we were kinda hanging on to his coattails I think to a degree- For sure as, um, as, as we started to put all that together. And the concept of Three Feet for Pete for us was is there was a law that was had just recently been passed in Nevada that required drivers to give three feet when passing a cyclist. That's right. And honestly, and we can get into that a little bit further, um, in the conversation, but it's really, um, I think a lodges for prosecution. Most people don't know it, don't follow it like you would stop at a stop sign or- Right I don't know. It's not like a normal rule of the road that people understand, and it's a little bit challenging for people to understand how to o- offer three feet to someone even though you could just slow down- Yeah and wait till there, you know, it's a nice place to pass. But it, it's, uh, it's a challenging law for, for promoting and for people understanding it. And so the Three Feet for Pete concept was to ensure that more people understood that that law was out there. Sure. But the balance of that equation was is we both, we all three of us wanted people to find safer roads. Find three feet along with giving three feet. It was sort of like our offering to the drivers was to say- Yeah "Hey, we're gonna educate and inspire," right? Yeah.

Jerry 16:25

Yeah. I often think about, uh, what if Pete hadn't been named Pete? What if his name was Jake or what if his name was Mark or something? We would've come up with something. I don't know what we would've come up with, but, you know, I remember- Yeah I just remember when, when that idea came out of s- your mouth-

Andy 16:38

Yeah

Jerry 16:38

it just really resonated and hit home, like Three Feet for Pete. I mean, it just rhymed. It sounded good. It just sounded like it was a, an expression or a saying that needed to be developed a- Yeah and kinda nurtured and-

Andy 16:51

yeah, and I, I'll say, you know, man, it's hard 'cause you kind of feel emotion when you think about- You do Pete and everything. But at the same time, um, it did become something cool. I mean, I got I have friends in Hawaii that kinda knew about it, and and they, to this day Makani will tell me, "Oh, Fry gave three feet," you know? Yeah. Right. Like, he'd just jokingly, you know, like that. He's just like so funny that he w- he would tell me. He's like, "I think about it all the time." Yeah. He's like, "Even though I wanna yell at 'em, 'Get off the road,' or whatever," you know- 'cause especially when you have narrow roads. Sure. Like in Hawaii, I don't even understand how the law's ap- applicable, and it got passed there. And I'm like, man, it's just, it's a challenge for- uh, for riders and for, um, drivers to, uh, to navigate the concept, but it's really just being patient and-

Jerry 17:33

Yeah

Andy 17:34

and being thoughtful about that you have to share the road with people.

Jerry 17:37

Yeah.

Andy 17:37

Yeah. But, uh, but yeah, it's, it's neat the concept. And so let's talk about really quick the ride developed into something really cool locally.

Jerry 17:44

Oh, for sure. Um, so I remember going into that first year, we wanted to do this and back then we just basically called it the Three Feet for Pete Safety and Awareness Ride. Yeah. It was just- Yeah. And the first year we did it, I think we were hoping, I mean, we were hoping at best to get 50 riders out there or something. We didn't know what to expect.

Andy 18:01

Yeah.

Jerry 18:01

And we ended up getting, like, over a couple hundred.

Andy 18:03

yeah, I th- I... It was in the hundreds. It, it

Jerry 18:06

was.

Andy 18:06

And it was, it was phenomenal- Yeah um, the, the turnout. And I think a lot of it was a memorial to Pete, right? We weren't even sure- It- what this whole thing was. It was. We just, we just were like, "Hey- Yeah this is some processing for us." Yeah. It's a way to bring awareness, and, and through your connection. So the, the stretch of roadway let's say you're not from here. If, uh, if you happen to go very far south on Las Vegas Boulevard the last casino is, the M Resort, and then you're, you in your mind picture getting on the 15 and driving all the way to, say, Jean or Primm are those next towns. Right. And this was, uh, the Las Vegas Boulevard runs along the 15, and there was nothing really out there before. Not really any, any businesses or anything like that. And so we were able to close that road down thanks to Camping World, who's been our host for many- Right years. Yep. We were able to close down that road, that section, as a celebration, so it was... it's free and clear of, of drivers for the most part throughout this, uh... What's the distance? I forget.

Jerry 19:07

Uh, uh, about out and back to Jean, the total distance of the ride is about 25, 26 miles- Yeah I think. It's not- Yeah that far. Yeah. But, uh, you know, when we first started doing this, uh, you know, and luckily Camping World was out there. And, uh, you know, we went to them, and when we explained to them what we wanted to do, it was so cool. They were like, "Heck yeah." I mean, they... Camping World as a, as a corporation-

Andy 19:27

Yeah

Jerry 19:28

uh, ha- has to, uh, by, by corporate I don't know, bylaw or whatever, they have to- Yeah, their giveback support the communities. Their giveback to communities- Yeah are to do things like that. And so it was a great partnership that formed right away, and, you know, they have a big enough space out there to where we can, you know, we can host an event where we have 200, 300, 400 cyclists. We can set up some sort of an area with, where people can congregate. And so it's been a great partnership and an awesome thing. The first couple years were, were f- were interesting, right? Because they were very, they were uh... I would s- I would say they were almost, like- They were unpermitted. We didn't have a law, we, we didn't have a law enforcement presence. Yeah, I don't think we had it figured out. We didn't sh- we didn't officially shut down the roads. We didn't do any of that- Yeah those first couple years. Yeah. And then, and then we began to realize that, hey, this is a legitimate event and we need to do, do it on the up and up. So then, you know, then, you know, the events bec- became, you know, fully permitted and we, you know, we bring law enforcement out to to, to add an element of safety. And, you know, of course the, the road closure is a big deal in and of itself. And getting that strip of Las Vegas Boulevard, and I realize it's not, you know, it's not the Strip.

Andy 20:34

Yeah.

Jerry 20:35

But nonetheless, you're shutting down a, a pretty big street, um, that, that goes between Jean and, and Vegas. And, so it was, it's been really cool to see how the event itself, uh, has evolved. And like you said earlier, it wa- at first it was really just a memorial to Pete.

Andy 20:50

Yeah.

Jerry 20:50

And then I think a year later there was another prominent Las Vegan who lost his life on a bicycle, and people wanted to do something for him. And then a few years later we had the LV Five. The, what I would refer to as the, the big accident- That's heading out towards Searchlight. Yeah. Yeah. So there, you know, there's been a lot of, a lot of deaths, a lot of accidents, you know, where people have lost their lives on bicycles. And so our event- Yeah really, and this, and I give Tony all the credit in the world for this. I give Tony, you know, because he had the, vision to s- to realize that our event was no longer just about Pete.

Andy 21:26

Yeah. I, uh, remember that. It was. It was like, "Hey, we've gotta, we've gotta think of these other organizations, and-" unfortunately, as much as we love hosting this ride and trying to bring awareness, and RTC has been a phenomenal partner, and what, what are some of the others that have, have joined? Oh,

Jerry 21:42

Southern Nevada Bike

Andy 21:42

Coalition.

Jerry 21:43

Yeah, Southern

Andy 21:43

Nevada

Jerry 21:43

Bike Coalition. And of course, Ghost Bikes Las Vegas. Yeah. And, you know-

Andy 21:46

GE, all these different people

Jerry 21:47

all these people-

Andy 21:48

Yeah

Jerry 21:49

that are, you know, that are just, giants in the cycling community here.

Andy 21:52

Yeah.

Jerry 21:52

They've all stepped up and supported this event.

Andy 21:55

Yeah.

Jerry 21:55

And now we call it The Ride to Remember. Yeah, yeah. Um, because it, it really no longer is about one person. It's really just about remembering- Yeah all those people who have lost their lives and-

Andy 22:04

Definitely

Jerry 22:04

and, and it's about the conversation that, you know, that we try to carry on every year, which is to just be smart on your bike, ride safe, ride smart.

Andy 22:13

Yeah.

Jerry 22:13

You know, choose safe routes. Um, because at the end of the day we've realized that a three-foot law is not gonna save our lives.

Andy 22:20

No.

Jerry 22:20

You know, it's- Unfortunately

Andy 22:21

not,

Jerry 22:21

no it's nice that it's there. It's, it's, but at the end of the day, you know, we have to choose where we ride, we have to choose what time we ride, we have to choose who we ride with.

Andy 22:30

I agree. Yeah.

Jerry 22:30

You know, and all these things come into play, right? Yeah. So that's, and that's really our message now.

Andy 22:35

Yeah. It's getting home to your family and your- 100% pet- your pets, and I think of that all the time. I'm like, man, you're just, that's the most important thing about your ride is getting home safe. And uh, yeah, it's, unfortunately, you know, you just become a bigger, busier city, and cars go faster- Yeah and there, people are way more distracted. So, uh, I think we, remembering people, but remembering to ride safe was part of that branding or that rebranding- Right as the umbrella over Three Feet for Pete, and then all these cool and amazing organizations and thoughtful people, and the ghost bike memorials that are everywhere, which is just heavy stuff. But, and then I, I also, whoever is involved with all these trails, the paved trails in our communities- I know it bless them for it's amazing what they've done. Yeah. It's really a, an incredibly safe place to ride in those terms. And there are lots of, uh, bike lanes and lots of room. Yeah. Um, it just any, any proximity to cars, um, you've got that risk. So, so that being said, um, what year are we now on for this ride?

Jerry 23:39

Well, we, we've done it every year, uh, beginning in 2013. With the exception of 2020's COVID year- So this is our 13th year, I think- Yeah coming up.

Andy 23:47

Yeah, I think it's our lucky 13.

Jerry 23:49

Yeah, which is next month.

Andy 23:50

Yeah. So, um, and, uh, and the rides have been phenomenal. They're not races. I mean, we, we kinda sent you out on waves, so that, the guys that gotta get it out of their system- Yeah can, uh, can crush a few miles on an open road without worry. And, our goal is to, to make it safe and family friendly and e- anybody's invited as long as you have a bike and a helmet. Um, you're welcome to show up and have a great time, and it's supported by us in terms of f- food and as much safety and camaraderie. And, and you've added, uh, more and more police oversight throughout the years.

Jerry 24:23

Oh, for sure.

Andy 24:23

And so I think we have even more coming up this year. And the date of it is...

Jerry 24:27

October 24th.

Andy 24:28

Yeah, that's right, October 24th. And, you can sign up at threefeetforpete.com.

Jerry 24:33

Correct. Yeah. Three feet for Pete. And then, uh, make sure you click on the waiver button.

Andy 24:37

Yeah. Yeah, we do need a waiver. We need a waiver. Because, uh, as it turns out, we could be liable for all kinds of things- including getting shot.

Jerry 24:44

You're right. Exactly, man. I'm telling you, all kinds of things

Andy 24:47

have happened on this. Yeah. Yeah. It is Vegas, so we've had some weird things. Yeah. And we'll- we could share that brief story, 'cause it's, it's just unbelievably comical. But one of our poor riders got shot in the leg 'cause, these not super bright people were at a shooting range not even close to the-

Jerry 25:02

Well, the, you know, the, the strip of Las Vegas Boulevard go- it, it runs out there in the desert, basically. Yeah. And, and out there is a popular, like, sh- area where people would go out and just desert shoot, right? Yeah. And, uh, yeah, we were, we were out there on the course. This was, you know, several years ago when we were still kind of new at this and, and a couple of riders had gotten shot like one in the ankle, another one in the leg. And, uh, and it was, it was interesting, because back then I was still, I was still a police officer, right? Yeah. Yeah. So I had to throw on my policeman hat, you know- Oh, I, I remember in the middle of this event.

Andy 25:35

I was, I think I was the... I was out there and I just- Yeah remember on the radio, and I was on a bike. Yep. And I remember on the radio hearing, and I was like, this is ridiculous." Yeah. Like, we're trying to do a, a safety ride- Yeah and you don't have to think of those kinds of things. But it, it just turned out to be a family that wasn't, just had no concept of what they were doing- Yes and were-

Jerry 25:52

Yeah

Andy 25:53

shooting at berms in the wrong direction. And, uh-

Jerry 25:55

Yep

Andy 25:56

uh, for any of you thinking of signing up, it's a completely safe ride and- It is there's... That was what we call a, a, a freak of nature- Yeah scenario.

Jerry 26:05

It was.

Andy 26:05

But, um, but I will say the coolest thing about this ride is that the Las Vegas community is pretty tight cycling-wise. I raced here and ran the team with Tony for years, and we were a bit of an underdog community in the desert Southwest. We, we just didn't have, the strongest race scene, and we're going down and we got to race in Southern California or Utah or Arizona. And so it became pretty close-knit. And, um, a lot of those guys, we're all older now, but I re- I recall now that when we turn around in Jean, you don't just turn around. You congregate at that s- that end point, that, in Jean, that turnaround.

Jerry 26:41

Yeah.

Andy 26:41

And it's just, like, hugs and people, you know, just sharing old times. Yeah. And it's, It's a, it's a great... The ride overall is a great community event for people kinda to just to get together and see each other. We have also done some rides with Subaru. Subaru's been a big sponsor. I definitely wanna, wanna point that out, if you could share a little bit about that relationship and, um, that sponsorship.

Jerry 27:02

Yeah. Our, our good friends out at Centennial Subaru, which if you're not from Las Vegas, it's at, that's out in the far northwest out off Ann and 95. they joined forces with us, I don't know, four years now, I guess. Yeah. And, uh, have been a, a financial contributor to helping us put on our event.

Andy 27:17

Yep.

Jerry 27:18

You know? They've been awesome. so now, right now, we call the event the Centennial Subaru Ride to Remember. They're our keynote sponsor. they're just a big supporter of community things themselves. Yeah, they do an awesome job. And Dominic, uh, the one-

Andy 27:30

Yeah, Dominic's awesome.

Jerry 27:31

He's so great. Yeah, such a good guy. And, Yeah he's been such a great ally and partner with us, um, and been a big supporter of our event. And so, we've been with them for four years now. And, uh, and we also do some events actually at their location a couple times a year as well, which works out for them too. Yeah. You know, so.

Andy 27:48

Yeah.

Jerry 27:48

I, I always said if we could bring them some business and they can help us, it's, it's just turned out to be- Yeah a great partnership. And, and, and in fact, that's exactly what it's become,

Andy 27:55

And so through what I also wanted to talk about today, and thank Jerry, is, is my cycling background. I ended up in Hawaii and, and had this incredible life there. And, uh, I did ride in Hawaii, but it was more like, cane roads and fun stuff like that, and I wasn't racing or anything like that. But, you know, I started the Cann brand Spirit of Cann which obviously we're on the Defeating Cant podcast. And, you know, he knows how important cycling is to me. It's something I, I do at least once or twice a week, if not more. And so he inspired this, cycling kit that we put together and, I'm really proud of it and excited about it. It's, uh, it's beautiful. Uh, you can find it on the website, spiritofcann.com. we're in a pre-order scenario right now, so, kinda like old schools we did with team kits. It's DNA cycling, cycling kits is who we're going with, they're a pretty premium maker of cycling gear. So we're really proud of that. There's a variety of stuff.

Jerry 28:48

We've got j- we've got jer- you know, short-sleeve jerseys, long-sleeve bibs- Yeah racing vests, socks, arm warmers, um-

Andy 28:56

All of it

Jerry 28:57

all, pretty much everything you might need.

Andy 28:59

Yep. We've got Three Fee for Pete on it, and that's a, that's a big, important piece of, my cycling history and Jerry's, so we wanted to honor and remember Pete. I still have his little, his name badge on my bike that I've never taken off. And, we just wanted to make sure people were aware of it. And if you like the Cann brand and happen to be a rider we'd love for you to, to rep the brand and rep the concepts related to, uh, defeating cant out on the roads. And, uh, I don't know if you have any more input on the, on the kit or the concept, because you're the one who inspired it.

Jerry 29:31

Uh, you inspired it. Let's be clear about that. Uh, the whole idea about Cann. I don't know. For me, kits nowadays, and, you know, e- look, everything's expensive in this world that we live in, right? Yeah. So-

Andy 29:40

Yeah

Jerry 29:41

kits, you know, cycling kits are pricey and, you know, and you just don't, you wanna, you know, it's all about what brand you wanna rep For me, I remember just thinking to myself one day, I was like, "I don't wanna wear another cycling kit unless it's got a big, giant CAN on the front of it." You know, because- Yeah and, you know, and I, and we joke about this. Yeah I love the CAN stuff, the CAN apparel. I love everything about it. You're one of

Andy 30:00

my best customers.

Jerry 30:01

I-

Andy 30:02

For the record, just 'cause he's my friend, he'll he won't let me give him anything.

Jerry 30:05

No, that's right. I love everything about what it is you're doing at CAN. Thanks. I love the origin story behind it all, and then how you've inspired so many different people and things. And it's just such a great thing. And, I used to th- I used to think to myself, "Man, why doesn't Andy develop a cycling kit?" Yeah. Because, e- ever since I've known you, it's, it's been all about cycling and all about being on a bike and two wheels. And- Yeah and, uh, I think one day I, I think I just kinda had enough and I was like- "Dang it, I'm going over to Andy's house and I'm talking this guy into it. We're gonna do it."

Andy 30:35

And he did that. And- And that's just what I need, uh- Uh probably with all things in life, but, uh- Yeah. Um, y- just needed a little leadership. I j- I just, yeah. And now we're there. So now we've got... And for the record, they are expensive, and we are passing on no profits to you. None whatsoever. It's purely a, a marketing and fun project for the CAN brand and for myself- Yeah and Gerry, and people like Tony and others that, have supported me in this business I had started in Hawaii, and and obviously the importance of cycling in our lives. I think, you know, I, I was on a podcast, inspired by Aloha just recently and, uh, and I-- and we were talking about, you know, a little bit of SEL mental health concepts and, and for me, defeating CAN'T is something I have to do on a daily basis, and usually requires endorphins or I'm unsettled and, uh, can become kind of a maniac. So I think that's why cycling's so important in our lives and and hopefully people see the brand out there and get to know it a little bit. Uh, we are on the ninth island, so maybe I'll even find some, some Hawaii people that ride through this, which would be super awesome too.

Jerry 31:41

It would.

Andy 31:41

But, some things we wanted to update and share, and I'm just really thankful to have Terry on today and, uh, don't know if we have any other important things you wanna cover or...

Jerry 31:49

Uh, not really. Just thanks for doing this, man. I've been waiting a long time to get on the- the podcast and the Spirit CAN podcast and, uh, no, it's just, look, what you're doing is really cool. Um, keep doing it, uh, 'cause the world is in-- we're in such a need for things like this, just, you know, discussions that are, about positivity and just, you know, defeating CAN'T and just, um, finding ways to I don't know, make the world a better place every day and- Yeah. That's- and, uh-

Andy 32:15

That's the key

Jerry 32:15

you know, so let's, let's keep this going and-

Andy 32:19

We will, and hopefully, uh, we'll get some kids out in the world. Of course. And, uh, and, uh- Yeah and then more gear along the way. That's my, my, my vision for the brand has always been that. Um, obviously the, the recreation outdoor stuff is important, so- Yeah It's gonna take hold and, uh, we'll just grow it and have more versions of that and other things. And, uh, I will leave it at that, and just wanna thank Gerry for being on. I wanna thank the audience, any of you guys that download this podcast, and spiritcan.com is where you can learn more about the brand, things we're engaged with, and things we're doing. Threefeetforpete.com, the ride again is on October 24th. That's right. Everybody's welcome. Bike, helmet is all you need, and sign that waiver and, be out there, and thanks for everything.

Jerry 33:05

Thank you. All

Andy 33:07

right.

Keali'i 33:09

Struggle is real. Struggle is true. All my people stand firm and I will stand with you. Struggle is real. Struggle is true.