Our one year anniversary – it’s hard to imagine that we have been around for a year already. An entire calendar year of MTB events and now our second ABSA Cape Epic. Time sure flies when you’re having fun… My biggest thanks besides to all our contributors, regulars, Seamus and Megan, has to go to our readers. The response we have received from you has been immensely encouraging and if anything given us the reassurance that we are doing something right. You have confirmed time and again that we are offering excellent content that is presented uniquely and via a very different vehicle, is easily accessible via your LBS and on top of it all its free! Thank you for your support!
We can also announce that we have successfully confirmed our distribution network into Shark country. As of this issue we are delivering to all of the LBS in the central areas of KZN. That’s at another 1 000 copies of Full Sus in circulation every month. Enjoy it guys and let us know what you think. We have also made every attempt to clean up our circulation so that there is a minimum number of copies left over every month, by monitoring the pick-up per store we have freed up 2 000 copies that are being distributed to MTB events around the country. Talk about doing our best to put a Full Sus into your hands.
It hasn’t been without challenges and Full Sus is completely funded by advertising (and Integrated Media), our primary challenge has to been to prove to the industry that we are a serious contender on the MTB media landscape – while we are doing that (and quite nicely I’d like to think) – the economy is certainly effecting the market negatively. We continue to knock on doors, continue to think of ways to ensure we get sufficient ad revenue and at the same time continue to improve our standard of producing quality media. We trust that the market sees it this way too.
It would be amiss of me to mention the world’s greatest MTB stage race. The ABSA Cape Epic is certainly the behemoth on the MTB calendar and is without a doubt the Tour de France of MTB. The ride has been embraced completely by the Mother City and is a frenzy of activity in the build-up and during the event. It affects our sport so much so we held off on printing for a week so we could report on the ride. A massive congratulations to all those who participated in, and completed this year’s Epic – it’s a huge achievement! Congratulations must also go to Kevin Vermaak and his team for once again producing a world class event. I’d also like to give the tent dwellers a special mention, looking at the weather, you guys really need to be singled out, this is without a doubt where true grit lives and you guys are the soul of the race – well done!
Finally special mentions to our mates, folks who rode for charities and Full Sus contributors – Kate Slegrova, Rens Rezelman, Lionel Murray, Erik Kleinhans, the SRAM, Trek and Specialized teams (especially Bianca Grobbelaar who kept us up to date daily) and of course Dom Malan and John Bayly who rode for JAG and good mates Noel Droomer and Stephen O’Brien who are legends (and Gallies)! I am sure to have left someone out – apologies. Goed gedaan en dankie maters!
See you on the trails
Cheers, Shayne
