Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame: Morning Coffee Leads To Afternoon Adventures

Photographer Erik Mathy working on subject Chris Skogen in an Emporia coffee shop.

Sometime before the shindig in Emporia happened, I was contacted via social media by Erik Mathy. He is a professional photographer who has had work published in "The Radavist" and in "Mountain Flyer". He's been a bike packer, and he has photographed many events and cycling personalities over the years. He may be best known for his work with ancient, forgotten camera styles and equipment. If you saw any of his Sea Otter work from this year featuring para-athletes doing slalom events on wild three-wheeled rigs, then you know what I mean. (Check his stuff out at @erikmathy on Instagram)

We've known about each other via mutual friends in cycling, and Erik was keen on meeting me since he was coming into Emporia late on Wednesday evening. So we arranged to meet each other at the after-party for the GCHoF induction ceremonies.

Conversation ensued, but it was getting late, so Erik mentioned that we should meet for coffee the next morning. Plans were made, and then the next day I got to do some really amazing things with Erik.

Erik Mathy's 

1916 Folmer & Schwing Graflex 3A 

modified post card camera

So, Erik is always 'working'. I think he will admit this, I believe, to anyone willing to listen. It is hard for him not to stop and take the shot when he sees it. Erik told me that is why he is a terrible bike packer. He stops far too often for most folks tastes. This will come into play with regard to my time spent with him a bit later on in this story.

It wasn't long after we had sat down with some hot coffee and a couple of muffins for Erik to have a camera in hand and to be working out shots with a willing subject. In this case, it was fellow Hall of Fame inductee, Chris Skogen. Conversation continued all along, by the way. Erik can talk and work at the same time. So, we were speaking about what we were going to do after coffee and Erik mentioned that he was going out on the Unbound 200 course to do some recon and gather "B roll" shots and ephemera for Shimano, which he had a contract to shoot images for during the Unbound weekend. I asked if I could tag along, as long as we'd be back in town by 2:00pm, and Erik was thinking more like 1:00pm, so we agreed to hang out and drive the course in Erik's rental 4X4.

No, not an Erik Mathy shot. I'm not THAT good!

 After we walked out of the shop, we walked straight into a morning get together for a ride to celebrate Pride Month. Erik whipped out cameras and went to work on various subjects. Out came this contraption that looked like something out of an early black & white science fiction movie. It was Erik's antique camera which he had modified to accept some panoramic film which you can still find these days. (Erik is something of a tinkerer/mechanic when it comes to old cameras.) 

Anyway, it was funky and cool and it attracted attention. Erik wanted to switch over to a digital camera so he looked at me and said, "Here, hold this for me, would you?", and after being instructed to support the old camera from the bottom he quickly handed it off and went flitting about taking more portraits. Meanwhile I am standing with this behemoth of a camera and all kinds of people are gawking at me. I mean, they don't know I am not a photographer, right? 

A message from "Mom" on someone's top tube.

"Would you mind if I take a picture of you with your camera?", and I would say, 'Yes, of course you can!', and this happened several times. It was amazing. If you feel like you need attention, this old camera would be one way to get it. It's kinda heavy though!

Twas a wee bit wet 'round the Emporia rural areas, but that's to be expected during floods.

We met a maintainer going out. It wouldn't be the last one we'd see.

After a bit Erik tore himself away from the activities and we walked about 20 yards but he saw Alexandera Houchin, and then we had to go talk to her. (I didn't mind, actually, I wanted to meet her) That took, I dunno....a while, but it was fun and THEN we were off. 

Erik is very talented, and he very social. I wish I was a bit more like him sometimes, to be honest, so I did not mind all the interruptions to leaving. But once we did get going we found muddy roads and lots of standing water near to Emporia. Not to be surprised at, actually, as Emporia kind of sits at a low spot on a flood plain of the Neosho River. With the river over flood stage due to recent heavy rains, the low lying lands surrounding Emporia often get flooded as well. This would also come up later.... 

Ahhh! This is why I like riding around Emporia.

Erik Mathy is an avowed 'camera-nerd'.

Once we got 'out there' and into some interesting territory Erik was in his element. We saw riders pass by occasionally and Erik was always quick with an encouraging word or a friendly greeting. Once, while stopped at one point, we were overtaken by three riders all wearing the same kit from Colorado. Their curiosity led them to inquire about the antique camera and Erik was only too happy to show them how it worked and tell them all about it. 

In fact, he let them actually hold the thing and taught them how to focus it. Think about that. Would you be willing to hand a complete stranger your 100+ year old, irreplaceable, specially modified camera for them to fiddle with? I found this to be an amazing attribute of Erik's- that he was ready and willing to share in his passion and his gear with others. My respect grew by leaps and bounds for this man.

Erik's willingness to share what he knows and has is an amazing attribute of his.

Anyway, we finally moved on and went about a quarter mile and....."Oh! Yes! Okay, Look at this!..." Erik saw another thing to shoot and we stopped. I exclaimed, "Wow! I think we made it about a quarter mile up the road. This is fantastic!", in my best sarcastic tone of excitedness. Erik laughed. He knew why he was this way and we started just rolling with it. Honestly, I was in for whatever, and I was having a really good time watching Erik work and, of course, chatting him up all the while. 

Next: A Photo Essay- I will share my images from the adventures with Erik Mathy.