Last fall, the board set a goal of introducing a new kit design in 2022. We asked if newish Tripleshot member and accomplished Kwakwaka’wakw and Coast Salish artist Carey Newman would help. Carey had recently designed the orange jersey for our Ride to Remember on the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. He has also designed a National Team kit for Triathlon Canada and created a few public art pieces here in Victoria.
In the past, Tripleshot invited input into our kit design from club members, some of which was passionately delivered! This time around, we wanted to honour Carey’s gifts and let him work freely and with few parameters. To still allow for member input, we asked Carey to develop two designs so members could vote on which one they preferred.
Over the past eight months, Carey worked closely with club director Justine Johnson to create the first complete refresh of our look since 2018. Instead of requiring members to reject one design in favour of another, Carey developed a regular kit and one that he dubbed a “gravel” version. We loved both designs and thought the best way to give members a choice would be to make both available at the same time!
Carey’s comments on his regular kit design:
This design is meant to both acknowledge the Lekwungen speaking Peoples, upon whose traditional territories we ride, and pay homage to the history of Tripleshot Cycling Club. The purple camas flower is one we see on our rides and a source of sustenance for the First Nations up and down this island. The water surrounding it represents the island we live on and echoes the cog that has been a feature of Tripleshot branding for the last 10 years. The geometric mountains are indicative of the vistas we see and the mountains we climb, while the diamond shapes draw inspiration from the iconic argyle that has been a constant feature of the club’s kits going back to 2008.
And his thoughts on the gravel kit:
When I was designing the regular kit, I was thinking about ways to integrate the various elements from the previous jerseys. Also, looking at the geometrics of the camas flower, it struck me how the angles were reminiscent of spokes on a wheel. Although I really liked the design, it felt like it didn’t maintain the same connection to the history of Tripleshot, so instead, I started to imagine a gravel jersey that was related to, but distinctive from the regular one. Another idea that I really liked was the camas combined with the cog, but when I enlarged it on the jersey, it seemed too bold. Instead I put the wheel as the main design on the gravel jersey and put the cog on the sleeve. This way, the two kits tell the whole story of the past, present and (if members order these things) the future of Tripleshot.
We will post again soon with all the details of when and how to order your new kit.
We are grateful to Carey for sharing his talent, his skill, and his passion — and for his commitment to Tripleshot Cycling. We hope you enjoy the new kit and will join us in thanking him for our incredible new design.
Gilakas’la, Hayalthkin’geme!
– The Board –
About Carey Newman:
Carey’s traditional name is Hayalthkin’geme. He is a mutli-disciplinary Indigenous artist, master carver, filmmaker, author, and public speaker. Through his father, he is Kwakwak’awakw from the Kukwekum, Giiksam, and WaWalaby’ie clans of Northern Vancouver Island, and Coast Salish from Cheam of the Sto:lo Nation along the upper Fraser Valley. Through his mother, his ancestors are settlers of English, Irish, and Scottish heritage.
In his artistic practice, Carey strives to highlight Indigenous, social, and environmental issues as he examines the impacts of colonialism and capitalism, harnessing the power of material truth to unearth memory and trigger the necessary emotion to drive positive change. He is also interested in engaging with the community and incorporating innovative methods derived from traditional teachings and Indigenous worldviews into his process.
Carey was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in 2017 and was named to the Order of British Columbia in 2018. He is the Impact Chair in Indigenous Art Practice at the University of Victoria.
