Alabama Is A Rubber Band State
Award-winning illustrator Scott Thigpen on what kept him returning to the heart of the South over the decades
The Tour Divide
Award-winning illustrator and Alabama native Scott Thigpen is celebrating. Ten years ago this month, he began an almost 3,000 mile journey called The Tour Divide — an ultra-distance cycling race following the length of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico — with nothing but his single-speed bike, a pack full of gear and his own fortitude.
“I had no idea how to ride a bike,” Scott said. “Let alone a mountain bike, let alone [how to] be in the woods for a month.”
The race is a completely self-supported ride — which means, from a flat tire to a mountain lion, you’re on your own, kid.
“Basically, the rules are: you can’t ask for support, so nobody’s there to hand you food. You can’t really interact with people except for other racers. And I was like, oh my god I want to do this race!”
With barely any money to his name and an expensive dream he couldn’t shake, Scott struck a deal with the owner of a new fitness business who happened to be an experienced long-distance cyclist.
“If you can train me up, I’ll do all your graphic design in exchange for training for this race.”
His training lasted two years, and on June 12, 2013, he began his 22 day trek across North America, placing 4th in the male, single-speed category and 40th of 181 riders overall.
“It was the toughest thing I’d ever done,” Scott said.
The Rubberband State
Scott was living in Atlanta at the time of the race, but he soon found his way back home to Birmingham, Alabama where he fell in love with the outdoors.
Born in a small town 45 minutes north of Huntsville, Scott spent years working as a freelance artist for familiar names like The Wall Street Journal, DreamWorks (Notably, he contributed to the opening scenes of 2001’s Shrek.) and — most recently — Sony Pictures Animation.
Scott found his way back to Alabama more than once over the decades. As for his timeline, it looked a little like a ping-pong match.
Alabama — Virginia — Alabama
Georgia — Mexico — Georgia
Georgia — Alabama—Texas
When I asked why he kept coming back, he said, “Alabama’s like a rubber band.”
What kept him rebounding?
He called it his “hyperfocus,” a “fixation,” this newfound love of the Alabama outdoors.
“The nature scene in Alabama is just wonderful,” he said. “Riding on trails and being alone with nature. If I have one compliment for Alabama, the best thing about it is its biodiversity. If you start at the top of Alabama, you’re in the foothills of the Appalachian. There are tremendously hard hills to climb up and down. There’s some spotting of bears and possibly wild boar. Then if you keep going south, you reach the beaches and the Gulf of Mexico. There’s just not many states where you can find that.”
“Alabama’s a ‘make-me state.’ As in: You guys need to quit smoking. Oh, really? Make me.”
He wasn’t shy about the state’s hang-ups though.
“You can’t really bring up Alabama without bringing up some of its other sides,” Scott said. “We’re last in everything. We have Alabama football, that’s probably one of my favorite things. We’re not good in education. We’re not good in healthcare,” he said. “Highly ignorant in our politics — or as corrupt as you can get.”
Small town police corruption. Black voter obstruction. Prison corruption and misconduct.And that’s just a few from this year. Alabama, like many of its bordering states, has a charcuterie board of stories to finger through.
“We have a black eye for that stuff, and I think somebody said it best when they said Alabama’s a ‘make-me state.’ As in: you guys need to quit smoking. Oh, really? Make me.”
This inclination may be inspired by the popular battle flag depicting a coiled snake and the phrase “Don’t Tread On Me,” flown as a symbol of liberty and freedom during the American Revolution.
According to The New York Post, the “Don’t Tread On Me” flag was later adopted by confederates during the Civil War and, in the 2010's, by conservatives and libertarians.
“Thanksgiving, that’s when I go home, there’s a no-politics policy,” he said.
Today, Scott lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Heather, and even though he’s frustrated with the state’s “conservative, backwoods” mindset, what he misses most is the people, the friends and loved ones he and Heather left behind.
“Like I said, Alabama has been a rubber band. You know, sometimes I’m wanting to get away from Alabama so bad,” he said. “We still have a house in B’ham and will consider our options of moving back to B’ham or staying here, say in like 10 years or so.”
Check out Scott’s work here. HERE WE REST is a project exploring why Alabamians choose to stay or leave the state with a focus on BIPOC, queer and environmental issues.
