From time to time, we’ll receive the question, “What does H-U-P stand for?” In a sea of generic, corporate sponsors, it makes sense that people would naturally assume that Hup United stands for something. Webster defines “hup” in the following way:
“Used to mark a marching cadence.”
While this definition seems a bit stiff, it is somewhat fitting when used in the context of cyclocross racing as a forward, rhythmic, motion is implied. We like to describe the actual word “hup” to people in sort of a successive chant, similar to what you might hear while attending European sporting events like alpine ski racing and cyclocross racing: “Hup!Hup!Hup!”
While both the spelling and accuracy of the word in question are somewhat up for grabs—we’ve heard and seen this chant written as “bup”, “hop”, and “haup”—we find this to be one of the greatest mysteries behind the European sporting vernacular.
Hup United was formed in 2003 as a means for friends to share in the sport of cyclocross both regionally and nationally. Currently, Hup United members can be found in the Northeast, Midwest, Northwest, Southwest, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Rather than racing for a nameless, faceless sponsor, three fellow Seven Cycles employees decided it would be much more meaningful to race under a name—a word of encouragement, really—that so beautifully captures the quintessential sound-byte from one of the most brutal cycling disciplines: Cyclocross.
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