Joseph H. Gottschalk (December 16, 1950 – June 21, 2003) was a resident of San Antonio, Texas who gained international notoriety in 2003 through his preference for riding his bicycle clad only in a thong.
The San Antonio Express-News newspaper published a story[3] on him in their May 5, 2003 metro section that was picked up by the Associated Press and quickly went viral bringing him fame far beyond his own city's limits.
"[5] In time he gained a kind of cult hero status among a minority of San Antonians, enough so that on May 23, 2003 he was fêted as grand marshal of a parade sponsored by a local radio station.
On June 21, 2003 a group of hikers in Big Bend National Park discovered Gottschalk's naked mortal remains at the bottom of a 100-foot drop along the South Rim Loop trail.
[7] The San Antonio Express-News editorial page mourned the loss stating: "Thong Man will be remembered as one of the many colorful, off-beat characters of Alamo City lore.