Do you really love Tesla? Prove it [Contest and Awards]

There are some who really, really love Tesla. Then, there are the super-enthusiasts, the true stand-outs. People who eat, sleep, and work in a Tesla Model S (see images below). Their love defies comprehension -- they're just crazy about Tesla's cars, the company, the stock, and the vision of its trailblazing Tesla CEO Elon Musk. They prove their love - day in, day out.

And, oh... by the way, if you want to prove your love (to us), we've included a special contest (packed with fun prizes) at the bottom of this post. But, before that, we'd like to hand out some special awards to those we think prove their Tesla love better than anyone else in this tight-knit community. Note: this will probably be controversial as we're sure we mistakenly left out some "big names" in the Tesla world. Nevertheless, like a "Tesla Olympics" competition, we'll be handing out kudos to those we think deserve special mention for proving their unbridled Tesla Love.

Source: @smotraru, Tesla Renter, @coulterm

So whether you eat your lunch on your Tesla trunk parcel shelf, or sleep in the trunk (we're talking to you @SteveSasman), or work inside a Model S Deskla - you've proven your true love. Who else out there shows an insane (ahem, ludicrous) amount of Tesla love? Today, we'll give the gold, silver and bronze medals to those, in our opinion, who are truly worthy of distinction. We'll break this all down in categories with lots of links so you can read, follow, subscribe, like, and show them your love.

Tesla News Sites

If you love Tesla, you want the best Tesla news. So... what Tesla news sites, and writers, are the cream of the crop? The gold medal goes to Fred Lambert, @fredlambert, at Electrek. A fantastic reporter, he typically covers Tesla Motors news about 3-5x/day along with other salient electric vehicle news... when does this guy ever sleep? The silver medal goes to the somewhat mysterious Gene L., @teslarati, who updates Teslarati with great Tesla news 1-2x/day. Although Gene's last name is hidden, he runs (and often writes for) this must-read website for all true Tesla fans. For those that track Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) all day, every day (yes... we're guilty), there is no better financial writer covering Tesla Motors than Daniel Sparks, @danielsparks at Motley Fool -- not just because he brings a balanced, intelligent, nuanced look at TSLA -- but because this bronze medalist really knows what he's talking about as an owner (see below) of the Tesla Model S.

Above: Daniel Sparks and his wife with their Tesla Model S; Source: Medium

Tesla Blogs

Many of those who love Tesla have their own blogs. Which ones should you bookmark? The gold medal goes to Rob Mason, @teslaliving, at Tesla Living. He doesn't update his blog daily, but his writing (and content) is superb. To boot, Rob obsessively monitors Tesla Supercharger openings. The silver medal goes Matt Simmons, @teslapittsburgh, who runs the Tesla Pittsburgh blog. His article on justifying the math for a Tesla Model S is one great example of his outstanding work -- he even got tweeted by Tesla themselves (see below). We also wanted to highlight a stock-related TSLA blog to round out our awards... the bronze medal goes to the satirical and wickedly brilliant Teslamondo. Mr. Teslamondo also has a mysterious hidden identity, but he/she (whoever the author is) remains one of the most astute observers of Tesla Motors.

Above: Matt Simmons of Tesla Pittsburgh

Tesla Youtube Celebs

There are a few youtube'ers who've gained serious followings in the Tesla world. Be sure to subscribe to these must-watch Tesla-related youtube channels. Our gold medal goes to KManAuto, simply known as the "KMan" on youtube. His videos appear weekly (if not daily sometimes) with invaluable news and tips about Tesla. He's funny, irreverent, and a helpful "guide" for any Tesla owner. Next up, the silver medal goes to News from the Frunk from Tesla expert and forum favorite, Nick Howe, @nickjhowe. Along with hosting this informative news show on youtube, Nick has also authored the ultra-popular book, Owning Model S. The bronze medal goes to Brooks Weisblat of Drag Times, whose high-speed Tesla youtube videos have racked up millions of views -- he often drag races gas-guzzling supercars in his P90D (with ludicrous mode) and leaves them in the dust.

Above: Brooks Wesiblat of Drag Times; Photo: Mashable

Global Tesla Awards

Each of these Tesla aficionados get international gold medals. We're not including all countries, but, instead - we've focused on just a few. And, although we're not awarding an "overall" winner, arguably the "Grand Champion" of this whole Tesla love-fest should probably go to Bjorn Nyland, @BjornNyland, of Norway. Yes, Bjorn had so many Tesla referrals via his youtube channel that he won himself a fully-loaded Tesla Model X and practically does videos full-time. In Belgium, both Byron Soulopoulos (President) and Martin Gillet (VP) of Tesla Club Belgium, @TeslaClubBE, boast over 1,500 club members and they've recently launched the groundbreaking Tesla World conference. In Canada, Sylvain Juteau, @roulezelectric of Roulez Electrique and EV and More, has won himself a Ludicrous P90D due to his multitude of Model S referrals and constant Tesla evangelizing to others. In the UK, Tesla owner Robert LLewellyn of the Fully Charged Show on youtube has racked up over 50,000 subscribers! And, in Australia, Model S owner Marc Talloen has documented (and is well-known for) his epic road trips across the country.

Above: Bjorn Nyland

Okay... we know we've left out some key people here. Who did we miss? Contact us and let us know. We'd love to expand on this list -- maybe we'll do a Tesla Love "Awards Show" next year!

Contest

Do you want to prove your Tesla love (to us)? Well... we've got a fun contest below for you. And, you can enter multiple times via 10 different methods. Best part: the contest ends on Valentine's Day - that way - we can show our love to the winner and send out this fun EVANNEX Swag Bag full of prizes. See below...