Ironman | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

OK, this is really about Ironman – it is being held in Kona today. But the dorkness is noted at the end of the summary.

“Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life!” “Whoever finishes foremost, we’ll call him the Iron Man.”

The Ironman Triathlon World Championship is the initial and ultimate Swim – Bike – Run event.

The race was created for bragging rights by combining the 2.4-mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim, 112-miles of the Around-Oahu Bike Race, followed by the 26.2-mile run of the Honolulu Marathon.

During an awards banquet for the Waikiki Swim Club, Commander John Collins, a Naval Officer stationed in Hawai`i, and his wife Judy, began playing with the idea of combining the three toughest endurance races on the island into one race.

They decided to issue a challenge to see who the toughest athletes were: swimmers, bikers or runners. On February 18, 1978, 15 competitors, including Collins, came to the shores of Waikiki to take on the first-ever Ironman challenge. (Ironman)

Most of the folks who enlisted arrived at the beach start before sunrise. Of the eighteen that originally signed up, three would decide to back out.

The usual excitement pre-race hung in the air. Loud music was blaring from the speakers of a parked van owned by John Dunbar, one of the competitors. He would later change from his Superman costume to his swim gear as the race start time was nearing. (ironmanfacts)

Eleven-hours 46-minutes 58-seconds later, Gordon Haller, a taxi cab driver on most days, a local hero on that day, became the world’s first Ironman Triathlon champion. (NY Times) (Twelve of the initial 15 finished the race.)

What started out essentially as a bar bet on who was the best endurance athlete – swimmer, biker or runner – the Ironman Triathlon World Championship has grown to be the paramount multi-sport race (and now a category of its own.)

It started on Oʻahu; in 1981 Ironman made its home in West Hawaiʻi on the Big Island. (In 1982, there were two races, the first in February (consistent with the timing of prior events) and then another in October (moved to allow racers from colder climates to better train.)

The women’s portion of the February 1982 race was one of Ironman’s memorable milestones. Julie Moss, who entered the race as part of her thesis paper on physiological and training considerations, was in the lead, with about a mile to go.

She collapsed, her legs giving out after nearly 140-miles. What now is indicative of the Ironman spirit, she got up and tried moving forward. After many starts and stops, she made it is less than 10-yards from the finish line, she fell a final time.

As she lay on the Kathleen McCartney passed her and won. Moss dragged herself, crawling across the finish line 29-seconds later, finishing second.

“That race brought so much attention to the sport of Triathlon. … Julie inspired thousands of people that day. It wasn’t about winning anymore. It was about finishing.” (McCartney; NY Times)

Video of Julie Moss’s finish on YouTube:

It ends at midnight (nothing beats watching the late-night finishers of the Ironman.)

For 13-years, I was Ironman Director of Aid Stations (1990-2002.) We had about 4,000 volunteers and over 30 bike and run aid stations for the 1,200 contestants.

To the Ironman contestants: Have fun … see you at the finish line.

“You can quit if you want, and no one will care. But you will know for the rest of your life.” (John Collins, Ironman co-founder; Ironman)

In homage to the event, I have attached a prior race-day photo of me. The photo gives you an idea of how I dressed for the event; I tried to dress comfortably (this is the only time that I wear my grapes pants.)

To complement the attire, each year, I would add on as many radios, electronics and other gadgets to my ensemble (they even made a special headset for me, so I could monitor two radios at the same time.) The following year was gaudier than the prior.

The photo shows me at one of my last races as Ironman Aid Stations Director (the umbrella accessory is a new addition I am particularly fond of.)

No one can out-dork the Duke of Dork.

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2011 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon2011 Ironman World Championship2011 Ironman World Championship2011 Ironman World Championship

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The Ironman Triathlon World Championship is the initial and ultimate Swim – Bike – Run event.

This type of race (tri-sport) was stated in Hawai‘i and was essentially created for bragging rights by combining the 2.4-mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim, 112-miles of the Around-Oahu Bike Race, followed by the 26.2-mile run of the Honolulu Marathon.

It started on O‘ahu, but its home is now in West Hawai‘i on the Big Island.

For 13-years, I was its Director of Aid Stations (1990-2002.) We had about 4,000 volunteers and over 30 bike and run aid stations for the 1,200 contestants. We also had a cadre of coordinators to help oversee the operations.

Each year, I made a point of trying to add another coordinator to my list. It was more of a challenge and game to think up new ideas for “coordinators.”

This was not only to help spread out the work load, but, more importantly, it was a way to get some of the race swag to more people (coordinators received a special race shirt, had full access to all areas of the race and were invited to special parties.)

Speaking of parties, in the early years it was like pulling teeth to get coordinators to a race planning meeting.

Then, I finally got it.

I started to have wine tasting as a part of the planning meeting. Not only did everyone show up (early,) they all asked when the next party, errr … meeting was.

This led to my attempt to get a wine person listed as a coordinator for the race (adding coordinators was a big deal to the race (given cost, etc,) so nothing was taken for granted.)

After extensive explanation of the importance of proper hydration in the race, etc, etc, etc, ultimately, the race director agreed to add a “Liquids Coordinator” to the Aid Stations roster.

However, little did they know that these “liquids” were meant for us, not the contestants. We had a perfect person for the job, Jack Squires, who lives in Napa Valley and managed a cork company.

However, in offering Jack the job, little did he know I had devised an elaborate practical joke for his initiation.

I worked with the race Medical Director, Bob Laird, on “including” Jack into a series of medical meetings Bob has with his medical crew prior to the race. They had some seminars dealing with medical concerns related to hydration, etc.

Bob agreed to sign a letter I wrote inviting Jack to the seminars – we also included reams of medical reports and other paperwork for Jack to review prior to the meetings.

Little did Jack know that I arranged all this with Bob.

Jack diligently reviewed the paperwork prior to getting to Kona. I recall several phone conversations with Jack after the invitation, where he questioned whether he wanted to participate, or not.

When Jack arrived, we let him in on the joke and told him there were no seminars to attend and he really had only two rules to follow in the Aid Stations Operating Manual, (1) make sure there is plenty of wine for the Aid Stations Coordinators and (2) never forget rule #1.

Of course, we snuck in our own wine into various race parties (some were “alcohol-free.”) Carbo-loading party is Thursday night of race week – it also was the beginning of our major Aid Stations party.

We’d pre-party at Carbo; then, leave early to go to the Liquids Coordinator’s Party. Jack did waaay good with those – lots of Napa’s finest.

As a payback to the early prank I played on Jack, over the years those parties also turned into a series of gag-gifts giving to me.

I have to admit, I was particularly fond of the blow-up doll and shark hat given to me at those parties (I still have the hat, but ditched the doll.)

I had a call from Jack a few weeks ago. He is now vacationing on Moloka‘i. He returns home today and I will be meeting him at the Honolulu Airport, during a long layover on his return flight.