I have never done the Big Kahuna because of the date but I have ridden the course many, many times("highway 1 shuffle")- really not a direct answer to your question but the hills really are not much- what is far more noticeable is the usual headwind when going north and the tailwind going south.
Downtown Santa Cruz has a lot very good restaurants with a variety of menus -many good options

Never actually done Big Kahuna but from what I've heard there are always tons if people walking their bikes up the hills. Not sure if it's only from lack of training or if for some reason there were headwinds going up on those days... From my experience the bike course isn't too killer. Never looked at the run course. You can almost guarantee that the swim will be wetsuit legal (I'd HIGHLY recommend you wear one). Waves aren't too bad and I've never heard of rip currents there, so it's very very unlikely that the swim would ever be cancelled.

I love the food in Santa Cruz. Tons of different cuisines. Hawaiian, Mongolian, Brazilian... anything you want. Lillian's is THE spot to carbo-load before the race.

Sorry I don't have more experience or specifics for you.

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https://www.strava.com/athletes/10327392

Really? Walking their bikes up them? Hmmm. Interesting to Hear that. Thanks for the carb load restaurant recommendation!! Not worried about the swim except for the little thing called sharks :)

Unfortunately, to be totally honest with you, there have been quite a few more shark sightings than usual in the general area, but with hundreds of participants in the race they would scatter. Just keep an eye out and preferably swim with a buddy if you decide to "try out" the swim location before race day.

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https://www.strava.com/athletes/10327392

Yeah have noticed that up and down the coast this year. I wonder at times if it is because more people have access to their phones with video/go pros/ drones?? And are able to post to social media much faster and easier and the media sensationlizes it once they hear about one sighting they find and seek out each one after that. Oh well I don't get really worked up about it. Its their ocean :) we choose to borrow using it to swim in. They don't come bother us on land unless it is a shark from Sharknado

here's a thread from last year: http://forum.slowtwitch.com/..._Triathlon_P5240104/

You are right on about the rolling hills and being able to carry momentum. There is maybe one "legit" climb in Davenport. You cross train tracks twice on the way out and twice on the way back, so use caution and they road isn't closed to vehicle traffic.

The run is probably my favorite of any triathlon. 1/2 is along West Cliff and there are a few rolling hills and a dirt section to break it up. The finish is a cluster - you have to run down the beach past people playing in the water. WTC may change this situation. It is the only negative of the race (other than a long-ish run to T1, but that's good for me).

It's a great race and if I weren't doing Tahoe 70.3 the following weekend, I would race it for sure.

Looks like my Garmin file is bunk, so here's a link to the bike course: https://www.strava.com/activities/81802241

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/kj

http://kjmcawesome.tumblr.com/

The shark sightings have been about 15 miles south of the main beach/cowell area in Santa Cruz. The beach topography is very different further down the coast. There have not been any sightings in the area where any races are held close to town.

I've done BK several times, and I have never seen anyone walking their bike up a hill along Highway 1. It's just a lot of rollers. Yes, I did have to get into my small chain ring for some of them, but I'm not the worlds strongest cyclist. You certainly don't need any special gearing for the course. The things to be aware of on the bike are: 1) the railroad crossing (not a huge deal, unless it's super foggy and the crossing is slick -- one year I did it, they made us dismount and walk our bikes across because they deemed it too slick to ride across; another year, I happened to get to the tracks right when a train came by and had to wait for a few minutes) and 2) getting buffeted when big trucks go by (you'll hear about head and tailwinds on this course, but in my experience, the worst winds are the ones created by the large vehicles that are going by you at 60 mph).

The swim is straightforward -- just watch the waves that go off before you to get a sense for which way the currents are moving. The bike is gorgeous. The run is an out-and-back that starts out parallel to the water (very pretty, and you're on pavement so no sand here), goes inland (very boring on the inland pavement stretch), leaves the pavement and adds a few hills -- at some point you get to a tiki, which is the turnaround point, then you backtrack along the same route. BUT, at the very end of the run, you finish on soft sand, which is murder if you've raced hard to that point.

Historically, the bike has been a bit short and the run a bit long. The weather is invariably gorgeous -- not too hot, and not too cold. One year (2009, as I recall) they had bad fog at the start, but that was the year they changed the date and ran it in October. I don't think they've ever had fog problems at the start running it in September.

Sounds like the guys at my LBS have been embellishing the intensity of the race! Thanks for clearing that up.

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https://www.strava.com/athletes/10327392

Ok here's the scoop:

No big climbs. If you're walking your bike up any of the hills, you're a lousy cyclist. A MOP cyclist could likely ride up all of 'em one-legged no problem.

There is a def headwind going north - you will notice it, so don't get depressed when your expected 21mph speed is 18.5 on the way out. You'll get it back at 23.5mph on the way back of the out and back.

A lot of folks complain about not feeling their feet for the first hour of the bike ride between the cold ocean swim and the wind in the trishoes. I put toe booties on my shoes beforehand and had no problems at all on the bike.

Not technically challenging at all. It's really a good course to pace super steady even with the rollers.

You'll see few illegal drafters on the bike out there. Not because it's so crowded (it's not), but because they're really illegally drafting, as there's plenty of room fore and aft to not draft. Watch out that a marshal doesn't nail you as they come by you and you get tagged onto the back. (I saw marshals but very few penalties were given.)

The bike course deviates from the old Big Kahuna one. The route now goes through Swanton rd, a few miles North of Davenport. The stretch going to the top of Swanton is the steepest part of the course and steeper than any climb on the original Big Kahuna course.

Good to know - I wasn't aware of that, and that will definitely change things up!

Yes, bike course is different from what has been posted here. New are a detour from Hwy 1 on the outbound leg.
A real climb and also a somewhat technical descent.....

Hopefully breaks up the packs a little....

Due to injury, I'm not racing. (I will be cheering!) I have ridden the course.....it's a bit different from BK, they've added Swanton Road. It's a good addition, I think, but it is a climb. Curvy road, and steeper than anything on Highway 1. The rollers on 1 are a BLAST. It's an awesome bike course, and I'm bummed to be missing it.

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Linda
~Still recovering from IMLT

I've been going to Santa Cruz 2-3 times a year for vacation since the first year I was born. Lillian's hasn't been around that long, but the place is awesome. Call and get reservations at least a week before. If not, you'll be waiting a long time and that's not something you want to do the night before a race. Linda's Seabreeze Cafe is a really good breakfast spot. Another good place for dinner is Cafe Cruz. Stay away from food on the wharf before the race...just greasy stuff. Good luck. I'm doing IMLT so I won't be doing Santa Cruz this year, but I'll definitely be there next year. Great place to race and perfect weather there in September.

I live in Santa Cruz so I know the course well.

Swim: Relatively straightforward & easy to navigate, as you just swim around the pier. There are tons of sea lions, but the sharks - juvenile ones at that - tend to hang out 10 miles south of the area or further up north between Ano Nuevo and the Farallons.

T1: There is about a half mile jog between the swim exit and T1 in Depot Park. It's mostly on a smooth sidewalk, but some might want to consider leaving some shoes by the swim exit.

Bike: CalTrans just repaved Highway 1 up to the county line, so the pavement is now very smooth and fast for most of the course. However there are now rumble strips between the road and bike lane, so be careful passing. The new course goes up Swanton Rd., the first 4 miles of which has some sketchy pavement in spots. The climb (smooth pavement) gains ~370ft in 1.04 miles so the average grade is 6.8%. There are a few spots where it kicks up to 9-10% but nothing steeper than that. I can climb it going easy (~200W) in a 39-28 without grinding at all. The descent is worth checking out before the race. It's smooth pavement, but there are 4 or 5 sharp turns. The right turn from Swanton back to Highway 1 is about 130 degrees, so kill off some speed before you get there. The rest of the course on Highway 1 is mostly rollers (some of which you might need to shift into the little ring) and a few false flats. Nine days out of ten, the wind is from the northwest and picks up after 9:30am, so most should racers should have a nice tailwind back to Santa Cruz. I'm not exactly sure where WTC will put the turnaround, but I think the overall climbing is about 3300 ft.

Run: Stunningly beautiful. There is a little hill out of transition, a little hill from Shaffer Rd. up the bike path, and a short but steep down- and up-hill (20% grade but at most a tenth of a mile long) where the course enters Wilder State Park. The rest is relatively flat. There is precious little shade along the run, and once the morning fog burns off it can actually get pretty warm (though the perfect central California weather has made me soft). At Wilder the course follows a dirt path / road for about a mile along the bluffs to the turnaround. If you're training in Santa Cruz before the race, stay off West Cliff (too many walkers / bikers) and run the dirt trails along the ocean in Wilder - some of the best running trails in the US, in my humble opinion.

Restaurants: Harbor Cafe, the Buttery, and Walnut Ave. Cafe are good breakfast & lunch spots. Taqueria Vallarta (several locations) has good, cheap Mexican. There are great coffee shops all over town; Verve Coffee downtown has excellent freshly roasted coffee.

Here's what someone in my tri club had to say about the modified bike course:

1. Hwy 1 is newly paved! Yay! Smooth as a baby's butt! On the way back, there are some newly made rumble strips, but they are narrow and easily avoided.
2. As usual, be cautious when crossing the railroad tracks in Davenport. They cross Hwy 1 at a very gentle angle, making them hazardous to bikes. Be sure to cross them as perpendicular as possible.
3. Unlike the usual Big Kahuna bike course, this bike course deviates off of Hwy 1 onto Stanton Rd. This road starts with a few rollers, then some false flats, followed by a 1 mile steep climb at 7% grade. Kinda felt like Old La Honda.
4. Careful on the descent of Stanton; there are a few tight turns. Also, Stanton intersects with Hwy 1 rather abruptly. Get ready to brake.

"Restaurants: Harbor Cafe, the Buttery, and Walnut Ave. Cafe are good breakfast & lunch spots. Taqueria Vallarta (several locations) has good, cheap Mexican. There are great coffee shops all over town; Verve Coffee downtown has excellent freshly roasted coffee. "

Those are great options indeed. I would add Tramonti for carbo loading.

The other main change on the bike course that hasn't been mentioned is using West Cliff instead of Delaware to get to and from PCH. Delaware is straight, flat and wide. West Cliff is narrow, twisty and has some minor ups and downs. Probably add a minute or two to the bike times.

I mentioned it in the linked thread, but there is a steep uphill right out of T1. Just be aware of it and put your bike in the right gear. If you have done Vineman, it is similar to the hill at the start of that bike.

I have done Vineman and gladly walked bike up real quick. Thanks for the comparison! Good to know. Also everybody else I am very grateful for all the advice and heads up on the dangers of the railroad tracks too!! I can't wait for this race. I am going for a 70.3 PR so hopefully with this info so far I can turn it into making it happen :)

The hill at the start of the bike (away from the boardwalk and up to the cliff overlooking the ocean) is the same one as the start of the run. It's a hill, but it's nothing serious (not overly long or steep). As others have mentioned, Hwy1 is rolling. At points it's steep enough that you need the small ring, but nothing is long enough that it gets a name.

The railroad tracks on Hwy1 are tricky. They cross at an angle and it's easy to get a wheel caught in them. My hope is that they can cover them for the race. If not, slow down and get off of your aero bars. I went over them at 20+mph on my road bike on a training ride and came very close to crashing, and know people who have.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

A while since I did it (2006) so if it's changed, sorry.

It was pretty small and very laid back compared to the Ironman brand 1/2 s. Almost no Expo to speak of. I was in a late wave so I stood there cheering in my tracksuit, drinking coffee (being sold on the pier) and when I was within 15 mins returned to my hotel to put on the wetsuit. We were under a marine layer for almost all the race.

1. It's may be worth getting up early to snag a bike rack near the entrance (it was first come, first served when I did it and there was just one gate for both in and out).
2. It's was a cold (56F) swim which didn't hurt until the frozen footed run along the sidewalk to T1 for 2-300 yards.
3. The bike was easy, just enough rollers to keep it interesting.
4. For my late wave there was no food before mile 4 of the run; if you're in a late wave keep a Gu in your pocket just in case.
5. As the run turns round in a cliff top field, it's generally downhill on the way back, save your strength for the free speed.
6. The finish on the beach isn't too bad if you're prepared to risk getting your feet wet by running on the harder sand near the waters edge. Only the last 50 yards or so is through the deeper stuff.

The carbo download afterwards was a coupon to use on the boardwalk.

A very enjoyable experience. Santa Cruz had a special atmosphere. Left wing academia meets surfing meets grunge. Funky ..... but neat.

Just in case you didn't see for yourself, the change to the transition area makes the hill a non issue. Now there is 150 meters of flat to build up speed before the hill.

As an observation, I think the difference between the old race and adding a name brand is hilarious. Twice the size and three times the ego.