desert dude wrote:
realbdeal wrote:
Ignoring my pro status, as it's not relevant for this opinion, I think there are plenty of triathletes around my age that don't worship Kona. I understand the appeal of it, but I think it's primarily a legacy of the sport thing. I'm as invested in this sport right now as anyone, and I didn't grow up with dreams of racing Kona. I've watched all the past races, I know all the story lines, but I wasn't even born during the Iron War. There just isn't this mysticism around Kona for me, and I'm sure it's the same for good number of committed triathletes in my generation.
Admittedly, my age group doesn't have the numbers (or money) that those who did grow up with the OG Kona role models do, but we're still the future of the sport for now. I suspect a decision like this is pissing of different age groups at drastically different rates.
Right now the generation that grew up with the Mark & Dave show are minimal in the 45-49AG. The older Age groups, the 55-59 & 60+ which really grew up with the sport in that era are fading out of the sport at a faster rate than the younger Ags are filling in. (which doesn't bode well for triathlon actually)
If WTC just pulled the plug on Kona the most butt hurt group would be those >50yo and more so among the 55+ groups.
T
he <30yo crowd would need you to tell them who Mark and Dave were and why they should care or even if they should care (should they? I'm not so sure they should), although I'm not sure you could convince them of they why. They have their own why as to why they are doing the sport and Dave, mark, PNF, Julie crawling across the line aren't it.
I mean if triathlon had have the growth rate of pickleball, as a sport it would be doing quite well. But, sadly, triathlon isn't pickleball
I don't think it is so hard to make an argument that a true tri aficionado should know about the Iron War, as the Iron War is just part of the history of the sport, and hence is something a real fan should know about. In pro football, any self-respecting fan knows who Johnny U, Bart Starr, Rodger Staubach, Y.A. Tittle, and other players from the very early days of the 1950s and early 60s. Similarly, a real baseball fan knows who Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth are, even though almost none of us were alive when they were still playing.
And as far as pickleball is concerned, I thank God that triathlon is not anything like it!!!
"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."