Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

Prev Next
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [mkq] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Not to say pro or con but All new players would have to deal with the same issues that WTC has to deal with in Kona. //

Not if their business plan doesn't include squeezing every nickel out of the island that they can. It has been a love/hate relationship over the years there, and to think the island has no qualms or problems with WTC is just naive. In reality I think both should realize they are partners in this thing, and not try and leverage themselves against each other. From what I have seen in the sports history, that usually never works out well for either party. But this is the tip of the spear stuff, and anything can happen.

If it were to change hands, I would love some richer than god person to place a 100 million in an account, with only the interest used each year to insure a big event. So maybe 5 to 10 million seed money forever, and then let the sponsors flock to an event that has anchored itself for the next 50 years..No more venture capital rapists, all trying to sell to be bigger sucker every 5+ years or so. That's my dream for the event, but I'm not a billionaire...
Last edited by: monty: Sep 16, 21 19:38
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [ThailandUltras] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
ThailandUltras wrote:
.
Hahaha...Challenge!! Yeah,we have been down that road before...

We all know that you lot over there in Nth America don't believe that a triathlon is worth doing unless there is an M-Dot attached..

I'd go back to Forster-Tuncurry in a heartbeat..Now that was a fun race to do..
.
.

More like a worldwide thing. Check the registration numbers.

Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [TheStroBro] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
and just to stir the pot a bit more, let's call on the PTO for their official take on moving the Ironman-Distance World Championships.

http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [TheStroBro] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
TheStroBro wrote:
ThailandUltras wrote:

.
Hahaha...Challenge!! Yeah,we have been down that road before...

We all know that you lot over there in Nth America don't believe that a triathlon is worth doing unless there is an M-Dot attached..

I'd go back to Forster-Tuncurry in a heartbeat..Now that was a fun race to do..
.
.


More like a worldwide thing. Check the registration numbers.
.
Oh I don't know,Challenge Roth it one of the biggest races in the world and Challenge Taiwan manages to have over five thousand racing on their weekend.the biggest triathlon weekend in Asia. It is about what is marketed as "cool".
.
It is one of the chicken and the egg things..Is it less popular because people don't know about their races or do people not know about their races because people do not enter? We had this debate when Challenge Penticton came along and so many said they would like to try it but wouldn't sign up until they had seen it in action.That attitude kept the numbers low which in turn ended that race.
.
I find it hilarious that people are bitching about all the cancellation issues in Penticton now when you couldn't pay people to go to Penticton to do Challenge..Same town,same course,same race director (at the time) ...Same shit happened in Atlantic City....It is all marketing and the cool kids factor.
.
.
.
>
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [ThailandUltras] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
A few random thoughts:

ā€” it is disappointing that the pros couldnā€™t have a small footprint race in Kona last October and this one. Iā€™m talking 50 men, 50 women, officials, minimal number of volunteers and a media team to document it. Every other sport in the world got events off last Fall. Problem is WTC doesnā€™t want to put on a show if they canā€™t maximize revenue by filling every square inch of the pier.

ā€” WTC needs to address the problem they created with excessive qualifiers and legacy people jamming the participant lists for multiple years. They really made their problems worse with these 200 slot races, etc. Now those people will demand a Kona WC and we wonā€™t get back to normal qualifying to 2022 or 2023.

ā€” doesnā€™t the WC organization team reside in Kona? Youā€™d think the people making decisions wouldnā€™t want to uproot themselves
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Oh you know it Dev. NO ONE going sub 8 or maybe not sub 8:30. Problem isā€¦.less hospital beds than Kona :(
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [PJC] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
PJC wrote:
About time it was moved. Kona is a drug den town that sucks.

Kona is great for 4 days a year when Ironman engulfs the town.

Maui would be better. So would Europe or even Asia.


There's no course in Maui. That island is too small and too busy.
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [longtrousers] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
longtrousers wrote:
Next thread on the same topic. But why not repeat what I wrote already: I raced in Kona in 2017 and 2019 and think I would like to do it again. In Hawaii. Like Wimbledon is in Wimbledon.

But why do you want to change? The pandemy can only be an excuse or a vehicle for change, because the pandemy is everywhere, not only in Hawaii. So why don't you like the WC to be helt in Hawaii?

well if you want to hold Ironman Hawaii, do it. if you want to hold Ironman World Championships, be more flexible and understand that in any other sport at this world, the event is not held at the same damn location!
i dont understand if you read it by mistake on the Bible but as far as I know, God didnt order to hold Ironman WC only in Kona forever
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [Plissken74] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Plissken74 wrote:
longtrousers wrote:
Next thread on the same topic. But why not repeat what I wrote already: I raced in Kona in 2017 and 2019 and think I would like to do it again. In Hawaii. Like Wimbledon is in Wimbledon.

But why do you want to change? The pandemy can only be an excuse or a vehicle for change, because the pandemy is everywhere, not only in Hawaii. So why don't you like the WC to be helt in Hawaii?


well if you want to hold Ironman Hawaii, do it. if you want to hold Ironman World Championships, be more flexible and understand that in any other sport at this world, the event is not held at the same damn location!

Yup keep Kona, but World Champs changes every year. There's a shitload better places to race than Hawaii.
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [zedzded] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
zedzded wrote:
Plissken74 wrote:
longtrousers wrote:
Next thread on the same topic. But why not repeat what I wrote already: I raced in Kona in 2017 and 2019 and think I would like to do it again. In Hawaii. Like Wimbledon is in Wimbledon.

But why do you want to change? The pandemy can only be an excuse or a vehicle for change, because the pandemy is everywhere, not only in Hawaii. So why don't you like the WC to be helt in Hawaii?


well if you want to hold Ironman Hawaii, do it. if you want to hold Ironman World Championships, be more flexible and understand that in any other sport at this world, the event is not held at the same damn location!


Yup keep Kona, but World Champs changes every year. There's a shitload better places to race than Hawaii.

I think the history of certain things makes it special. I'd hate it to become a rotating circus. Look at the AFL grand final, it felt special to be held at the MCG every year, unique, traditional and reliable...but now that's its gone to W.A its just another normal run of the mill game like every other competition....There is something very special about tradition IMHO...something that you can look forward to even year for a bit of comfort, kind of like a common holiday destination...
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [lastlap] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
lastlap wrote:
zedzded wrote:
Plissken74 wrote:
longtrousers wrote:
Next thread on the same topic. But why not repeat what I wrote already: I raced in Kona in 2017 and 2019 and think I would like to do it again. In Hawaii. Like Wimbledon is in Wimbledon.

But why do you want to change? The pandemy can only be an excuse or a vehicle for change, because the pandemy is everywhere, not only in Hawaii. So why don't you like the WC to be helt in Hawaii?


well if you want to hold Ironman Hawaii, do it. if you want to hold Ironman World Championships, be more flexible and understand that in any other sport at this world, the event is not held at the same damn location!


Yup keep Kona, but World Champs changes every year. There's a shitload better places to race than Hawaii.


I think the history of certain things makes it special. I'd hate it to become a rotating circus. Look at the AFL grand final, it felt special to be held at the MCG every year, unique, traditional and reliable...but now that's its gone to W.A its just another normal run of the mill game like every other competition....There is something very special about tradition IMHO...something that you can look forward to even year for a bit of comfort, kind of like a common holiday destination...

yup good point.
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [907Tri] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Retire the race. Open a museum in Kona with artefacts, a movie theatre and merch. Then mark the course every weekend in October and February for triathlon history tourists to do it as a pilgrimage.
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [907Tri] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Ignoring (for a moment) peopleā€™s opinion/feelings on a move and what it means for a WC or just the race Iā€™d be interested to know how theyā€™d manage the move for the following reasons:

- people qualified and paid money with the explicit understanding they were racing in Kona right? ( I canā€™t recall if it says anything about race location in fine print of the form you sign when you qualify). Probablyā€¦ but not sure whatā€¦ Ieā€¦ one would want a refund for the change (or could argue as such with their cc) if the vendor changes the goods being sold.

- do they acknowledge that people might really want to race the locationā€¦. Not a WCā€¦. And so offer deferrals to when ā€˜it might be backā€™ for those people. And wouldnā€™t that just create more/ different issues for backlog?

Personally, Iā€™ve raced Kona, hope to do so again but would love to see a WC that rotates. simply to make it more appealing to travel that far (or close) to a race (ie see someplace new) from London.

________________________________________________________
Taylor Rogers

2024: IM Hamburg
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [zedzded] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Guys - an obvious alternative would be Dubai or Bahrain. Most accessible and low entry requirements from around the world, abundant accommodation, weather perfect in Feb, governments who are able to take authority once agreed from a financial perspective to close roads etc etc.
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [zedzded] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Im a first time qualifier and I really have no interest in doing it elsewhere.
If they move it I think it would be the beginning of the end for Ironman. Id rather go to Roth than race an ironman anywhere else.
The races have really been going downhill recently, you pay more and get less each passing year.

The 70.3 has never really gathered much interest here in Australia, the only times Ive ever seen any interest for it was when it was here at the sunshine coast, in Nice and in New Zealand.
Other than that they cant give the spots away. Ive seen them literally call out, "did anyone finish who wants to take a spot?" I think it would be the same if they start rotating the full.
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [Financier] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Ouch! From a logistic point of view I get your reasoning but "dull as dishwater" courses with epic levels of drafting, and dodgy politics. Both could backfire for the sport in the medium/long term.

For all the flaws of Hawaii it's quite hard to come up with a replacement, somewhere guaranteed warm with a non-wetsuit swim, challenging bike and run. An Island gives the venue an extra allure but places such as Lanzarote or Mallorca can have difficult weather but each has the capacity and history. Many good European lakes, Mediterranean towns or South East Asian costal resorts would work for a one off but Ironman is quintessentially US and I think should stay that way. The more globalist perspective is where Challenge should move into, along with a rotating championship. Both covering slightly different segments of the long distance triathlon market.

SteveMc
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [907Tri] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Never raced in Kona, doubt I ever will, bit nuts though that a world championship is raced on the same course and similar conditions every year , you could argue this makes it fair.

Why should someone being able to adapt to the heat and conditions of Kona be considered the best ever ironman over someone who can race better in cold conditions or a mountainas course though and doesn't race well in Kona?
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [Financier] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Financier wrote:
Guys - an obvious alternative would be Dubai or Bahrain. Most accessible and low entry requirements from around the world, abundant accommodation, weather perfect in Feb, governments who are able to take authority once agreed from a financial perspective to close roads etc etc.

Plus, they already have plentiful experience accomodating draft packs, and have proven themselves able (Bahrain at least) to execute. I mean execute people who associate themselves with political opposition or demonstrate against the government.

"FTP is a bit 2015, don't you think?" - Gustav Iden
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [Financier] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Financier wrote:
Guys - an obvious alternative would be Dubai or Bahrain. Most accessible and low entry requirements from around the world, abundant accommodation, weather perfect in Feb, governments who are able to take authority once agreed from a financial perspective to close roads etc etc.

is this a joke?
if not, you dont know what you are talking about
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [kajet] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I've raced Kona twice, I've qualified 5 times and I'm down to race in February. Personally it's all about Kona for me (even though the course and conditions don't suit me) and I also would prefer it if they kept the WC designation. If they have Kona and a separate WC then you're just going to dilute the field of pros. A huge draw for me (as a mega geek fan of the sport) is being able to race on the same course on the same day as all the top pros, both times I've raced it I've had to pinch myself when they're on the other side of the road duking it out for a world title. The history and the legend of the island is also an equally huge draw, it's an incredible place.

This will all come down to who votes with their feet and Feb 2022 might just be used as a test bed - if they move the WC somewhere else I simply won't bother qualifying unless it's a place I want to go on holiday, I'll still race Iron distance events but I'll just target those ones that inspire me. I also won't bother going to Kona if it isn't a WC anymore. If they keep the WC in Kona then I'll keep qualifying and keep shelling out $$$ to WTC, that will be the way my feet vote and I expect a lot of age groupers will do similar
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [zedzded] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Another question: just suppose that after the pandemy the WC is helt somewhere else.
What's done with Kona? A normal IM? How do you register? Be lucky when they open registration in the internet at a certain time? Or keep the qualification? Having KQ and WCQ at any other race?
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [PJC] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
The problem with making it a ā€œnormal race you can enterā€ is the very toughness of the course. Having it be an event you need to qualify for ensures that participants can somewhat handle the conditions. Can you imagine how many people would be taken to the tiny hospital if it was an event you could just sign up for?
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [Plissken74] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Easy entry globally - check
Accommodation - check
Weather - check
Financially minded counterpart (ease of negotiation) - check
Authority to make things happen once agreed (contrary to democratic world) - check
Temporary solution to overcome crowded 2022 - check
Draft packs like Kona - check

What else is missing?
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [monty] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
monty wrote:
Nice for exemple, has a special place in triathlon history.//

That was the first and honestly only place I could think of to move too. But then you still have the problem with what to do with Kona? They certainly would not want to abandon it, because as I stated, someone would swoop in and take the reigns and run with it. It would have to remain one of the "other" ironman's, but that would be up to Kona. What if that billionaire came in and promised them the world to switch allegiance, especially since they just jumped the WC ship? What do you do then?


I think WTC thinks they have some leverage over Kona, using this threat of moving somewhere else. They have done that before, and it worked. But that could completely back fire on them, and the real leverage might really reside with the island, and who they choose to align with in the future. Of course it has to start on day 1 a very big event, bigger than the WTC Kona ever was, but all that takes is money and desire. Two things that seem to be infecting many of the billionaire class at the moment..In this environment I would not roll those dice, especially since your whole billion dollar corporation hinges on this one event.


i think triathlon needs a wimbledon ie kona and a paris ie nice and should have a annual rotation.
Quote Reply
Re: Ironman World Championship 2022 Location and beyond [Financier] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I think long term it has to stay in Kona, short term they need to have a world champs and as such should move it.

Kona is hugely USA centric, in terms of qualifying for and participating it, you could argue that it is hugely skewed against Age Groupers (and this year pros) from the rest of the world. There is an argument for it not being a true "World" Championships. What it is though is the iconic Ironman World Champs, and people would literally sell family members to qualify. For many it is the only reason to enter the Ironman races, and without Kona I think you'd see a drop off in attendance. It would be significantly easier for me if it did move, mainly for travel/visa purposes. Traveling to the US was already a pain in the backside, but now with Covid it is practically impossible, and this doesn't look like it will change any time soon.

I had a slot in 2019, which I received in the summer. I applied for the ESTA Visa Waiver (which I have had 3 times previously) and surprisingly for the first time this was rejected. I appealed, still rejected. The only thing I could do is apply for a normal visa with the interview etc. I contacted the various helplines but none will/can tell you why the ESTA isn't granted, the lady in the embassy was actually quite helpful and said the most likely reason was a spelling mistake/typo in the form, or possibly that I lived in Scandinavia but was a UK citizen. I tried to get an embassy appointment but the timing basically made the process impossible, so slot lost. I have a slot now for Feb 22, but again I cannot get an embassy appointment for the Visa, so it looks like I won't be going again, plus I can't justify the 2 weeks in Mexico or wherever before I cross the land border to Kona. So for me, and hundreds of others no doubt, the fact it is in the USA just makes it a nightmare. I still think it needs to stay there though.
Quote Reply

Prev Next