Next logical step will be to raise the time limits to 17+hrs that will bring in even more fresh blood and we will see even more tatoos.

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I see obsessed people.

Will IM tattooed athletes remove the reminder of lost love?

Will people volunteer for an indifferent corporation?


My Angel is a centerfold.

I think what will happen from this is a bunch of bitching and threats to boycott followed by business as usual with WTC a bit richer and no worse for the wear. Curious how many will buy into this though...

Jodi

Yeah. I wonder if they will ever release the number of suckers triathletes who buy into this...

" two VIP passes per registered event; "

if the VIP passes are for Mons Venus, I'm in!!!

I have done a number of WTC events and I have not had any complaints. I usually take these bashing threads with a grain of salt, but this new program is a joke. I am part of the market they are shooting for, disposable income, time to travel and willingness to pay for good events ... but $1000 for the privilege of skipping a line up????

Good for them if they can put enough lipstick on this pig to sell it to anyone.

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Proud member of the MSF (Maple Syrup Mafia)

Still dressing up your farm animals I see.

.

I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you! There's gambling at Rick's Place as well!

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-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

Would love love love to be the marketing-guy for Rev3 or any other iron distance event right now.

They could also make more money harvesting organ parts from incapacitation racers... I'm sure they could stick it somewhere in the voluminous small print...nothing personal, after all business is business...

Hell -- I was going to sign up -- $1000 is nothing -- even with the entry fee being extra --

Unfortunately, after talking with WTC, I am now told that you still have to race to get a t-shirt and finisher's medal.

This sucks -- for a $1000, I was expecting a finisher's medal and shirt regardless if I showed up or not.

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Have Fun ** Tri Hard ** Be Kind
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They still don't have Kona or the branding. Until that grip is broken, WTC will reign supreme. It will happen at some point, but with the growth in the sport and the high income demographics it draws, that day is FAR off.

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-Of course it's 'effing hard, it's IRONMAN!
Team ZOOT
ZOOT, QR, Garmin, HED Wheels, Zealios, FormSwim, Precision Hydration, Rudy Project

No offense but my advice is to take all of this energy and apply it to SBR-type activities. The WTC isn't the US government where you have a say (well at least a vote or two) and not doing what they say is against the law.

If you don't like what the WTC charges then just don't do it!

The responses to this thread are somewhat humorous. If you really didn't care you wouldn't be responding. Ferrari raised their prices last week and I bet you didn't get on "Fastwitch" to complain.

I for one think that the IM branded races are the best triathlons in the world. Kona 2010 was hands down one of the best experiences of my life. I'm not against doing B2B or GFT but I only have a few of these beasts left in me and with all of the energy I invest in getting ready for one of these I'm happy to pay their price (and No, I won't do the Access thing--at least this year because it doesn't fit in with my 2011 plans).

I think most IM distance triathletes agree with me--the WTC delivers the best value. I wish things were cheaper but you get what you pay for. it took me 10 years to pay off my Harvard loans but I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

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Randy Christofferson(http://www.rcmioga.blogspot.com

Insert Doubt. Erase Hope. Crush Dreams.

This must be your lucky day. Send me your $1000 and I will get you a finishers shirt and medal from the IM of your choice! Please allow 1-2 weeks post event for ebaying of said items.

A community fund spot is more expensive than that but it includes the race fee. This doesn't. So compare community fund at 2 x price of race (say $1,200) versus this at $1,000 plus 1 x price of race ($1,600).

[Edit to use same price race in both examples, dummy!]

Only if the race directors can find quality venues that arent already covered by a blackout agreement with WTC.

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You don't have to like what I say but you should respect my right to say them and I'll do the same to you.

Need a Tea Party movement here to overthrow the "let them eat cake" cartel of WTC.........Johnny Utah to Bodie, "You're going down!" Perhaps we can piggyback on NY state's goofy gubernatorial party, "The Rent is Too Damn High!" Rise up Slowtwitch Nation!!!!!.....<yawn>

And "Challenge" events........

As much as I love IM and IM branded races, it's all just getting too hard. I will never qualify for Kona. I race to test myself and race in a beautiful location while I do my feeble best. WTC is just making it harder and harder for me to give them money. Unfortunately (for me) IM (branded) demand outstrips supply by a significant margin. WTC are really only doing what any of us in a similar business situation would do. Raise the prices until the demand dwindles to match the available supply.

Good business, bad Karma.

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TriDork

"Happiness is a myth. All you can hope for is to get laid once in a while, drunk once in a while and to eat chocolate every day"

I took some time and created a new logo for WTC. Those wit tattoos can easily just add the addition.



FF

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To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

Is that image copyrighted yet? Can I take that image directly to my tattoo-ist? I've got some free time between meetings today and could be the first to get the latest M-$ (aka M-Dollar?) tat :-)

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TriDork

"Happiness is a myth. All you can hope for is to get laid once in a while, drunk once in a while and to eat chocolate every day"

Pay to play. If you wanna do the distance, you can do it for free. If you want to do an WTC/Ironman branded race, pay to play. I've only been in the sport for 3 years, so I don't have a firm bias on the loyalty/tradition/heritage of "Ironman" racing. I understand the dynamics of the organization are changing, but it is still the same mileage, and still the same test of human endurance. Judging by the stupid fast sellouts, most people enjoy being a part of the big show that is IRONMAN. Some like popular music, some like indy music (who's the elitist?). Need I mention Nascar? That used to be a common man's sport (ok ok easy on the sport designation). The common man can still race . . . just not Nascar and perhaps not Ironman, unless you can pay to play.

I understand the nostalgic fear of a failure of the organization. Triathlon isn't going away. It would only be a failure of the brand. So is your criticism also a clue to your love of the brand identity disguised as a love of the race?

To be honest (it is a forum, and thus just an opinion) we newcomers (ok just me) get turned off by the "it ain't what it used to be" or "barefoot in the snow uphill bothways" crowd. The sport is in a corporate evolution, and we get the privilege of determining it's direction with our dollars.

I'll probably pony up the $1000 for the convenience. So I guess I'm voting with my dollars. Is the value there? Value is relative (read the bike threads). Disclaimer on my judgement . . . I voted for Obama (actually voted against any Palin ticket).

Let me say this: What if it doesnt reduce the entries for the "average triathlete" but does affect the quality of race. How?

One of the perks to the WTC races is that we average triathletes (im using that term instead of regular folks because of the discussion that caused) is that we get to race against pros, people we've heard of. Sure were not really racing them, but we see them, and many are kind enough to stick around and talk to some of us folks.

Now, when they need time away but have to stay at the race venue for sponsorship or other duties, they go hide in the VIP area. So what are they gonna do when the VIP area is full of the "elite douches" who paid their $1k to pre-register? Theyre going to renegotiate how much time they have to spend onsite outside of racing, thats what.

Between that and the way the points system will force the pros who havent won Kona in the past 5 years towards the biggest IMs, many of the reasons to race WTC will go away. And that same points system will cause many pros to think twice before doing Rev3 or other competition, if theyre only looking for 1 IM a year outside Kona.

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You don't have to like what I say but you should respect my right to say them and I'll do the same to you.

Fortunately, Ironman Canada is still run by Graham Fraser's lot that was previously known as "NA Sports".
These were the days I remember fondly as well......
I plan on going there in 2012, because although they have the permission from WTC to use the "Ironman" branding, it is still run independantly of the WTC in terms of full race organization.

I will do Ironman Florida this year, and then it is off to the Cedar Point Rev3 for this grrl..... ;-)

Good luck to everyone that still has iron distance races coming up this year.... :-)

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"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain."

Third Ironman = Ironman Florida in 2010

Will this mean more prize money for the PROs? Probably not!

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http://www.fuelforendurance.com

Just another way to stick it to the people that have the desire but not the $