Basically these two photos and many others like them lead to my largest goal in the sport: To race in Kona and Nice.

When I started racing the two big races were Nice and Kona. There was alway speculation and controversy surrounding which athlete would go where: Would Dave Scott duel Mark Allen in Nice? Would Allen skip Nice to focus on Kona to finally topple Scott at Kona? What were race promoters paying Tinley, Molina, Scott, Allen in appearance and start money to come to the event?

This was the big buzz in the mid '80's. To be a part of that was to be a part of the big show. That is what I wanted- to be in the big show, to have done both events. It was huge. If I did both, I would have "arrived" as a triathlete.

Because of images like these....

In 1986 I did 26 triathlons including the USTS National Championship at Hilton Head and then a couple weeks later, Ironman Kona.

I remember at Hilton Head I asked some pros for their autographs, specifially Tinley- and then I'm in Kona and he sees me at the beach and says, "Hey man, how are you?" I was blown away. I was just praying to God my girlfriend would walk up when I was chatting with Tinley about the weather, etc. It was huge.

Then during the winter of '86/87 I jumped out of an airplane at night, in a thunder storm, and broke my back when I had partial parachute failure. I was flat on my back for a month, and took another month to walk again, and a full year before I took my first running steps again- on Alii Drive in Kona while I was there covering the race for Triathlon Today! magazine, a mag a friend of mine, Lew Kidder, had started and eventually sold to VeloPress as Inside Triathlon. The following year, after 6 surgeries and a lot of physical therapy, I did 21 triathlons- but not Nice... My job in the military prevented it.

Then the years went by, Scott and Allen retired, and the dream to race Kona and Nice went away and was replaced by other dreams.

Then one day a customer calls our store and tells me this year is the last year for Nice. During that phone call I was on the computer to Expedia, booking a flight. I went there on a bum ankle and with no swim training to speak of, but I did it. I was in the big show.

All becasue I saw those photos of the big guys.

This sport is unique. If you love the Olympics, you can watch them on TV, even go the venue and see events live. If you love football or NASCAR you can watch it on TV or go to the event and watch it live. But you won't compete in the Superbowl or drive at Talladega or Daytona with Jeff Gordon.

But in triathlon all you need are a few plane tickets and a lot of determination and you are in the big show.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Well, sorry freestyle, since I've effectively hijacked this thread with a trip down memory lane, I might as go all the way...

Kona '86:



Hilton Head three weeks earlier:



And full circle: Nice four months ago:

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Tom you had the cool gear way back then too didn't you?!...that Nike BSR line as I recall..along with the Sock Racers!

And hey freestyle...thanks for posting the pics (that ironwar pic is similar to the classic shot that's on my desktop), but I'm not sure that that first photo is of Mark Allen in 1992. That one looks more circa early-mid 80's by the look of that Nike singlet and Mark's frame...which was a bit more muscular by 1992. Good inspiration though!

Since freestyle wasn't born until 92 he wouldn't recognize that the first picture was not taken in 92, but probably more like 82... back when hairstyles looked like the guy on the right and most people still had to get off the couch to change the three channels on their TV set =P

you were a lanky young man, weren't you. nice pics!

What ever happened to the plastic clip-on visor? Man those were sweet.

 Since freestyle wasn't born until 92 he wouldn't recognize that the first picture was not taken in 92, but probably more like 82...
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Good guess. The image is actually titled 1982

Sock racers ruled.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Are those "sock trainers", the blue ones, in your Kona photo?

I had a pair and ran 'em till they were no more!

Yeah that's 82.. I misread the pic caption last night..

although in 1992, Allen won as well...I think it's the year he caught Yves Cordier with 800m to go...he ran the last 3km in 9'15'' that year.

the next year with a Lessing/Allen duel (won by Allen)

then a duel between the weather and the rest of the world...won by the weather...600 crashes this year...including 2 for Barel who won the race.

then it was a Lessing/Van Lierde/Reid duel...

since 99, it hasn't been as exciting though...