The best part of the old days was meeting everyone the next day at the Kona Surf to pick up bikes/transition bags/ race photos. Then you would go to the King Kam and hope that the results were finally posted.
Cool or a pain in the ass? Hard to know. It just seemed really cruel to force us all to figure out a way to get down to the Kona Surf to pick up the bikes and then somehow make it back to our condos - all on blown out legs and with exhausted bodies As I seem to recall the race provided no transportation.
The best part of the old days was meeting everyone the next day at the Kona Surf to pick up bikes/transition bags/ race photos. Then you would go to the King Kam and hope that the results were finally posted.
Cool or a pain in the ass? Hard to know. It just seemed really cruel to force us all to figure out a way to get down to the Kona Surf to pick up the bikes and then somehow make it back to our condos - all on blown out legs and with exhausted bodies As I seem to recall the race provided no transportation.
There were some who would then ride their bikes up the hill out of the kona surf(sheraton keahou now I believe) That hill sure was tough starting the run then going down into the pit and back. And the hill on alii right before you made the final turn what a mile or so from the kona surf coming in on the bike. There was always some german guy there counting in german and pumping his fists to urge you up that hill. that was torture todays course is so much easier.
I volunteerd and watched in 1988 (got pics somewhere (got to find them) of molina,pig,tinley on the bike I believe mark allen flatted twice up near hawi)
I was working at an aid station past the energy lab near the turn around near the airport that year. Thought it was so cool I ran out to my aid station.
I still have the mile marker from the race which was next to our aid station one of the tour group grabbed and gave me(I was bit of an ironman fanatic in the day)
I remember guys running by and yelling coke,water or whatever else they wanted and sometimes missing so I’d grab a cup and take off running up the road to get it to them.
I didn’t realize these guys were running their ironman marathon faster than I could run 100 meters at the time. After a few of those I was worn out. Got a ride back into town after
my aid station shift was over. Thats when I realized how hard the vounteers work… I volunteered a number of times in kona over the years as well as raced 7 times and can appreciate the work the volunteers do.
That year(1988) I did “kauai loves you triathlon” weekend before in a driving rainstorm rain(which molina won) and then spent week with a tour group called Breaking Away Bicycles we stayed at the seaside there at the start and finish and spent the week cycling and going to the carbo party(which was out at the kona surf back then as well as the expo). There was some guy that year with no legs (I mean stumps no artificial legs) doing the whole course during the week. I think on the run he used a skateboard of some type and propelled himself with his hands. They made some announcement at the carbo party he was nearing town in the middle of the night. I’m not sure of all the details just going from what I remember people talking about. Anyone else remember that?
Guy I was rooming with and I were out on skooters and we saw Dave Scott running down alii asked if we could take a pic and he said “no problem but hes not going to stop”
So we pulled over up the road got our cameras ready and right as he was going by some guys in a car yelled at him and he turned his head. Then friday I think they announced
dave would not be racing something about nagging knee problem.
It was so cool watching the swim start and the late night finish.
And back then the oldest finisher that day was Norton Davie age 70…in 16:07 and sister madonna was just 58 years young finished in 16:16
There was an older guy in his late 70s? I can’t remember his name he was there but didn’t race in 1988 but I think was the oldest finisher of that era.
I remember CowMan who used to ride and run with this hat(viking like) with horns on them. He was a regular back in the day until ironman got snobish.
remember 1996 I think (I was a volunteer that year) a local had a beach cruiser with a basket and I heard he wore flip flops on the bike and run or maybe sneakers. He propped it up along the side of the rack. I have a picture somewhere of that will have to dig them all up.
Next year they banned those bikes…
I checked the resultes PNF finished 11th that year 9:01…
I got the ironman buzz that year and started putting in the lottery until I got in in 1991 20 years ago this month.
For those that missed it, here is part 1 of 3 parts I wrote about the 81 race and my expirence. A lot has changed, and not so much…
You can see parts 2 and 3 at the bottom of the page too.