It’s Ironman time with 2,400 triathletes & 30,000 additional families, friends and press landing in Kona Town again.
This year the greats have returned including Julie Moss, who put Ironman on the map with her 2nd place crawl and “The Grip” Mark Allen (6-time winner) with their son Mats who will be competing on a course they both raced so famously.
Greg Welch (94 champion) and “The Man” Dave Scott (6-time winner) are announcing, Sian Welch came to compete again next to Julie Moss. Look for “The Queen of Kona” Paula Newby-Fraser with her 8 wins. If you see them in town thank them for all they have done for the sport.
5,000 plus volunteers will put on the biggest circus in modern Island history. From (85-95) I was one of them, as a construction coordinator under Rocky Campbell.
We put fencing to keep people out and belchers to sit them on. We built scaffolding for the voice of Ironman Mike Reilly, tents and stages for timing and award photos, the finish tower was always the most fun.
One year we constructed a bridge just for the photographers to shoot the swim finish. Painter Dave would build a ramp over the lava wall to the massage village. A hot fun week was had by an incredible group of characters. Today mainland contractors come to town to put up most of it in a couple days.
In 24 hours down it comes and the ka’opala (trash) is picked up leaving no sign. They all receive a logoed volunteer shirt that they wear in pride all year long, it is just as much their race as it is the competitors.
But the biggest volunteer of all is the Big island of Hawai’i. Be nice to her please.