I didn’t know you could retire from part of your vocation.  You either retired and they gave you a gold watch or you worked and they gave you mandatory overtime.  But I’ve noted in recent years it’s possible to retire from Kona; from the Ironman; from that Ironman; to publicly announce your Kona retirement; and yet stay otherwise employed as a pro.  Now that I know this is an option, I’ve decided to announce my retirement from Kona.

I’ve been attending the Hawaiian Ironman as a pro longer than anyone I can think of, except maybe Kenny Glah and Fernanda Keller.  We’re pros, we three, but we’re not all pro athletes.  I’m a pro bike counter.  I’ve been counting bikes on the Big Island continually since 1992, save for a pair of one-year respites.  I’ve counted them as they entered the transition area, after they’re already in the bike pen, before the race and the morning after the race. I’ve counted in driving rain, all day under the tropical sun, and under the stars.

I’ve noted the specs of 20,000 Kona-ridden frames.  I’ve written the data on scratch pads, on race programs, on 3” x 5” cards.  I’ve had family, friends, retailers, fellow manufacturers, other journalists, count with me.  I’ve counted with the blessings, and once or twice the curses, of three WTC presidents -- David Yates, Lew Friedland, Ben Fertic -- and several race directors, many assistant race directors, and two wonderful media coordinators (Priscilla Fraiegari and Blair LaHaye).  I’ve never been jailed in Kona for mouthing off to any of these people, but I’m sure I was close on a couple of occasions.

Going to Kona has meant wonderful times spent with Steve and Annie Hed, with Bill & Val from Mission Bay Multisport, Herbert Krabel, John Cobb, and members of my staff when I went as a manufacturer. Also very fondly remembered as a part of that cadre was Nick Rott, the original owner of B&L Bike in Kona, who was killed while riding his bicycle – I can’t believe that was 13 years ago.  Ricky, one of Nick's bike shop employees, used to make us homemade sushi.  Nick’s best buddy, George, owned the pizza place we used to frequent.

Few of these people I just mentioned go to Kona anymore.  Plenty of good people have taken their place, and in recent years I’ve counted bikes with Mark Andrews and his bandmates at Trek, and folks from Scott, Profile Design, Oval, Cannondale, Fizik, Zipp, QR, Litespeed, Cervelo, and others.

In the earlier years the best parties were at Marty’s, and my favorite hangouts were Drysdale’s, the Chart House, Sibu, and the Aloha Café.  All these establishments are either gone or no longer part of my annual route.  Just above the Ironman finish line was a Mexican restaurant – now you get Greek food there, of which I’m not fond. 

I awoke some weeks ago and said, “I’m done with Kona.”  I thought I’d give myself time to think about it, and I’ve thought about it.  It’s not that the bike count in Kona is unworthy to continue, and I’m sure somebody is going to keep on counting bikes there (I hope whoever it is will give me access to the numbers, so I can continue to publish them).

It’s just that I don’t want to do it anymore.  It’s run its course for me.  I suppose it’s partly because whenever I land on that Island I feel as if I really live there, and I take this 51-week vacation on the mainland every year.  In true retirement style, I want my vacation to be 52 weeks.

It’s not that I’m done with counting bikes. I just want to count them somewhere else.  There will still be a Slowtwitch Bike Survey, but I’d guess I’ll count bikes in another style of race, probably short course, maybe USAT Nationals, I haven’t decided.  Certainly I hope there aren’t 1800 bikes entered in whatever race I choose.  I think 1000 or 1200 is plenty.

I first came to Kona in 1981.  I was 24 years old, and prior to that year barely 100 people had ever competed in the Ironman.  What a fabulous race that was!   And still is.   Racing in that ’81 event is one of the highlights of my life and I’ll carry it with me.  The Hawaiian Ironman is the backbone of the sport and I’ll always love it and follow it.  But from now on I’ll follow it, its frame materials, its seat angles, its wheel sizes, from 3000 miles away.

One final note:  We’ll publish a set of articles over the next weeks looking over the 15-year span of the Kona Survey.  We’ll compare what bikes, seat angles, frame materials, and so on, were used back then, are used today, and how and why things have changed over the last decade and a half.