News of The Abacos

Fitness Plus Fun Equals 1998 Great Abaco Triathlon (and the 1999 Tri is going to be even bigger and better!)

The Fifth Annual Great Abaco Triathlon in The Spirit of Perry Cooke is slated for the weekend of the 5th of September, the US Labour Day weekend. Part of the Publix Gatorade Triathlon Series that is run by Exclusive Sports Marketing of Boca Raton, Florida in the United States triathletes and their families will travel to Abaco for a weekend of fun and fitness. The race was reduced last year to a Sprint triathlon to give the athletes more time to enjoy Abaco and what the island has to offer. The Sprint Triathlon consist of .5 mile swim, a 15 mile bike ride and a 3 mile run done in that order. Persons from age 8­80 participated in last years race. Triathletes competing in the series receive points just as they do in any of the other series races. Steve Tebon President of Exclusive Sports Marketing is coordinating the race in the United States and Brenda Claridge Mitchell is the coordinator in Abaco. She is being helped by Ann Christoffel and Sherry Parker.

The race is open to any triathlete or a team of athletes if they wish to enter. Last year Bahamian Dave "Otto" Bell from Freeport Grand Bahama places second overall. Other Bahamians in the race were Andrew Bell, Dave's brother, Shawn Neely from Nassau, Dave Hill and Peter Sexton both from Abaco.

The prize money this year is $5,000.00 and in addition there will be several other prizes and awards.

Last year's Triathlon attracted 133 registered triathletes and hopefully this year it will attract close to 200 athletes. Each year the race has attracted more and more entrants as persons who participate go to their homes and tell about their wonderful experiences at the Great Abaco Triathlon. The major sponsors for this years race are The Ministry of Tourism, Kalik, Great Abaco Beach Resort and Boat Harbour, American Eagle, Texaco Bahamas, Insurance Management, Commonwealth Bank, Great Abaco Shipping and Nippers in Guana Cay. As the time for the race approaches there will be added sponsors.

There are some events planned leading up to the race on Saturday. On Thursday the 3rd of September Kalik will sponsor a welcome party to be held at Jimmy's Bay View Restaurant on the Water Front in Dundas Town.

On Friday evening at 5 PM registration for the race will be held pool side at the Great Abaco Beach Resort and Boat Harbour. Each entrant will be given a kit that will include their race number, maps of bikes race and run, as well as a triathlon T Shirt. The race will be held at 9 AM Saturday morning. Saturday evening there will be the awards ceremony to be held at Crossing Beach in Marsh Harbour.

Sunday morning a new event will be added. The lean Cuisine Ocean Mile Swim which is open to all who wish to enter. The swim will begin and end at the Great Abaco Beach Resort and Boat Harbour. After the swim it is off to Nippers on Guana Cay to a beach party sponsored in part by The Mad Dogs Triathlon Club from St. Petersburg, Florida.

The Mad Dogs Triathlon Club of St. Petersburg Florida is the largest triathlon club in the United States with 600 members and last year had the largest contingent of any triathlon club at the race, 48 members took part last year. Their official spokesman in Abaco has been Bela Molnar who races in the Clydesdale weight class and leads his Mad Dogs through all of their rituals prior to race time and after the race. It was a fact that the Mad Dogs went to Nippers two years ago on the Sunday after the race and because they enjoyed themselves so much over there Nippers was the party place on the Sunday after the race last year and this year is, again, the official party place.

The Mad Dogs travel all over the world to compete in various triathlons. Their slogan is "if you can't race with the Mad Dogs then stay on the porch and don't bark." They travel with their flag and before every race they do their barking routine.

As stated before Bell is their chief spokesperson and he is a die hard dedicated triathlete. He travels with his $6,000.00 bike in a suit bag with a special round bag for the tires and he patiently puts his bike together himself the night before the race. His bike like most of the other triathletes bikes is aerodynamically built so they can ride fast. The seat is suspended from the front so that nothing can stop the air from moving under the bike seat. Time is important to any triathlete so they must be able to come out of the water and get on their bike as fast as possible for the 15 mile bike ride and then again park their bike and start to run the 3 miles as fast as possible.

Winners of the different age and weight categories are those who complete the three events in the faster possible time. However, finishing the race gives the triathlete points in the series also. What does the triathlon do for Abaco? Well it brings in not only the athletes but many bring their families for the fun weekend in a tropical paradise. In addition it does boost the economy as these athletes are tourist also money is spent. Craig Woods, Manager of the Out Islands in the Ministry of Tourism is dedicated to making this event bigger every year. Last year a group of triathletes traveled from Lima Peru to compete so it is not just only triatheltes from the United States and the Bahamas that come to compete in the Great Abaco Triathlon in The Spirit of Perry Cooke. Perry Cooke's name was added to the name of two races two years ago because the late Perry Cooke,the Tourism Officer in Abaco, was instrumental in bringing this event to Abaco and worked hard to get it here.

No doubt as long as hurricanes stay away from our shores The Fifth Annual Great Abaco Triathlon in The Spirit of Perry Cooke will attract more entrants than ever and will attract entrants also only for the Lean Cuisine Ocean Mile Swim. Last years overall winners John O'Keefe of Jacksonville, Florida and Linda Newery of Jupiter Florida will be returning to defend their titles as well as large contingent of Mad Dogs with Bela leading them in their barking will be held in Abaco for the weekend of the 5th of September to compete in the Great Abaco Triathlon in The Spirit of Perry Cooke.

Persons who are interested in registering for this event can contact Brenda Claridge Mitchell at 1-242-367-3431.