Lorrin Ching Memorial at Keauhou Bay, Oct 17, 2015

Our beloved site manager at Villas at Keauhou, Lorrin Ching, just shy of 71 years old, passed a couple weeks ago participating in a canoe race.  His friends and family told the same story of how he always said he would probably die of a heart attack in a canoe.  Not only did he get his wish, he was also in a race, and was catching a wave.  The autopsy showed he had a "big heart", which everyone agreed was true.

https://youtu.be/EIwkaXvACzQ

Here is a photo I took on Friday before his last race while I was having fun with him showing him the wonders of the iPhone 6s and the "live photo" feature.  It may be the last photo of him.

Below are photos from the day of celebration.  It started out with assignments for canoes by Bill Armer, then an introduction by a long time friend, reminiscences from his children and grandchildren, and from the guests.  Close to 300 people were in attendance, most of whom stayed for the day.  Bill Armer said that this was the largest showing of canoes on the water for such a ceremony that he had ever seen.  Traditionally the canoes paddle out, the family in the lead, making a few circles and spreading fresh flowers in the water.  A puli is said, Aloha Oe is sung, a pu is sounded.  After the ashes are spread in the water, people are invited to swim with Lorrin together, which many people did today.  All of the paddlers in one canoe jumped out and it hulied.  On the way back to the bay, some big swells came up.

.

The day before several turkeys were cooked in an imu and a feast was served for the guests with pot luck salads, fruit, and desserts to go with the pork and cabbage, turkey, ham, yams and sweet potatoes, and macaroni salad.  Lorrin liked beer and mayonnaise which was also abundant.  

David was busy all day yesterday gathering monstera and other greens and helping set up tents, decorate, and rig canoes.  He was there to help launch our canoes and bring them in after the ceremony on the water.  

I came with Bill and Gabriella and Bud.  I took a chance and hitched a ride on the sailing canoe of Kalani's which sails out of Keauhou Bay.  I was able to take photos and quietly cried for this very special man.

David telling his story about Lorrin.

Pano of the lawn

On the sailing canoe

Following the paddlers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V_r7Vcoq28  This is a link to the Youtube video I took of singing Aloha Oe on the water.

They are righting the canoe after it hulied.

Bill on the right is conducting the ceremony

Lorrin's favorite beverage.  There were also 3 kegs of beer.

Getting out the desserts.

Lorrin's 3 man which he asked that a board be made over the top and make it a portable bar.  One of the men accepted the challenge.  It was beautifully decorated.  There were several tables with photos and awards and mementoes and a computer slide show of photos people emailed to Alexis, his daughter, one of his 6 children.

I helped by serving the ham.

David told how Lorrin told us the story of his sufing in Oahu and always wanting to stay at the Moana Surfrider Hotel.  Recently he was on Oahu and decided to fulfill that dream.  He managed to sweet talk the wahine to upgrade his room to an ocean view balcony and he thoroughly enjoyed every moment of his stay.  He once told me that he used to go to the Jacaranda Inn in Waimea for breakfast with the kids but thought the restaurant was closed.  He still wanted to go there again and said he would soon.  

As the Manager of our condos, he was here every morning at 7:00am where he cleaned the pool, supervised Joe and the landscape crew, and took care of all the little jobs around the complex to keep it up.  We recently had our driveways resealed.  There were some break-ins in the neighborhood and he pepped up his surveillance of the property.  When a storm is predicted, he came around to everyone to see if they needed help putting in the lanai furniture and secured homes who were not in residence.  If you saw him in his cart on property, you could say hello and if you mentioned anything about paddling, you could spend 30 minutes or longer talking about anything and everything paddling.  He was really looking forward to this Molokai'i race this year and to paddle with Nappy Napoleon and his crew.

Here is the Keauhou Canoe Club newsletter summary of the service.

10.17. The memorial at sea for Lorrin Ching was an incredible moving and inspirationahappening at the Keauhou Halau.  About 500 people came together to grieve our loss, celebrate his life, and appreciate Lorrin’s influence on each of us.  There were at least 20 OC-6’s, 50 OC-1's and OC-2’s, surfboards, standup paddleboards, power boats, a sailing canoe and many observers on the shoreline at Surf and Racquet Club.  We fed over 400 people.  Many people made this event incredible and much appreciation goes to Terry Trinidad, Ricky Beaudet and the Hunting Club, Kalani Delovio and Mike Woodbury, Bill and Cindy Armer, Egon and Rena Horcajo, Nalani Merrill, Dennis Mihalka, Hana and Tiffany Cook, Maile Leslie, Rupert Adarme, the Ching siblings of Peter, Aaron, Alexis, Jessica, and Cassidy, daughter-in law Nicola, grandchildren Cyrus and ‘Ale’a, and a very large family and KCC Ohana.  Numerous donations of money and food reduced the family expenses for the memorial.  Everyone was moved and touched and we know you felt the energy wherever you were in this world.  The Canoe Club made a monetary donation from our Ohana fund to assist the family with the memorial celebration.  A legacy fund at Keauhou will continue to accept donations after the family establishes the concept on how to remember Lorrin in a more enduring, lasting way.  An annual canoe/running race, an unlimited canoe in his name, and a Fund for Keauhou women racers at Molokai are some of the ideas expressed to date.  You can forward any thoughts to Alexis and the family via the canoe club or directly to them at urnlexyland@yahoo.com.

Kuana Torres and the Lava song

Remember the Lava song?  It is  in the short film before the Pixar film "Inside Out"

Our ukulele group has added it to our song book and we sing it each week.  But yesterday I got to see and meet Kuana at our Daughters of Hawaii meeting.  He came to speak to us and sang some of his songs and talk story about how he learned music from his elders and how he got the job of singing the Lava song!  He is the voice of the fat volcano in the song, and also the narrator.  He said everyone is so surprised at how popular the song has been.  He said he couldn't sing us the song because it takes two people.  He also has a lei making DVD and was on a tour of the islands promoting it and demonstrating lei making.  His picture was on the front of our paper today.  Here are some photos of him.

I suggested that he might be in the Academy Awards singing the lava song!  It didn't seem like he had thought of that.  The song was recorded 2 1/2 years ago.

The lei he has on:  The orange one is an ilima lei, or turmeric flower.  It is very hard to make because it is so time consuming and hard to find that many flowers.  The shell leis are Ni'ihau shells from the island of that name.  These shells are very rare and only allowed to be gathered by the inhabitants of the island who are all native Hawaiians.  No one else is allowed to live there.  I would say each strand would be worth more than $1,000.  There are even smaller shells, like the size of a peppercorn, that are even more rare.  I have a pair of small earrings made of them.  I'm not sure what the leaves are for the green lei, but I bet he made that one at the demonstration.

Ironman World Championship, Kailua Kona, HI, 2015, Monday, Oct 12, Volunteer Mahalo Party

Sitting at our table at the party

Looking at the stage from our table

Monday was the Mahalo party for the 5,000 volunteers who helped put on this monumental event.  We arrived right at 5:00pm with lines of people dressed in volunteer T-shirts, all the way up Palani into the huge King Kamehameha Hotel parking lot where the event is held.  We were to meet Sue and her husband.  I told her to look for us because we had on a tan volunteer T-shirt (like a thousand or two others.)  I am amazed that there is so much room back there for a big stage, 10 or so buffet lines, and tables for 5,000 people.  You will enjoy this short compilation video honoring the many volunteers:  Video of all the volunteers

After you get your hand stamped you get a ticket for a drawing of prizes such as restaurant certificates, and each person gets a nice backpack bag.  Our table even had flowers.

One of the rows of dinner buffet lines

We sat with Shelly and her husband and Sue and her husband and Alan Hale.  Entrance included 2 free beers per person.

The T shirt putting on contest.  The most was 5 only.

Throughout the evening they put on various contests in between the thank you.  The heads of the various departments of volunteers were honored and came to the microphone to give their thanks to everyone who worked so hard in their group.  Registration, Aid stations, warehouse, medical, and traffic are some of the departments.  There is an award for the most decorated aid station.

What is Akamai contest

I was chosen as a contestant in the "what is akamai" contest.  We had to guess the true meaning of an Ironman sports term.  Here is a movie Shelly took of me.  I did not win,  nor did we guess the meaning of "bonk", or "fartlick".  The tall guy in the center won. I won a consolation prize of a $25 gift certificate to Kona Brew Pub.  We had a nice dinner there the next week.

This party is the highlight of the Ironman.  They make a very nice compilation video of the athletes, and one of all the volunteers.  Here is a video of the volunteers from 2014.  David and I are in funny hats in this video.

Ironman World Championship, Kailua Kona, HI, 2015 Saturday, Oct 10, Race Day

Saturday, Race Day!  Be sure to see this cool video compilation of the racers. made by GoPro, one of the sponsors

Here is another one made by a news source with cool video.

Ironman Kona 2015 website

A recap of the event will be broadcast on November 14, 2015, at 1:30PM EST on NBC.

"The inaugural "Hawaiian IRON MAN Triathlon" was conceptualized in 1977 as a way to challenge athletes who had seen success at endurance swim, running and biathlon events. Honolulu-based Navy couple Judy and John Collins proposed combining the three toughest endurance races in Hawai’i—the 2.4-mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim, 112 miles of the Around-O’ahu Bike Race and the 26.2-mile Honolulu Marathon—into one event.

On February 18, 1978, 15 people came to Waikiki to take on the IRONMAN challenge. Prior to racing, each received three sheets of paper with a few rules and a course description. The last page read: "Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life!"

In 1981, the race moved from the tranquil shores of Waikiki to the barren lava fields of Kona on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Along the Kona Coast, black lava rock dominates the panorama, and athletes battle the "ho’omumuku" crosswinds of 45 mph, 95-degree temperatures and a scorching sun.

The IRONMAN World Championship centers on the dedication and courage exhibited by participants who demonstrate the IRONMAN mantra that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.® On October 10th, over 2,000 athletes will embark on a 140.6-mile journey that presents the ultimate test of body, mind and spirit to earn the title of IRONMAN."

Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/world-championship.aspx#ixzz3qZApsM3y

The crowd in front of Chillin' ,with moon, at 5:45am

More crowds

Got up at 4:30am to get to the swim start.  Cars are parked way up Henry to Queen K. Guards are directing people out of the Longs drugs parking area at Lanikai shopping area but we somehow got a spot in the shade near Longs.  We walked down to our spot at Chillin's.  We paid $125 each for a seat there,all day, a perfect spot to watch the beginning and ending of the race.  What a crowd of people up this early!  5 people deep on the seawall.  Surprisingly not too many waves that drenched them like yesterday.

More onlookers

guy with drone

The stairs where the swimmers enter the water

First a couple hand gliders soared and tumbled into the King Kam beach for excitement.

Pro men getting into the water

After the Star Spangled Banner song and pu blowing, the race gun went off for the pro men at 6:25am.   They typically take 50 minutes for the 2.4 mile swim.  The women pro were next at 6:30am.  See this video. We could see the mass splash of arms circling out of the water as they made their way out to sea in a swath.

Boats and paddle boards waiting for swimmers to start

The pro men start

After the pros left, they asked the age group men to enter the water even though they don't start until 6:55am.  What a sea of powder blue swim caps.

Paddle boards ran the start line with outrigger canoes, inflatable boats with cameras galore, helicopters, and lots of buoys.  The mass of blue caps and arms flying were a sight to see.  Everyone cheering, taking photos and waving signs.  The water is calm and perfect in spite of predictions of swells and jellyfish.








A man had a drone that could take photos over the swimmers.

The 2.4 mile swim course

A pu and a gun again started off the racers.

Off they go!

The pink capped women age groupers moved quickly down the stairs to enter the water for their start at 7:10am.  There are about 610 out of some 2,300 racers.

As the age group women passed the pier, a group of pro men were seen coming back to the pier.  Sure enough, it was only about 50 minutes before the lowest number racers (the pros have the low numbered bibs) were making their way through the pier transition area.  They take off their caps, take a quick shower with a hose, and change into bike shoes and helmet, grab their gear bag for the bike, grab the bike stored in their assigned spot, and run out the shoot onto the bike course.

Getting out of the water to the bikes

About 9:30 is the cutoff for the swim.   Everyone but one woman made it.  She missed by seconds.  The timing director had to tell her the sad news.

Meanwhile, the frontrunners are out on the course on the bikes.  At 9:45 Kienle is in the lead up in Hawi turnaround, followed by Jan Frodino, both from Germany. Daniella Ryf  in the lead for the women.

Rue, 85 years old, on the bike at 9:07am, a good 20 minutes ahead of the swim cut off.

The 104 mile bike course

Bike course:  First they head left down Kuakini, right onto Makala by Ross, AT&T and Target, up to Queen K, back down Palani, turn left at Kuakini, all the way up to the Queen K junction and back, then up Palani again to Queen K and the long ride North to Hawi.  After the turn around there, the head back via Makala.

We decided to stay downtown and watch after we had a big pancake breakfast at the church across from the palace.  We saw Karen and Roger there who just finished another world cruise with Princess Sydney to Sydney.

With Karen at the Church pancake breakfast

People were still getting out of the water so we just hung around until it was time to work at the aid station.  We just walked up there in the hot sun and got our T shirts.  I fixed mine like the volunteers I saw at the bike check in, with plumeria pony tail ties wrapped around the shoulder as decoration.

Here is the video they made about the Ironman volunteers. Video of all the volunteers.
Peter and Cathy, Lynn from bobbing, Sue, Mike and Mary, of course Bill and Cindy, and lots more from the canoe club were helping.  There must have been about 30 people stretched out from the first sponge station, then water, ice, cola, gu, fruit and pretzels, more ice, more water, and last but not least, our sponge station.  

Handing out sponges

Sponges are a tricky thing to hand out to athletes.  They like them cold and full of water, so we wait to the last minute to take them out of the garbage pail where they sit in water and blocks of ice.  We have to continually replenish the ice and put in new dry sponges.  Then we will run out of water to expand them.  We stole water from the water station.  Athletes will sometimes grab a handful and lean over the pail and drench themselves with water.  We are instructed to only give one sponge per person.  However they are very grabby.  Since we are the first aid station, we are the first place they get sponges.  They will put them under their shirts, on the shoulder or under the arms or in the back or front.  We are warned that sometimes they are stuffed down the pants and later discarded a different color.  Since we are afraid to run out, we carefully pick up the discarded sponges from the pavement and put the clean ones back in the barrel.  They are often just used to squeeze water over their head and then immediately tossed.  So is a cup of water.  You can imagine the amount of paper cups on the ground.  It keeps several of the crew busy raking or picking up the cups.  Plastic bottles of water are recycled.  The cups are recycled.  But the cups used for Endurance drinks and gu, banana peels, etc. are trash.  

David and I handing sponges

I took a movie of Jan Frodeno as he ran by our aid station.  The winner is always preceded by a motorcycle.  You can also tell where he is by a helicopter hovering above.

A runner coming by, the female lead

David at the sponge station

Handing out water cups

 David and I passed out sponges, replenished sponges, hydrated sponges, picked up sponges, recycled sponges, discarded sponges for four hours.  We also ate hot dogs, potato chips, and drank lots of water (but heaven forbid you take it from the water station!)

The 26.2 mile Marathon run course

After 3:00pm we headed back to the Chill'n bar and our seats.  We saw fans all along the way waiting for their runners.  You can check on the website to see where a person is on the course throughout the day.

Fans waiting for their runner

Pain is temporary, finishing is forever

Hopeful encouragements

Sun set and finishers coming past our bar stools 

Runner coming into the final chute

We are just a few yards away from the actual finish line, right in front of the final chute.  Here is a movie of a runner in the chute. The excitement is palatable with rock music and the announcer calling the names and countries and telling them that they are an Ironman.  Sometimes they will announce that they are a war veteran.  There is a blind athlete.  There is one in a wheelchair. at the bar stools, we are sitting next to a family rooting for 1337, Mark.  Behind us are two women, former Ironmen, who are now official referees.  They presided over part of the bike, which is apparently rife with moving violations such as drafting, blocking, position foul, slip streaming, pacing and failure to fall out of the draft zone, blatant littering, and unsportsmanlike conduct.  Drafting is the most common violation.  A penalty might be 5 minutes in a penalty tent.

A view of finish taken from website

For Ironmen athletes, the goal is to come in under 12 hours.  For a marathon, it is under 4 hours.  The athletes who have finished walk by the bar, some barefoot.  They have on a really nice kukui nut necklace.  There is tons of food for them to eat as they exit the race area.  There is also the medical tent where many athletes spend some time after the race getting IV liquids or having cuts repaired.  

Runner finishing just under 12 hours

behind the finish line- "catchers" territory

Where the announcer stands

As we left going up Palani by the back of the finish line

A happy finisher taking his bike home

Even at 7:00pm, just about the 12 hour mark, the crowds cheer and greet each runner, ringing cow bells, cheering, whistling.  I love to hear the announcer boom out the athlete's name and say "Rusty Cook", YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!  Cigarette smoke, body odor, pizza, and the ocean are the odors in the air.  Later we see some Ironman walking with their bikes back to their hotels.  We called it a night about 9:00pm but fans will be there cheering until the cutoff to finish, midnight.

Jan Frodeno won with a time of 8:14:40.  Daniella Ryf from Chekoslovakia, won the women's title in 8:57:57.

A report stated that Jan Frodeno (DEU) waited until he entered the energy lab on the run to make a decisive surge that cracked the hard-charging American Tim O’Donnell and German Andreas Raelert behind him. 

Daniela Ryf (CHE) claimed the lead early on the bike and carried her advantage to the finish line in her first IRONMAN World Championship title.

Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2015/10/the-check-in-10.16.aspx#ixzz3qUylRxiC

Winners of this year's Hawaii Ironman will enjoy their first pay rise in many years, but those outside the top ten will still go begging. 

The Hawaii champion's prize purse increases to us$70,000 this year, with an additional sweetener in the form of a us$30,000 Isuzu Rodeo, handed over by the race sponsor to the men's and women's winners. These extras bring the total value of the champion's prize purse to over us$100k. Whilst triathlon still lags behind more high profile sports in the remuneration package it offers, the rewards now meted out in Kona, when added to sponsorships and other outside work, could see the very top elite athletes earning close to half a million dollars this year. 

In line with the increases for the winners, the total prize purse for the race increases to us$325,000, making Hawaii comfortably the biggest pay day in the multisport. The new total easily eclipses the us$200k that was previously offered at the Zofingen Duathlon. Until recent changes in sponsorship drastically cut the prize purse in Zofingen, the European race was Hawaii's closest challenger in the money stakes. 

On a more surprising note, the prize money for Kona still only runs 10 deep. That means a huge pay day for those who hit the mark in Kona is offset by a 'no-pay-day' for those further back. Making a buck in Kona is a tough job for even the best athletes around. Just ask Melissa Spooner, winner of Ironman New Zealand in 1999, who placed 11th in Hawaii last year, or Lena Wahlqvist, Ironman Lanzarote champion, but only 17th in Hawaii. They both left Kona poorer than when they arrived. 

The elite men's field is just as deep. Andreas Niedrig scored two hard-won third places in New Zealand and Roth, but finished outside the prize money in Hawaii in 14th. Ironman Brazil champion Ken Glah was two places further behind, with Ironman Lanzarote runner-up Anssi Lehtinen just sneaking into the top 20.