Volunteer to Win a New Belgium Brewery Cruiser Bike

Each person who volunteers at 4 or more events in the 2010 Texas Tri Series will be entered into a select drawing for a very cool cruiser bike courtesy of New Belgium Brewery. What are the odds? Ask Dan Kirkley, a 3 time finisher of the Texas Tri Series. He volunteered at 5 events in 2010, and was the lucky one out of just 8 people to win the bike. You must be present at the finisher party to win the bike.

USAT licenses explained

Have you ever signed up for a triathlon and then been forced to pay $10 extra at packet pickup? Maybe you are doing your first triathlon this year and you've been told that you need a USAT license, but you don't really know what that is or how to get one? Here's all you need to know:

What is a USAT licnese?

USA Triathlon (USAT) is the governing body of the sport of triathlon in the United States. (www.usatriathlon.org). It's overseen by the the United States Olympic Committe. It provides many services to athletes, coaches, and race directors. One of the key services it provides to race directors is event sanctioning, through which it provides event insurance. The insurance covers the athletes, volunteers, and the property that is part of a triathlon. This insurance is usually so expensive that most race directors would not be able to afford it without the assistance of USAT. Without the insurance, many races wouldn't exist. One of the requirements of sanctioning an event is that all participants must be USAT members. Therefore, anyone who signs up for a USAT sanctioned event must show proof of USAT membership. This proof is commonly referred to as having a USAT license.


How do I get a USAT membership?

USAT memberships may be purchased several ways:

• USAT provides registration services online at http://usatriathlon.org/pages/58
• Many USAT sanctioned events have USAT memberships available for purchase as part of their online registration.
• All USAT sanctioned events have USAT memberships available for purchase at packet pickup.

Should I buy an Annual Membership or just pay the One Day fee?

The annual membership costs $39. The one day license costs $10 and may only be used at the event at which it is purchased. It's a no-brainer to purchase the annual membership if you do at least 4 events per year. It typically makes sense to have an annual membership even if you will do less than 4 events per year, as there are many other benefits to having a USAT license, as described on the USAT membership benefits page:http://usatriathlon.org/pages/659. The One Day membership is good option if you are likely to do less than one event per year.


When should I buy my membership?

I don't recommend waiting until packet pickup to purchase a license as you'll have to wait in a second line and make a payment. Buy the one-day membership online with your event registration if you can. Buy the annual membership online directly from USAT anytime before your first event. Make sure you bring proof of you online purchase with you to packet pickup, as well as a photo ID.


USAT will give you credit for $10 towards an annual membership if you show receipt from a one day membership purchase.

Hyatt Regency to Host 2010 Texas Tri Series Finisher Party

The 2010 Texas Tri Series Finisher Party will be held on the evening of November 13th in the grand Texas ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Austin located on Lady Bird Lake. "The Hyatt has been a great partner to the Austin Triathlon", says Dan Carroll of High Five Events. "We are thrilled to have their support for the Texas Tri Series as well. Hosting the finisher party at one of Austin's finest hotels has been the goal since the series was created. It will be a fantastic place to celebrate the end of the season."


The Texas Tri Series Finisher Party is only open to series finishers and their guests. Register and plan your season so you don't miss this great event.


Information on the Hyatt Regency can be found at www.austin.hyatt.com. 

2009 Texas Tri Series Finished

The 2009 Texas Tri Series wrapped up with the annual Finisher Party at Pure Austin Quarry Lake. Christina Chien and Yancy Arrington received top honors as the overall women's and men's winners. Dan Kirkley was the lucky winner of the New Belgium Brewery Cruiser Bike from amongst the other all star volunteer candidates. Winners of the grand prize of free entries to all of the 2010 events were Brian Dodson, Nancy Edmonds, Heather Herrick, and Julie Wolf.

New Categories for Couples Triathlon

We've switched up the categories for 2010. We've add a bunch of new categories in order to split up some of the larger groups. The awards will following the new categories. The categories for 2010 are as follows:

Friends - Male
Mostly Strangers - Male


Friends - Female
Mostly Strangers - Female


Friends - Mixed
Mostly Strangers - Mixed
More than Friends


Newlyweds (married less than 5 years)
Mid-life Crisis (married 5 to 15 years)
Golden Years (married more than 15 years)


Father & Son
Father & Daughter
Mother & Daughter
Mother & Son


Siblings
Relatives


Individual Male
Individual Female

Austin Tri Recycles 90% of all trash

The Austin Triathlon was able to recycle 90% of all the trash generated at the event. Many thanks to all of the event staff and volunteers who made this possible.


The Austin Triathlon has planned carefully to reduce the amount waste created at this event. Food items are designed to be hand held, requiring very little serving dishes or plates and all beverages are served in recylable containers. In addition, The Austin Triathlon is one of the first events in Austin to removed bottled water from the event. Instead of plastic bottled water, each participant received a souvenier reusable bike bottle filled with City of Austin water. Participants could re-fill the bottle at one of the many water moster stations.

Check out our recycling report for the facts.

Cunningham, Ficker win AVIA Austin Triathlon

Austin, TX – Local professional triathletes Richie Cunningham and Desiree Ficker win the 3rd annual AVIA Austin Triathlon.


Richie Cunningham dominated the event by leading right from the gun. Andrew Yoder mounted an early charge on the bike but was forced to drop due to illness. Cunningham cruised through the 10 kilometer run to win by a margin of 3 minutes. James Cotter and James Bales grabbed second and third place, respectively.


Desiree Ficker and Kelly Handel treated everyone to a show with a competitive race throughout. Ficker used a strong bike and run to overcome the deficit to Handel after the swim. Terra Castro rounded out the podium to make it a trio of Austin women.


2000 participants and thousands of spectators enjoyed the beautiful weather and Austin’s hospitality. All were welcome at the renowned post race carnival.  The Austin Triathlon is annually held on Labor Day in the heart of downtown Austin. High Five Events is proud to partner with AVIA and Jack & Adam’s Bicycles to produce this event. Visit www.theaustintriathlon.com for more information.

Men:

1. Richie Cunningham 1:53:26
2. James Cotter 1:56:29
3. James Bales 1:57:55
4. Derek Yorek 1:58:22
5. Paul Terranova 2:00:09
6. Joe Thorne 2:01:27
7. Derick Williamson 2:03:14
8. Lon Breitenbach 2:04:17
9. Todde Withycombe 2:04:24
10. Dion Harrison 2:05:18

Women:

1. Desiree Ficker 2:06:21
2. Kelly Handel 2:06:52
3. Terra Castro 2:10:01
4. Mina Pizzini 2:11:12
5. Tracy Robertson 2:11:19
6. Sierra Snyder 2:11:57
7. Jolene Wilkinson 2:15:36
8. Natasha Van Der Merwe 2:18:34
9. D’Ann Arthur 2:19:06
10. Lianne Evans 2:19:15

About High Five Events
High Five Events is a multi-sport event production company and the official race director for Jack & Adam’s Bicycles events. High Five Events produces many of the largest triathlons in Texas, including The Austin Triathlon and the Texas Tri Series, and provides event management consulting and equipment leasing services to over 30 events per year.www.highfiveevents.com


About Jack and Adam’s Bicycles
Located in Austin, TX, Jack and Adam’s Bicycles is a complete triathlon and road cycling store. Founded in 2004, it has been voted Best Triathlon Store in Texas every year since its inception. The store is renowned for its friendly service, incredible product support, and community involvement. www.jackandadams.com


About American Sporting Goods
AVIA is a leading supporter of the sport of triathlon. It’s sponsorships include the AVIA Wildflower Triathlon and an entire team of professional triathletes including Kenny Souza, Scott Tinley, Conrad Stoltz, Eduardo Sturla, Heather Wurtele, Trevor Wurtele, Tyler Stewart, Amanda Felder, Angela Naeth, Alexis Smith, Steven Sexton, Wendy Mader, and Pip Taylor. Please visit www.avia.com. American Sporting Goods (ASG) is a manufacturer of performance athletic footwear and apparel based in Aliso Viejo, Calif. Brands under the ASG umbrella include AVIA, And 1, rykä, Nevados, Yukon, NSS, APEX, Turntec and Triple Five Soul.