Kilkee Hill of the West 2017 Tickets

Newbietotry

Hi,
This is along shot but would anyone have a spare ticket for sale for the Hell of the West in Kilkee?

tunney

Newbietotry wrote: »

Hi,
This is along shot but would anyone have a spare ticket for sale for the Hell of the West in Kilkee?

By ticket do you mean "transfer of entry"?

Newbietotry

Hi Tunney,

Yeah that is what I mean.

Thanks

tunney

@mods - transfers allowed until the 1st June

I've an entry, will transfer for entry costs

Newbietotry

I will PM you

happynewyear

Newbietotry wrote: »

Hi,
This is along shot but would anyone have a spare ticket for sale for the Hell of the West in Kilkee?

Good for you man so look like you got sorted. I'm also on the hunt for a transfer and would pay the cost of course. Let me know if anyone has one. Thanks Gavin (it's by far by fav Tri...pure class)

Newbietotry

I hope so but I didn't hear anything back from Tunney after I private mailed him

happynewyear

Newbietotry wrote: »

I hope so but I didn't hear anything back from Tunney after I private mailed him

Well if I get sorted and get an offer of a second...one a long shot and the other an even longer shot but still...if I do I'll PM. It is simply the best race of them all. I did DCM the last two years and IM 70.3 the last two years too and they don't come close...well the first time around of Dublin 70.3 was pretty special but HOTW is a family filled weekend or week of fun for all.

tunney

Newbietotry wrote: »

I hope so but I didn't hear anything back from Tunney after I private mailed him

work been nuts, replied

Newbietotry

Thanks, I think I'm sorted now though. I can't wait it sounds fantastic.

tech232

I have a spare entry if anyone is still stuck, PM me.

panda100

tech232 wrote:

I have a spare entry if anyone is still stuck, PM me.

I would like to do hotw but have booked in to do a sprint triathlon the weekend before. Do you reckon it would be be too much to do hotw a week after a sprint?

tech232

I usually do a sprint 2 weeks before the HOTW without issue but it depends on your personal fitness level and what your goal is for this race.

HOTW is a lot of people's A race for the season and it usually brings out some of the best. I've competed in it for many years but work commitments and preventing me this year.

panda100

tech232 wrote:

I usually do a sprint 2 weeks before the HOTW without issue but it depends on your personal fitness level and what your goal is for this race.

I think my plan would be to take it easy on the sprint. I'v never done an open water triathlon before so would be getting used to transitions etc. It could be a good warm up for hotw.

I've pm'ed you for transfer

peter kern

i would not do my first open water tri in kilkee .
you want to be a competent open water swimmer when you enter that race.

panda100

peter kern wrote:

i would not do my first open water tri in kilkee . you want to be a competent open water swimmer when you enter that race.

Ok that is good to know. Its next years goal so.

Worn Out

Thought yesterday's race was good fun. Would have liked a horn, whistle or signal at the start of the race as it was a little unclear that it had started. Didn't see much drafting on the bike which was good. Some fruit at the end would have been good, the chocolate drink was delicious though. Good crowds in and around transition gave you a boost each time you came through. Somehow managed to catch the sun which was never expected given the wet start.
Will return to race again in Kilkee. Well done and thanks to all involved.

Tibulus

An enjoyable race and definitely one I intend to return to at some stage in the future. Taught the mass swim start was too overcrowded, not strong enough of a swimmer to push ahead of the pack. Really restricted by stroke.

TheBazman

First time doing it - thought it was great but very tough. Agree on the swim - the wave was too big. Also I was talking to a team mate as we were walking up to the water and I heard the starter shout for everyone to walk into the water to their ankles and then he would start us. At that point people just started running and diving into the water. I was asking others if it had started to which the response was I presume so. It didnt really matter in the grand scheme of things but I would have preferred a more formal start.

The last 10k of the cycle was very crowded as we caught up with some of the ladies wave. There were several times with around 20 cyclists grouped together. No one was trying to draft but with that many people it was hard to get space between people.

While it was pretty miserable standing around in the rain at the start, it cleared up nicely. Great spread at the finish. I didnt use the toilets but I heard there were only 2 for over 400 people. Surely a few portaloos would make sense.

panda100

Ended up marshaling on Saturday and had the best day ever. It was super fun and was great seeing so many amazing athletes. I'm definitely signing up for this next year!

tech232

As I usually always take part or marshall on the water it was nice to be a spectator for the first time in 20 years. 
I really enjoyed watching this event and the crowd at Transistion gave great support to everyone coming through right down to last compedtitor. It was much a quieter event this year which was probably easier for the club to manage but the buzz around the town was not the same and by around 9 pm it was just like any other Saturday night in Kilkee which is a pity as I know the locals look forward to the HOTW coming to town.
Well done to all that competed and the organisers for a great event, I'll defo be competing again next year.

tech232

One more thing, the swimming ability of the top athlete's was unbelievable. The top 5 of both the men's and women's had a clear lead after the first 200 meters and in the case of women's the leader was 25 meters ahead of the second placed competitor by the pier. This was a great swim to watch from the right vantage point.

Statler

Great race and very well run, but definitely quieter around the town this year alright, the local traders weren't too happy with the reduction in numbers. Any idea why the numbers were limited? Obviously bigger numbers represent bigger headaches for the organisers but I'd imagine the local traders would much rather a return to bigger numbers taking part.

Doeshedare

Statler wrote: »

Any idea why the numbers were limited?

I asked a few locals and they said Health and Safety. They werent happy about it and for sure the atmosphere was right down on the previous years. Someone said the RD was happy with how it went which sounds like same again next year. You can see so many abandoned buildings in Kilkee it is obviously struggling and needs events like HOTW on the scale it was previously. I suppose that isnt LTC problem but I used to love how the event took over the town.

As for drafting, I'm a relatively faster swimmer than cyclist so I was being passed on the bike for most of it but when I got back on the main road before Doonbeg I ran into a large group. I think they in turn had hit more backmarkers from the previous wave plus car traffic and so everything backed up. For 6k I felt I had no choice but to go with them - I wasnt strong enough to pass them all (they had all passed me already) and I wasnt going to stop. When we hit the hill before town I was able to make my low weight count and push on ahead.
Apart from a bit of unnecessary faffing about before the swim and a strange no signal start the only improvement I would suggest is to split the male wave into two.

panda100

tech232 wrote: »

One more thing, the swimming ability of the top athlete's was unbelievable. The top 5 of both the men's and women's had a clear lead after the first 200 meters and in the case of women's the leader was 25 meters ahead of the second placed competitor by the pier. This was a great swim to watch from the right vantage point.

The cycle and run by Sinead Jennings/Lynch was superb. I did a couple of duathlons with her at the start of the year and am in absolute awe of her ability. She really is one triathlete to watch and I am so pleased she is not in my age group :pac: