As far as Danny Becker was concerned, Sunday’s Peaman Splish-Splash and Superbowl Shuffle Biathlon ran just like all the other Peaman events he has attended with his wife and two children – like clockwork.
Despite ongoing permitting issues between Peaman and the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Kailua-Kona resident, who has been competing in the free monthly swim-runs for nearly 10 years, expressed how impressed he felt with the entire organization of the event from start to finish.
“I thought today’s Peaman event went very smoothly,” Becker said. “I wouldn’t even know there’s an issue. But Peaman’s events are always fun and well organized so that has sort of become the expectation.”
While there were no sightings of any Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement officers (the enforcement branch of DLNR) during the event – which of course delighted attendees — another well-known community contributor and longtime Peaman supporter happily watched as each participant crossed the finish line.
Tina Clothier, the executive director for PATH (Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii), echoed Becker’s sentiments and explained why she held a Marine/Ocean Waters event permit in hand.
“Today’s Peaman was amazingly smooth, as always,” Clothier said. “Just great fun, great organization, the participants know what they are doing, and the organizers know what they are doing. I was watching to see if there were going to be any issues with people with boats and trailers coming in through the gate, but there were no issues whatsoever.
“In the meantime, PATH has offered to step up as the legal entity – the 501(c)(3) – that could apply for a permit. So we applied for permits for January, February and March, and so now these Peaman events are permitted. And as a permit holder, I’ll come down to the events for anyone who needs to see it.”
Peaman said that he appreciated PATH’s support and truly felt excited to see the community come together to help organize the first Peaman Biathlon event of the year.
“What’s exciting is Sunday’s event was the start of our 30th year,” Peaman said. “Today’s race marked our 369th event and just to see how it remains the same as its always been – family, friends, community, people enjoying the day, people racing hard. I’ve always loved the diversity of our events.
“I love our volunteer base. Christine DeCarli and Lynnette Randerson helping with setting up and sign-outs, Tim Wiley brings all the food from Costco, Under the Bodhi Tree with their oatmeal bars and kombucha, Melissa with Big Island Running Company doing the timing. Just the way everyone pitches in, it’s truly a community event, put on for the community by the community. It runs like clockwork in such a simple way. For me, I humbly take no credit. All the credit goes to our community.”
Becker added that if it weren’t for Peaman’s free events, he and his family probably wouldn’t be as active or oriented to the multi-sport community.
His 12-year old son, Duke, has become one of the top-ranked age group swimmers in the state and aspires to do a triathlon someday. While his 14-year old daughter, Makena, swims for the Kealakehe Waveriders. Both were introduced to the sport as toddlers participating in the shorter Pea Wee course, and Becker credits his children’s interest toward living a healthy and active lifestyle to Peaman.
“It’s also something fun we can do together as a family to get the most out of our Sundays,” he said. “I feel so grateful to Peaman.”
Once again, competitors were treated to pristine racing conditions for the ½-mile swim and 3.1-mile run – warm sunny skies and placid waters of Kailua Bay.
Shortly after the countdown for the mass swim start, several of our island’s top swimmers formed the front pack that included young guns — Silas Wiley, Duke Becker, Aiden Ankrum and Josiah Randerson.
Not too far behind the leaders was Peaman, who surprised himself by being the first adult swimmer exiting Kaiakeakua Beach.
“For me personally, I was super proud to be the first adult out of the water, I think I came out maybe 5th or 6th overall so I actually swam with the little ones,” he said. “And I actually did the times that I used to do 30 years ago – about a 13-minute swim for the ½ mile. The kids dropped me towards the very end but I tried my best to hang on.”
While Wiley and Ankrum ended their race at the top of the cement stairs for the swim only division in 13 minutes and 36 seconds and 13:41 respectively, Becker became the new leader and headed out for the 3.1-mile run with Randerson just 20-seconds back.
“I’ve been training quite a lot on the run these past few weeks so I felt pretty confident going into the run,” Randerson said. “So I passed Duke at about the ½-mile mark near Bubba Gumps.”
From that point, Randerson remained virtually unchallenged all the way to the tape and claimed his very first Peaman Biathlon victory in a stellar time of 35:16.
“I came here and wasn’t sure how it was going to go but I just wanted to give it my all,” said the 15-year old Kealakehe High School sophomore. “It feels pretty good to win. When I came in I felt pretty happy and pretty proud of myself on what I did so hopefully I’ll win more.”
Randerson said that his “A” race will be at this year’s Lavaman Waikoloa Olympic Distance triathlon on April 2.
“I’d like a top 25 (overall finish) at Lavaman and be first in the 19 and Under age group – that would be awesome,” he said. “And hopefully beating Malcolm (Davis). We are rivals on the course but we are good friends too.”
Following Randerson in the men’s long course division were Michael DeCarli in 36:34, and Peter Buehlow in third at 37:37.
I splashed and dashed my way to take the women’s crown and a third overall spot in 37:17, with Mercedes DeCarli and Liesel Anderson rounding out the women’s podium with their times of 41:02 and 42:10 respectively.
Brothers Aiden (swim) and Alec (run) Ankrum took the Split Peas relay division with their combined time of 35:12, with Leonard Torricer topping the 3.1-mile run only division in 23:04.
Keeping it in the family in the shorter Lavakids Pea Wee course was Randerson’s younger brother, Kyle, who easily won the 200-yard swim and 1-mile sprint with this time of 13:51.
Tina Selmar claimed the Pea Wee women’s crown in 15:24, with Ben Bergin and Mandy Minor teaming up for the LavaKids Pea Wee Split Peas relay in 21:00, and Brandon “Wildman” Curry taking another 1-mile win with his speedy time of 7:32.
Peaman couldn’t be happier with the start of his 30th year hosting free biathlon events for the community.
“More than anything, today showed that it’s this community that puts on the race. Everyone has their part and everyone pitches in.
“Today felt so relaxed, everything ran so smoothly, everyone was so happy, and it felt like a community – it felt like a family. Ben Finestone, who has Down Syndrome, got the Pertetual Pea today which made me so happy as Ben represents a whole new generation.
“No matter what the outcome with permitting, we will make sure that the events continue. We will find a way to make it happen and work with what we have to make sure the events go on.”
