TSP23: The 1983 Los Angeles Ricoh Ironman

Written By Ross

The video above is IRONMAN by Freewheelin films. The narrator is Hollywood actor Bruce Dern. Who was also a runner. He even appeared on the cover of Runner's World in December 1980. Below.

Image: Runner’s World (USA) December 1980

The 22 minute film is about the February 1982 Hawaii Ironman. The production caused quite a kerfuffle on the island at the time.  Because ABC and Wide World of Sports was supposed to have exclusive rights to cover the race. As it did in 1980 and 1981.

The director of IRONMAN, Rodney Jacobs, had heard about the race by reading Barry McDermott's 1979 Sports Illustrated feature. This article was the first big media coverage of the event.

Initially Jacobs contacted 1979 Ironman winner Tom Warren. The main subject of McDermott’s piece. To see if he’d help him get in contact with Ironman race director Valerie Silk. To get permission to make a documentary about the event. Tom took some convincing. But eventually they both flew to Kona in October 1981 to meet Silk.

ABC had just paid Ironman to cover the upcoming February 1982 race. So Valerie Silk was initially reluctant to let another TV crew onto the island. 

Scott Tinley, in his book Triathlon: A Personal History, mentions both $10,000 and $35,000 as the sum paid by ABC. So I’m not sure which is correct. This is an absolutely must own triathlon history text by the way.

But Silk’s ex-husband, Hank Grundman, urged her to agree to Rodney Jacob’s plan as it came with a $2500 sponsorship payment from Annheuser-Busch. Who were keen to get into triathlon to promote their new beer. Bud Light.

Scott Tinley picks up the story:

Images: Triathlon: A Personal History by Scott Tinley

Tinley then goes on to describe how the Julie Moss finish line created award winning TV for ABC and a multi-year deal with Ironman was eventually signed. But that’s definitely a story for another day.

Here’s ABC’s coverage of the race. It was their third time covering the event. It's also great. But honestly I prefer the Bruce Dern one.

I’ll be looking more at the Sports Illustrated article and the early-ABC broadcasts in the next episode. But maybe you've noticed. Since I started the podcast I haven’t spoken much about the Hawaii Ironman. 

I am, of course, a huge fan of the folklore. And the modern race. Yet I’ve never done the Hawaii Ironman or visited Kona. 

Am I fast enough to qualify in my age group? 50-54. Probably. I just don’t agree with the system. As I believe Ironman should be a celebration of the history of the sport that triathletes of all speeds can take part in. 

I think the organisers should use a lottery system like UTMB. Or Western States. With your likelihood of your name being pulled increasing with every failed attempt. Prove your fitness annually by racing a long distance triathlon. But choosing your event from an expanded list. That doesn’t exclusively contain Ironman owned races.

Before we get deep into the main point of today. The 1983 Los Angeles Ricoh Ironman. We need to do some quick Hawaii Ironman back-story. 

After the 2nd edition of the event in 1979, race founder and director, John Collins, was posted back to the US mainland by the Navy. So Collins gave the race to Valerie Silk and her husband Hank Grundman, owners of the Nautilus Fitness Club, who had been helping out and providing finishers t-shirts.

Between the 1980 and 1981 events Silk and Grundman got divorced. And as part of the separation, Hank kept the fitness clubs and Valerie, got the race. Even though she wasn’t happy about how much time and resources the organisation had already cost Nautilus.

There was a big change in February 1981 when Silk moved the event from Honolulu on Oahu to Kona on The Big Island. This was in order to have more space to set-up the event and quieter, safer roads. 

Through the media coverage in Sports Illustrated and on Wide World Of Sports the race had grown from 12 finishers in 1978 and 1979 to 95 in 1980. Now over 300 athletes were due to attend in 1981. Far too many to be weaving in and out of traffic in downtown Honolulu and Waikiki.

Finally, to attract more overseas competitors, Silk made the switcheroo from February to October. By hosting two races in 1982. That first October race would get a record 850 starters.
Up from 580 in February.

Starting in the mid-1980s, Silk also oversaw the expansion of Ironman franchise races into New Zealand and Japan in 1985, Canada in 1986 and Germany and Australia in 1988. 

There’s links to New Zealand, Canada and Germany race reports below. In fact, I’ve got an episode coming up about that 1988 race in Germany. As it took place in Roth, about a 90 minute drive from where I live. Back then it was called Ironman Europe. And that first edition was an absolute classic!

Dave Scott and Julie Moss won the first Ironman Japan. Getting triathlon royalty at your event in year one confirms that the expansion away from Hawaii was a serious move.

Here’s a clip from the first Ironman Canada. And Ironman Europe.

The Penticton coverage was uploaded by Steve King. He was a triathlon commentator for Canadian television in the 80s and 90s. 

Maybe we’re getting way ahead of the main story now. But Valerie Silk eventually sold the race to James Gills and David Voth in December 1989 for $3 million. Here’s an excellent article about the sale from the August 1990 issue of Triathlete (USA). It outlines a previous failed attempt by Silk to sell the race. And goes through both Gills and Voth's serious credentials as athletes.

Gills and Voth called their new venture The World Triathlon Corporation and immediately launched a new initiative in 1990. The Ironman World Series. I have lots of information on that. I’ll try and compile something in the near future.

As It’s kind of topical as in 2024 Ironman re-introduced a season-long race series for professional athletes. Nothing is new.

The Gills and Voth era then started a period of adding Ironman branded events to the calendar. In 1992 Lanzarote was the first new European race created.

Finally. We’ve made it to the main point. An article I found in the oldest triathlon magazine I own. The Fall 1983 issue of Triathlon. It’s about the first Valerie Silk-sanctioned Ironman event outside of Hawaii. The Ricoh Los Angeles Ironman. That took place in May 1983. The race report was written by reigning Hawaii Ironman  champion Julie Leach. Here it is:

Images: Triathlon (USA) Fall 1983

I love the following images above.

  • Athletes at the start wading into the 5 foot surf. You can see the Body Glove wetsuit tops and caps. Note: I talked about Body Glove and other early wetsuits in TSP21.

  • A swimmer in the back of a pick-up after having been pulled out of the 15° centigrade water.

  • Scott Molina running through downtown wearing a J-David singlet. Yes. Yes. There’s definitely a podcast coming about that team.

  • A cyclist wearing a Skid Lid being passed by a lorry. Here’s Old Triathlon Stuff’s post about Skid Lids.

  • Julie Leach crossing the finishing line. Guessing she doesn’t know about the 10 minutes of penalties that will be added to her time. No worries though. She had more than an 11 minute lead. She’s also wearing some Team J-David shorts.

  • JoAnne Dahlkoeter climbing Potrero Road. It certainly looks steep. And you can see a competitor behind her walking their bike. Dahlkoeter is wearing a Bell V1 Pro helmet. A much better hard-shell than the Skid Lid. And a very cool helmet. Again. Old Triathlon Stuff has done a post.

  • And oldest starter Bill Bell. Getting hosed down by a volunteer. 

Finally. Let’s take another look at Triathlon: A Personal Historyx by Scott Tinley’s. To find out what he thought of the Ricoh.

Ross https://www.thestreakpodcast.com/
Next

The Slough Demos Part 1: A Triathlon History Tour