Apalach wrote:
Talk about promotional possibilities--have the Hobie Challenge events following or just before the Ironman events.
While Ironman events do draw alot of top competitors, not many people, including me, will ever sign up for one, especially if it is in a kayak.
I've found out that if you want to guage your fitness, see how fast you can pedal your kayak 1, 2, or 3 miles. Races don't have to be long to be challenging. Racing a mirage can max out your heart rate in no time. If you don't believe me, try pedaling your kayak fast, then pick up your paddle and bump up your speed another mile per hour by paddling and pedaling at the same time.
From the first day that I owned the Outback, I said this kayak could start something big. Trouble is, no one is organizing Mirage events. Far as I'm concerned, whenever a dealership hosts a Demo day, there should be a scheduled race or combination of races, be it paddle, pedal, or sail. I'd organize a race here in Mobile if I knew there was any interest.
There has to be a lot of little races organized in order to get rules established. After all, we are talking about an Outback racing an Outback, and Adventure racing an Adventure, just like Hobie has sailboat divisions competing against like sailboats. (Does Hobiecat know the they have KAYAK sailboats with no division?) When there are enough sections of the country getting participation in little races, then Hobie will have justification in sponsoring the Mirage Olympics, or the Outback Adventure Nationals, etc.
So, on the subject of Challenge Events, I challenge you mirage owners interested in racing events to start organizing by establishing a monthly race in your area and posting your event on here.