Challenge Penticton

[Anonymous123]

Madhue, I won't argue with you as you ARE entitled to your opinion as is everyone in our Democracy. However, I think the future for Challenge Penticton is very bright. What happened (when Penticton council basically fired the WTC and Ironman) also happened in Roth Germany back in 2001 and look how they rose out of the ashes. I see the same thing happening here. The following is directly from the Challenge Roth website:

2001: WTC President Lew Friedland made unacceptable demands on Detlef Kühnel as regards organisation and financing, so that Kühnel terminated the contract with WTC in spring 2001. As a consequence Friedland granted the Ironman licence to Frankfurt. However, his prediction as regards the future of the new event in Roth turned out to be completely wrong. The myth of the Roth triathlon has not vanished at all after the Ironman trademark had gone - the positive image has been related less to the IM, but to Roth itself. Thanks to the support of foresighted sponsors, in particular Quelle and Post AG, and the commitment of new regional partners (N-Ergie, Sparkasse Mittelfranken-Süd), and with the unbelievable support and excitement of the spectators, the QCR has risen like a phoenix.

If Roth can start their own Triathlon, why does Penticton not do the same? They already have a great reputation as triathlon hosts. Surely they can build on that.

[XT225]

Why doesn't Penticton start their own? Who would run it? Who are the experts; anyone on city staff? Hire more staff? I don't think so. Challenge ARE the experts; they have the expertise; let them handle it. We have the course that beats the heck out of a lot of the race courses AND the great volunteer base that is required.

Challenge now runs 21 Triathalons in 13 different countries. We should be proud that they picked Penticton. Check out this link: http://www.challenge-family.com/category/races/

[Madhue]

Why doesn't Penticton start their own? Who would run it? Who are the experts; anyone on city staff? Hire more staff? I don't think so. Challenge ARE the experts; they have the expertise; let them handle it. We have the course that beats the heck out of a lot of the race courses AND the great volunteer base that is required.

Challenge now runs 21 Triathalons in 13 different countries. We should be proud that they picked Penticton. Check out this link: http://www.challenge-family.com/category/races/

First off as for those questions about who'd run it??? Well aren't those the Plum Jobs that were mentioned earlier?

Now I'm pretty everyone that has read this thread has picked up on the facts;


A) you haven't been able to say Challenge was a Banner/ World Class Event.
B) my math was off... Demonstrating by ipso facto not only am I correct in my surmation ... But you are blowing smoke up people's backside an telling them they should feel Lucky...Challenge choose us poor little folks in Pentcton....
I'm beginning to think you work for Challenge?

[XT225]

To Madhue:

I know of nobody locally that would run such an event. If you do, please identify them.

This years first Challenge race here was very good; nobody said it was overall as BIG as the I.M. but many feel that the overall feel of it is better.

I don't know about your math; nor do I care; this isn't personal attacks on anyone. When ANY new event starts up, the numbers will be lower to "begin with"; that's expected but the same was true for I.M. and any other races.

The I.M. train has left the station and the bridge is out now; its stuck in Whistler and not likely to return. Get over it; its done with. Focus on the positive of growing and improving what we have here now. Remember, negative business reviews are Verboten. ps: No, I don't work for Challenge; never even met any of the owners. Only like supporting my home town team and what we have to work with. If we were all negative, things would never grow.

[Madhue]

To Madhue:

I know of nobody locally that would run such an event. If you do, please identify them.

so IM wasn't too far off in suggesting those Plum Jobs be filled by other people.

This years first Challenge race here was very good; nobody said it was overall as BIG as the I.M. but many feel that the overall feel of it is better.

I don't know about your math; nor do I care;

so ignorance is Bliss?

When ANY new event starts up, the numbers will be lower to "begin with"; that's expected but the same was true for I.M. and any other races.

I noticed IM whistler wasn't hurtling... Why's that? They don't have a strong team of excuse makers?

The I.M. train has left the station and the bridge is out now; its stuck in Whistler and not likely to return. Get over it; its done with. Focus on the positive of growing and improving what we have here now. Remember, negative business reviews are Verboten.

I believe they said that about the Winnipeg Jets. As I've pointed out.



As for good reflection...may I suggest reading this.
http://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/new ... obile=true

I liked the whole thing about attracting Pros.

[XT225]

No sense in arguing over this; most of us are not going to agree with you, Madhue. Ironman started out very small in Penticton and did nothing but grow and so will Challenge. Why fight it; why not go with the flow and make it flourish. Thank god that most people on here are positive and can actually HELP things along.

[southy]

So Madhue ... I'm a little confused. What is it exactly you want to hear?? 1. Challenge was an overwhelming success or 2.Challenge was a failure? You seem to really have something against Challenge. What exactly is it? As so many have already said... Ironman is history ... Challenge is now ours to be proud of.

[Madhue]

No sense in arguing over this; most of us are not going to agree with you, Madhue. Ironman started out very small in Penticton and did nothing but grow and so will Challenge. Why fight it; why not go with the flow and make it flourish. Thank god that most people on here are positive and can actually HELP things along.

Nice try again, I disagree with you on this point and many others. I think City Council sold out and went lame duck on Ironman. Promised us a strong event from an eastiblished company, Challenge is not new to this, I believe they've misread te market, and in return displayed a less than stellar event.
Sure it may grow... It may grow and move on, it may die too. Fact we can not predict the future. What we can do is look at what council opted to replace it with.
A mediocre event.


As for what I'm looking to hear something other than excuse making, anyone that is willing to say what they say was a World Class event. That it was a Banner Event. No one did.
I'm ok with that, but don't *bleep* on my leg and try and convince me it's raining.

Gone is the Icon, gone are the revenues, gone is the exposure, gone is the media coverage, soon the fans.. Volunteers... Participants.

[pentona]

So Madhue ... I'm a little confused. What is it exactly you want to hear?? 1. Challenge was an overwhelming success or 2.Challenge was a failure? You seem to really have something against Challenge. What exactly is it? As so many have already said... Ironman is history ... Challenge is now ours to be proud of.

I give you ten out of ten, Southy; well said. If everyone was as negative as Mr/Mrs Madhue is, Penticton would be a ghost town. He or she obviously has a real bee in their bonnet or a bone to pick with the city. I prefer to remain positive and help Challenge along to grow and prosper.

[fluffy]

Not to sound like a broken record but I think it's too early to judge. Reviews from the athletes themselves are just tarting to trickle on to the net and I have yet to hear anything negative about either race, well other than here of course and the detractors are few, one to be exact. More importantly I did run across some athlete comments pertaining not to the races themselves but to the hosting corporations. Read for yourself in the comments following the article:

http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/WTC_Not_Conceding_Penticton_3013.html

I think there's a lot about the actual break-up of Penticton and the WTC that is not common knowledge. There are many references from athletes themselves that the WTC had become more about the money and less about the athletes and that the Challenge Family was a pleasant alternative to that. This goes along with quiet rumblings I have heard that the WTC was basically asking for too much from Penticton. Things were fine when the race was locally owned and managed but that the relationship with the city changed overnight when the race was sold to the WTC.

[Anonymous123]

Why doesn't Penticton start their own? Who would run it? Who are the experts; anyone on city staff? Hire more staff? I don't think so. Challenge ARE the experts; they have the expertise; let them handle it. We have the course that beats the heck out of a lot of the race courses AND the great volunteer base that is required.

Challenge now runs 21 Triathalons in 13 different countries. We should be proud that they picked Penticton. Check out this link: http://www.challenge-family.com/category/races/

Challenge weren't always the experts. They had to start somewhere. You would think that after three decades of Ironman that someone in Penticton would know what they are doing, just as Challenge did when they gave Ironman the boot. I think Madhue is right, the desperation in your reply leads me to believe that you have some type of interest in Challenge. Hopefully, for you, thirty years from now Challenge will still be a signature event for Penticton.

I give you ten out of ten, Southy; well said. If everyone was as negative as Mr/Mrs Madhue is, Penticton would be a ghost town. He or she obviously has a real bee in their bonnet or a bone to pick with the city. I prefer to remain positive and help Challenge along to grow and prosper.

Psst!
Hey Pentona!
News flash.
Penticton is almost there. They just need to screw up a few more signature events and it'll all be over but the crying.

[XT225]

There are only two people on this entire thread so far who have been negative about Challenge; everyone else is supportive. We can't get away with giving a negative review about even a hamburger joint, and the same should apply to Challenge; its a business. Its getting tiring of back and forth banter with no positive ideas from the two negative people. There is no point in wasting our time. ps: and no, I have no interest/ties with Challenge at all. Never even participated in it, nor I.M. I just like to see things work; and everyone needs to give it time.

[Anonymous123]

There are only two people on this entire thread so far who have been negative about Challenge; everyone else is supportive. We can't get away with giving a negative review about even a hamburger joint, and the same should apply to Challenge; its a business. Its getting tiring of back and forth banter with no positive ideas from the two negative people. There is no point in wasting our time. ps: and no, I have no interest/ties with Challenge at all. Never even participated in it, nor I.M. I just like to see things work; and everyone needs to give it time.

I hope you are not talking about me. I have made two posts on this topic. The first as an alternative solution to losing Ironman, and the second as a rebuttal to your knee jerk reaction to the thought that there may be more than one alternative to losing Ironman.

If I was negative I would have said " Will the last person leaving Penticton please turn off the lights."

[Madhue]

There are only two people on this entire thread so far who have been negative about Challenge; everyone else is supportive.

Not really supportive... More like Hopeful. This is the glowing point I've been making.
I've yet to encounter anyone here go on about how the transitions has been an overwhelming sucess.
We have heard the following;
If you don't like it join it.
IM was a big meany.
It was once a small event, and it grew.
Mr Madhue needs a hug.
Mr Madhue works for IM.
If you think happy thoughts it will fly.
Meh.
I'll wait a few years and decide.
Something about burgers.
IM wouldn't give us the Plum Jobs here in Penticton, we dont have anyone that can do those jobs but we want them unless Challlenge is running the event then we don't care.
Mr Madhue is negative.


The crux of my claim may be unpopular and may appear negative, However I've asked repeatedly for anyone to step up and claim that Challenge was a strong world class event.

None of you have. Your inaction speaks volumes.

How about instead of someone talking about me, you tell me that this event was a glowing success. It was a great move for this City, and state why.

[fluffy]

A huge part of this picture that we're missing is exactly why Council chose to end it's relationship with Ironman and the WTC. Something obviously went sour when the race license was transferred from Graham Fraser to the WTC and a new contract with the city was being considered. There were considerable bad feelings for the past few years with the contract fees promised to Fraser being more than doubled from $30K in 2010 to what was to be $75K for 2013. The media coverage is scant for sure but you can't miss the sour aura around the WTC since their takeover in 2008 by international finance giant Providence Equity, especially that emanating from within the athlete community. Providence Equity is not really into long-term investing, they are a buy-grow-sell operation with average investment holding times in the six or seven year range. For them it is all about the money. The "slowtitch" link below can take through a number or articles expressing concerns over the future of the Ironman brand. You can draw your own conclusions but the whole thing suggests to me that WTC tried some heavy-handed tactics with Penticton council to impose a deal that would significantly improve their bottom line at the expense of local taxpayers, and council told them to take a hike. Or a run. Or a swim. Or whatever. The deal was not in our best interest and that was it. I'm confident that council would not simply shut the door on a world class event like Ironman without valid reason, and that they most certainly did not make the decision without due diligence in considering all the alternatives. I'm also confident that although we might be in for a period of regrouping in the end it will work out for the better for Penticton.

http://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/news/164814296.html

http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/WTC_sold_to_private_equity_firm_514.html