Ready for a BIG WEEKEND?

Potts and Reed ready to hold off European favorites

Fellow Suunto Ambassadors Andy Potts and Matty Reed (here in winning pose after Oceanside 2009) are hitting top form and are prepared to hold off the European challenge ahead of this Sunday’s men’s ITU World Championship Series race in Washington DC.

"It’s great for the sport, it’s getting more professional now and it’s going to be fantastic racing," says Reed of the WCS. "It’s got the best athletes in the world concentrating on this one series."
"I am fit and fast and ready to race DC,” continues Reed, 33. “I'm happy with where I am at in the season and am looking forward to the fun, fast racing of a WCS race.”

"I am happy with my training so far this season.” Says three times Alcatraz winner Andy Potts. “The Washington WCS race will be a good challenge for me. I'm looking forward to the race to see where I am with my running.”

However, neither Andy nor Matty commit to predicting an outcome. “It is a world cup so you never know.“ (Matty). “My predictions are that it is going to be a tough race and it will get my best effort. As far as placing goes, I hope to race well but I'm not going to predict anything.” (Andy).

Andy and Matty running in Oceanside earlier in 2009

But for all US fans the last thought of Matty sounds promising: “Andy and I might break away shortly into the bike leg, get a 1min 30sec lead and run shoulder to shoulder for the win. Now wouldn’t that be cool?”

Indeed!

Both, Andy and Matty, will be wearing Suunto Comfort Belts during the the whole race. So will Jan Frodeno, Javier Gomez, Daniel Unger, Emma Snowsill, Sarah Haskins, Helen Jenkins and more.

Made possible by Suunto technology, their heart-rates, speed and GPS positioning data will be broadcast live throughout the race and also on the on-demand videos available via the ITU WCS website and on TV!

Andy Pott (Olympian and World Champion Half IM 2007)

Matty Reed (Olympian and Pan Am Champion 2009)

Daniel Unger (Olympian and World Champion 2007)

Helen Jenkins (UK Champion)

Jan Frodeno (Olympic Champion 2008)

Javier Gomez (Olympian and World Champion 2008)

Half way through the summer...

...we are already looking forward to be back in Kootenay! for the POWDER FESTIVAL!

Yes, people dress funny in Kootenay, and NO the best Powder is not in Kootenay but here at home in Utah. But this festival is ABSOLUTELY worth going! Hope to see you March 5 - 7, 2010!
First Tracks, Seminars, Suunto Happy Hour, Great Food. What else do you need?

Check it out (review of 2009's festival):

March 5th-7th, 2010

Nelson, BC

How Andy can lose one minute up the sand ladder...

... and still manages to win the Escape from Alcatraz.

unknown athlete fighting up the Sand Ladder

Es reported earlier Jenny Fletcher won the Age Group, the Non-Pro race and finished top 9 in the Pros - as an Amateur. But more impressively, she ran up the tough Sand Ladder one minute faster than three times winner Andy Potts.

Here's some insight from both Suunto athletes.

Jenny:
"I think there definitely has to be an error in the sand ladder results... Andy could have crawled up it, stopped in the middle to get his picture taken, maybe even sign a couple autographs and still beat me up.... So I'd like to think I was fast and stealthy up it.... But I'm thinking that he ran over the timing mat so fast they didn't get his accurate time ;)!
Next year Andy I'll have a contest with you to see if you can take your sand ladder title back ;)!!!"

But only Andy can tell us the real reason :
"The sand ladder is tough - I took my time going up."

Boring(?) - but somehow it feels great that the Sand Ladder is tough for World Champs, too, doesn’t it?

News is what's different

No News: Conrad Stoltz wins the XTERRA in Richmond, VA last weekend.

No News: Andy Potts wins the Escape from Alcatraz.

No News: Jenny Fletcher wins her Age group at the Escape from Alcatraz.

News: 3 minutes before the XTERRA race started, Conrad sliced open the top of his foot shuffling across the bottom of the James River while helping to put a course buoy back in place. This resulted in a HUGE flesh wound on his foot. After the race it got fixed with 7 stitches. But before that Conrad did race, got some first aid during the first transition, soaked his running shoe in blood and finished FIRST!

TRAIN SMARTER, RACE HARDER! Congrats Conrad, you are amazing!
Find the story in Conrad's own words here.



2009 XTERRA CUP SERIES STANDINGS (After 5)
Pl Name Points
1 Conrad Stoltz 469 (Suunto)
2 Dan Hugo 401 (Garmin)
3 Josiah Middaugh 352
4 Mike Vine 322
5 Nico Lebrun 310 (Suunto)

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NEWS: Andy Potts is now three times Champion of the Escape from Alcatraz. Andy won the last three events ('07, '08 and '09). Congratulations Andy, three times is legacy!Andy put in a solid race and not only had the best swim leg as usual but also had the fastest run and the second fastest bike leg. But up the famous Sand Ladder Andy (07 in 50 sec) lost 1 minute to fellow Suunto athlete Jenny Fletcher (6 min 54 sec). We are investigating this fact and will share more insight soon!

Jenny won her age group in 2 hours 38 minutes which puts her also in the top rank of all non-pro female and Top 9 in the pro field. HEY USAT it's time for the pro card for Jenny! Check out Jenny's blog where she describes her life: "I'm having a blast on this journey!"

Rev3 Triathlon recap

Yes, Matty Reed did it again. It seems Suunto Ambassador Boom Boom is unstoppable in 2009. We are very proud to see Matty train and race in Suunto. See you at Alcatraz and for ITU in D.C.!
But this time we want to focus on another team of great Suunto Ambassadors. US Pro Tri, lead by Ryan Bates, is also training and racing in Suunto. and yes, they are very successfull, too. Check out their website
As emntioned, no-one can beat Matty this year so they're focusing on a top result. And it worked well.

Mike Caiazzo finished 9th, just missing the big prize purse. We agree that you deserve a prize money when finishing 9th!!!

Mike on the run

Ryan came in 11th and John Kenny finished 12th!

Ryan finishing 11th!

Congratulations to all of your from all here at Suunto USA. See you at Eagleman!

Our last comment: Always a good move to choose a race without Matty in case you want to win.

Doug Stoup plus Elementum Launch

Not only are we busy launching the latest addition to the Suunto product family

We are also celebrating the starring role of Doug Stoup on Suunto TV