After a two-year hiatus, the highly anticipated Peaman Biathlon event finally returned to Kaiakeakua Beach on Sunday, marking the first race since March 2020 and the 410th event in its 33-year history.
“It’s exciting to see everyone back especially the families and kids getting to do what they love,” said Frozen Peas Production event organizer, Sean “Peaman” Pagett. “I’m hoping we can continue having it back to our monthly schedule.”
Sunday’s Peaman Sizzling Summer Sprint Biathlon featured a 1/3-mile swim in beautiful Kailua Bay followed by a 2-mile sprint on Alii Drive. The shorter LavaKids PeaWee course also returned which allowed the younger Keiki an opportunity to compete in a 200-yard swim and 1-mile run.
While most of the near 150 turnout were longtime participants, families with young children, and novice athletes, a few seasoned veterans also returned to take part in the fun like 2022 Lavaman Waikoloa champions, David Wild and Bree Wee.
“It’s so good to see everybody out here,” Wild said. “It’s a really good turnout and it’s good to see all these people that two years ago, I didn’t see them in the sport. Lots of newbies, but it’s been two years so it’s nice to see new faces.”
Former professional triathlete, Wee, echoed Wild’s sentiments.
“Yes, it’s so good to see the community again,” Wee said. “This is where I grew up in sport — basically starting out at these Peamans. I am now helping the next generation of Ironman girls so I’m like, ‘You can’t do an Ironman without doing a Peaman. Everyone starts at a Peaman first!’”
Once participants took off as a mass swim start in Kailua Bay, it was business as usual — arms and legs thrashing with the younger Keiki, who began from the beach, not too far behind.
Overall bragging rights went to Colby Ellefson from Sequim, Washington, who blazed through the course in a time of 18 minutes and 47 seconds. The 16-year old happened to be on ten-day summer vacation visiting family when he heard of the Peaman Biathlon.
“My dad (Eric Ellefson) had done it before a few years back and took second place,” Ellefson said. “Somehow my dad found out it was happening and told me about it. I guess he knows a lot of the people who has done it before. I flew here to visit my grandparents and vacation, and I leave on Wednesday.”
Ellefson said he competes in high school swimming and cross-country. His father, who viewed the entire Peaman race via facetime and witnessed his son winning, is a triathlete and Ellefson hopes to follow his dad’s footsteps in triathlons someday.
“I thought today was pretty much perfect, I don’t think it could’ve been any better,” Ellefson said of the conditions. “I thought the swim was a little wavy, but I haven’t open water swim in over a year. I do more pool swimming.
“I think I’m even (in strength) with both swimming and running, but my transition is the weakest. I took a minute longer than everyone else. I had a bucket of water and then I decided to put on socks before my shoes. But I think it’s a ton of fun. I will definitely come back and do it again.”
Following Ellefson in the men’s race were Evan Price and Wild with their times of 19:01 and 19:07 respectively.
Bree Wee claimed gold in the women’s race with her time of 20:49. Sierra Ponthier earned silver in a time of 22:40, and Anna Thomas rounded out the women’s podium with her time of 24:18.
Sayen Riviera easily won the 2-mile run division in 14:16 with the Ankrum family, Archer and Laura, topping the Split Pea relay division in 20:35.
In the shorter LavaKids PeaWee course, Ethan Platter and his older sister, Ellie Platter, won top honors with their times of 13:39 and 16:01 respectively. Kayah Lieto (7:29) and Izaya Edmonds (7:58) also finished with the fastest female and male times in the 1-mile run division.
Wee, who ran 12 miles prior to the biathlon event as part of her Kona Ironman training program, felt that racing a short Peaman course was much harder than training for an Ironman. However, her motivation to continue her passion for triathlons comes from the next generation of female Ironman athletes.
“This will be my lucky 25th Ironman race and my seventh Kona,” Wee said. “Competing in Ironman again, it’s definitely for the girls, they are the motivation. When I retired (in 2016) I was done. But now I feel it’s fresh and new again.
“Ironman has gone through so many changes, like it was so fun and grass-rootsy when I began — a lot of community support and involvement. Now it’s different, but the girls are helping me remember the passion I had when I first started.”
On the flip side, Wild shared he will no longer pursue professional triathlon and plans to move back to his hometown in San Diego, California. The 36-year old also will not compete in this year’s Ironman race after earning his spot on the start line.
“I’m not doing Kona,” Wild said. “I want to be fully into it, like my whole heart into it, and now it’s just not. I’ve done it twice — and I want to do it again — but I want to do it when I really want it.
“2022 has been all about gravel riding and surfing, just non-triathlon. I feel like there’s so much out there and life’s short. I decided not to pursue professional triathlon. Time, money, travel, and not being able to do other things like surfing, trail running, gravel riding because I was afraid to get hurt. The plan now is riding the wave. Seeing where the river takes me. I will be moving back to San Diego. I’m not settled yet, still looking for a place and still coaching — Go Wild Coaching.”
Peaman Biathlon
Sunday, June 26
1 Colby Ellefson M 18:47.5
2 Evan Price M 19:01.3
3 David Wild M 19:07.8
4 Aiden Ankrum M 20:26.6
5 Archer Ankrum M 20:31.7
6 Bree Wee F 20:49.2
7 Cameron Cornforth M 21:04.8
8 Keahi Parker M 21:33.7
9 Dan Gampon M 21:43.7
10 Peaman Peaman M 22:11.5
11 Sierra Ponthier F 22:40.2
12 Hing Jansen M 23:20.8
13 Mike DeCarli M 23:33.6
14 Sean Lepouttre M 23:39.8
15 Andy Walters M 24:11.7
16 Anna Thomas F 24:18.9
17 Mady Parker F 24:38.8
18 Ella Annest F 24:41.2
19 Grady Jenkins M 24:44.0
20 Adam Ankrum M 24:44.5
21 Elizabeth Torres F 24:49.7
22 Elliott Parsons M 25:28.5
23 Joe Catanzaro M 26:02.4
24 Morgan McCloskey F 26:23.4
25 Graham Jenkins M 26:25.8
26 Jace Jenkins M 26:27.1
27 Glee Jewell F 26:36.9
28 Johnny Bananas M 26:37.8
29 Kassandra Meras F 26:39.7
30 John Ferdico M 26:41.5
31 Dave Lee M 26:51.1
32 Skye Ombac F 27:21.3
33 Makayla Ward F 27:21.8
34 Katie Pawelski F 27:36.3
35 Ian Pucong M 27:42.6
36 Malakai Pucong M 27:45.7
37 Sharlene Gee F 27:50.1
38 Rick Rubio M 28:23.5
39 Jonathan Simonds M 28:54.1
40 Dave Dwan M 29:04.7
41 Rob Murray M 29:09.6
42 Dan Piccuta M 29:12.8
43 Bruce Wacker M 29:57.7
44 Tim Robinson M 30:05.7
45 Ian Delgado M 30:11.2
46 Yun (Tina) Godzicki F 30:28.3
47 Chris Godzicki M 31:23.6
48 Dane Enos (Finned) M 31:35.3
49 Dave Old M 31:36.1
50 Jeni Winegarner F 31:56.8
51 Makoa Cobb K-9 32:24.4
52 Wendy Clark F 34:37.4
53 Amber Norwood F 34:39.0
54 Pam Miller F 35:40.0
55 Linda Pollack F 35:56.8
56 Maiki Cofer F 37:15.4
57 Craig Ynigues M 38:02.4
58 Slow Snail F 38:46.6
59 Tania Buchanan F 39:08.0
60 Christiana Hetzel F 41:04.1
61 Jason Hetzel M 41:09.3
62 Bill Culhane M 41:30.0
63 Dr. Waverider M 49:43.9
Run Only Peas
1 Sayen Riviera F 14:16.4
2 Alano Garrido M 15:15.0
3 Chanedy Dois F 26:10.2
4 Buddy Culhane K-9 30:17.9
5 Alohia Garrido F 33:10.0
6 Carol Gallegos F 33:12.8
7 Rolando Hidalgo M 34:00.7
8 Tayler Johnson F 39:21.4
9 Wesan Agha F 39:23.6
10 Katy Vilders F 39:24.4
11 Kuulei Patterson F 08:19.4
12 Victoria Kristin F 11:38.1
13 Jill Weber F 12:18.5
14 Fatima Penteado-Martin F 19:12.9
15 Larry Verble M 22:53.6
Relay Peas
1 Archer Ankrum/Laura Ankrum M/F 20:35.0
2 Sharlene Gee/Rune Dahl F/M 22:06.1
3 John Ferdico/Ally Steiner M/F 25:54.2
4 Victoria Bohner/Daria Cunningham F/F 29:37.1
5 Harry Yoshida/Malia Perez M/F 31:12.6
6 Harry Yoshida/Elsa Perez M/F 31:14.1
7 Sheryl Cobb/David Cobb F/M 32:25.6
Peawees
1 Ethan Platter M 13:39.4
2 Gideon Tracy M 15:23.1
3 Ellie Platter F 16:01.2
4 Emily Braswell F 16:09.8
5 Leialoha Walters F 16:14.5
6 Parker Grant F 16:17.9
7 Kaleigh Tracy F 17:58.7
8 Stanley Tanimoto M 17:59.6
9 Shinbi Tanimoto F 18:11.1
10 Kainoa Moku M 18:27.9
11 Jojo Vegge M 18:29.8
12 Raen Henderson M 18:34.1
13 Adrian Riviera-Gallos M 18:36.1
14 Rani Henderson F 18:43.2
15 Asher Misitano M 20:59.8
16 Gracie Lee F 21:01.2
17 Denise Boatwright F 21:03.6
18 Hunter Abissi M 21:35.3
19 Cheryl Abissi F 21:37.1
20 Kekupulanaku Correa F 22:10.2
21 Spencer Laux M 23:46.0
22 Aria Kahikina F 24:16.8
23 Kameaio Correa M 24:30.3
24 Sonja Correa F 24:33.1
25 Travis Correa M 24:34.8
26 Cassidy Johnson F 26:35.7
Peawees – Run Only
1 Kayah Lieto F 07:29.3
2 Izaya Edmonds M 07:58.2
3 Kalia Edmonds F 11:09.4
4 Melissa Edmonds F 11:16.5
5 Vivian Ramirez F 13:02.3
6 Brandon Ramirez M 13:04.2
7 Keller Grant M 13:40.1
8 Sawyer Laux M 20:15.0
9 Kylan Kahikina F 21:32.4
10 Abigail Johnson F 24:10.5
11 Shiloh Minashin M 25:10.1
Peawees – Swim Only
1 Diane Logan F 08:41.0
2 Aiylie Baker F 19:43.7
Peawees – Short Swim, Long Run
1 Kyle Jones M 30:36.2
2 Andrea Murana F 31:20.8
3 Noah Davis M 33:31.8
4 Stephanie Beeby F 33:33.6
5 Kristina Anderson (Finned) F 36:00.7
Peawees – Long Swim, Short Run
1 Kilihea Oka F 17:57.4
2 Mikiala Oka F 22:50.6
3 Jason Keen M 23:19.9