I’ll tell you about the XTERRA race a bit later, but first off you need to know about the Halloween party that followed the awards ceremony. If XTERRA athletes do one thing well outside of swimming, mountain biking & running, it’s partying like wild things. The Underpants Run in Kona was tame in comparison with the wackiness of late Sunday night in Maui.
Conrad Stolz obviously felt quite comfortable with the lei with which he was crowned the men’s World Champion at the awards dinner. That greenery, along with a pair of furry lion slippers, was all he wore to the party (much to the chagrin of the many not-so-Adonis-like men who felt compelled to don skimpy next-to-nothing speedos). Whit Raymond was another standout, in a wild getup that included black & orange striped tights topped with tiny black briefs and a waist-length wig. Roger Slater, one of the producers of XTERRA New Zealand, in a last minute rush to find a costume, borrowed a purple velvet pimp-daddy suit from Helio, our daily waiter at the poolside café. Topped off with a wild black wig and gold shades he was a shoe-in for Lenny Kravitz. And Bevan Docherty, one of my favorite new Kiwi pals and the 5th place overall male pro in Sunday’s race, held his own in a head-to-ankle nun’s habit, accessorized with bright blue running shoes and a mini surfer voodoo doll crucifix. When I tune into the Bejing Olympics to watch Bevan go for gold, I know I’ll recall a vision of him, skirt hiked up to his knees, pretending to take a whiz against the wall while posing for photos. I so regret not having my own camera at the party, but after stuffing my bra with my room key and drink tickets, my Xena the Warrior Princess Costume (thank you, Siobhan!) didn’t allow room for many accessories.
The party culminated with a costume contest where the top 20 entrants battled it out onstage for the coveted prize of free roundtrip Hawaiian Airline tickets. This was much more than your average costume parade, it was performance art that one could only expect from drunken type A athletes. The crowd applause is what determines the winner, and last night it came down to a final skate-out between the talented Roller Girl (not a girl at all, mind you) and the two man skate dancing team, Blades of Glory. In the end it was Blades of Glory who claimed the top prize, and inspired us all to pledge more fully developed acts for next year. Bevan echoed the secret dream of many when he suggested that the costume contest victory might be sweeter than any race podium spot, and we agreed that all the Aussie and Kiwi guys should band together as the Las Vegas revue Thunder From Down Under. In allegiance to my new friends, I pledged my support as their managing agent. Time to start training, boys!