Atop the White Mountains, Deuces Wild keeps the tri-fest alive
By Brad Culp
June 3, 2008 -- In the same spirit that makes triathlon festivals like Wildflower and Lone Star so unique, the Deuces Wild Tri Fest, in picturesque Show Low, Ariz. presents three races in one weekend—and it’s all in the name of charity. The two-day event, presented by TriSports.com, gives athletes the chance to pick and choose between three races (half-iron, Olympic and XTERRA), with all proceeds benefiting the Challenged Athletes Foundation and the Show Low Youth Sports and Recreation Foundation.
This year’s event, held on May 31 and June 1, marked the fifth year that the event has made its home in Show Low, a tiny town nestled in Arizona’s White Mountains (three hours northeast of Phoenix). At about 6,500 feet, Show Low’s relatively cool climate offers a welcome reprieve for those making the trip from the valleys of Tucson and Phoenix. A testament to just how cool the climate can be was the presence of snow on the ground only four days before the event. Race-week temps climbed into the low-80s, quickly melting any white stuff, but it did little to warm up the waters of Fools Hollow Lake. Water temps at the start of the DeuceMan Half-Iron were a crisp 56 degrees.
Phoenix-based pro Lewis Elliot made easy work of the tough DeuceMan course, finishing in 4:16:55, almost nine minutes ahead of runner-up Eric Peterson. Tucson’s Chrissy Parks was even more dominant in the women’s race, outpacing her competition by over 13 minutes en route to a 5:00:16 finish.
Perhaps the most impressive performance of the weekend was turned in by Spencer Zimmerman in the Olympic-distance event. The 11-year-old finished the race in 3:10:50, faster than 80 of the 220 competitors. The young-gun even outpaced his father by almost 12 minutes! While we expect Spencer to win some races in about ten years, he, and the rest of the competitors, couldn’t keep up with race-winner Cam Hill, who battled some stiff winds to finish in 2:03:42. Angela Axmann took home the women’s title in 2:18:16.
The weekend wrapped up with XTERRA Deuces Wild on Sunday (800-meter swim, 26-km bike, 8-km run). Things were looking good for Colorado’s Jimmy Archer – the only pro in the mix – until a broken derailleur hanger forced him out of the race halfway through the bike leg. Brian Barrett took advantage of Archer’s misfortune and cruised to the win in 2:02:55. Sage Grossi, owner of Sage Sports Event Management, won the women’s race in 2:29:48.
11-year-old Zimmerman displays his hardware
TriSports.com DeuceMan TriathlonShow Low, Ariz.May 31, 20081.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile runMen1. Lewis Elliot (USA) 4:16:55
2. Eric Peterson (USA) 4:25:32
3. Ryan McGuigan (USA) 4:43:21
4. Mike Neighbors (USA) 4:49:26
5. Keith Rusin (USA) 4:50:57
Women1. Chrissy Parks (USA) 5:00:16
2. Molly Hummel (USA) 5:13:35
3. Karen Walls (USA) 5:20:31
4. Heather Huntington (USA) 5:21:31
5. Elisabeth Lawaczeck (USA) 5:41:44
Deuces Wild Olympic Distance TriathlonOverall Male1. Cam Hill (USA) 2:03:42
Overall Female1. Angela Axmann (USA) 2:18:16
XTERRA Deuces WildOverall Male1. Brian Barrett (USA) 2:05:55
Overall Female1. Sage Grossi (USA) 2:29:48