2011 Hawaii Ironman - Who will win?

Aloha Kona,

Having been to many Hawaii Ironman competitions in Kona Big Island, the 2011 Hawaii Ironman is once more a huge challenge for professional and amateur triathletes from over 50 countries who all want to be an 'Ironman' in Hawaii once in a life time by making it over the finish line after a 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile marathon.


Watch the Kona Ironman countdown on the Ford Ironman World Championship site including 2011 Hawaii Ironman athlete guide, 2011 lottery winners and latest news like the last professional triathletes who have qualified for the 50 available spots for male athletes and 30 for female triathletes for the 2011 Hawaii Kona Ironman. Who will win 2011?

Ever since having started our 'Best Hawaii vacation blog' in 2007, we've written many blog posts about the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon in Kona (see links to Hawaii Ironman related posts below) but never did I speculate about the Hawaii Ironman winners. I won't do it this time either. In order to be able to do my best guess who will win the 2011 Hawaii Ironman, one has to follow closely the worldwide Ironman competitions of the professional triathletes and know who is in perfect shape to win this 2011 Ironman. However, despite big name triathletes, like Chris McCormick or Craig Alexander both from Australia winning again and again the Hawaii Ironman, there is always the surprise winner like Faris Al Sultan from Germany who won the 2005 Hawaii Ironman.

So why would I want to this post about "Hawaii Ironman 2011 who will win?"! To be honest, it may have been triggered by all that hype about online speculations whether 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will participate in the 2011 Hawaii Ironman. In 2010 each blog owner was riding the wave with the question 'Will Lance Armstrong win the Hawaii Ironman?' even though the first question should have been ' Will Lance be in Hawaii as a competitor for the 2011 Hawaii Ironman?'

I think a question in an interview with Armstrong last year about returning to doing triathlons, which he has started his career with, and maybe planning a Hawaii Ironman in 2011, got it all this hype going. After I read on ESPN that Lance Armstrong confirmed 3 days ago he will compete September 24 on the XTERRA course that covers a 1-mile swim, 20-mile mountain bike ride and 6-mile trail run, I thought maybe he really will show up for the Hawaii Ironman 2011. Checking Google did not give me the answer immediately but the 2011 Hawaii Ironman athlete registration list does NOT show any or THE Lance Armstrong.

Admittedly, It would have been fun watching Armstrong at the Hawaii Ironman. Well, Armstrong or not, this 2011 Hawaii Ironman with up to 2,000 competitors, ages 18-80, from 50-plus countries and all 50 states will once again get the national and international attention. Wishing all the 2011 Hawaii Ironman triathletes that they make it over the finish line by midnight to become a Hawaii Ironman. Anybody who wants to 'speculate' on the "2011 Hawaii Ironman and who will win" is warmly invited to leave his comment here. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Big Island Ironman

Hawaii Ironman in Kona related posts

5 Best Tips for Kona Big Island Ironman Visitors
2009 Hawaii Kona Ironman Visitors Information
Kona Ironman accommodations 2008
Visit Hawaii 2007 Hawaii Ironman in Kona
Hawaii Ironman Triathlon Kailua Kona 2006 - 'Earthquake' Ironman
Watch 2006 Ironman Kona videos Full Day's action through Ironman Live videos

Tags: 2011 Hawaii Ironman Who will win?

Best Oahu Activities Beyond Waikiki

Dear Best Hawaii vacation blog visitors,

Our recent Hawaii meteor shower guest post was well received by our blog visitors. We are certain that all of our Oahu visitors who are getting ready for their Oahu vacation and activities will love Jason's guest post 'Best Oahu Activities Beyond Waikiki'.



Jason Rushin lives with his wife, Sarah, in Honolulu's Hawaii Kai neighborhood, and is the founder of HulaCopter, a new iPhone and Android app that helps Hawaii vacationers find great discounts on Hawaii's best activities. Jason spends most of his non-work time either lying on Waimanolo Beach, attempting to surf in Waikiki, enjoying the view of Koko Head from his lanai, or training for the Honolulu Marathon. So let's see what he has to say about:



6 Best Oahu activities Beyond Waikiki



"For most visitors to Oahu, Waikiki is home base. Waikiki luaus, visits to Pearl Harbor and the spectacular North Shore, are on top of the Oahu activity list of visitors spending their Hawaii vacation between Ala Moana and Diamond Head. Given the beauty of the area, the attraction is obvious. However, best Oahu activities beyond Waikiki are just a short car or #22 bus ride away. A world of Hawaiian island beauty and fun activities is awaiting the Oahu visitor on East Oahu. Here are six popular Oahu activities beyond Waikiki which I recommend to friends, family and Oahu visitors on Hawaii vacation:



1. Hanauma Bay - Best Oahu snorkel spot



Surely one of the most beautiful natural areas in Hawaii, Hanauma Bay is a combination educational center, marine preserve, wide beach and premier snorkeling area. With over 250 species of fish accounting for 25% of Hawaii’s marine life, all protected in a calm bay, this is the can’t-miss snorkeling spot on Oahu and in the entire state of Hawaii.



2. Surfing Lessons - Learn how to surf beyond Waikiki



While Waikiki is a great place to learn how to surf, it’s crowded, has a rocky bottom, and feels very touristy. For a more “local” experience, and a boat ride, head out to Hawaii Kai’s Maunalua Bay for a fun, uncrowded, mellow beginners surfing lesson off of Portlock Point. Try Hawaiian Surf Adventure a friendly team whose #1 focus is on you having a great time (and they offer a shuttle from Waikiki)!





3. Fast-action Activities - Oahu ocean activities for speed lovers



If you’re looking for fun that’s faster than Waikiki’s waves and sailboats, try jet skis, wave runners, banana boats, and parasailing in the warm Hawaii Kai marina and calm waters of Maunalua Bay. Hawaii Water Sports Center provides all of these - and more - right from Koko Marina, and offers shuttle pick-ups in Waikiki.





4. Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail - Hiking for everybody on Oahu vacation



If you’re like me, a relaxing vacation usually means zero physical activity. If you need to stretch your legs, head out to the south-eastern tip of Oahu and walk the Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail It’s a two-mile paved trail with a moderate grade to the top (elevation gain: approx 400 feet - BRING WATER), but the views are spectacular! On most days, you can see Molokai to the east, and even Maui if it’s clear. During the winter, whale spouts are almost guaranteed. Plus, on the drive over, you can stop at Halona Blowhole and Sandy and Makapu’u Beaches for some of the most incredible blue water views you’ll ever see.



5. Waimanolo Beach Park - Beach activities beyond Waikiki Beach



For what I consider the best beach in the world, plan a day at Waimanolo Beach Park. It has beautiful, wide, white sand beaches, a constant breeze, great bodyboarding, and some of the most amazing aqua waters in the world. The best part: even when it’s "crowded," it’s still not crowded!





6. Great Food - Eat and relax with famous Hawaiian Oahu sunsets



If you’re tired of Waikiki’s chains and food that you can get at home anyway, try two Hawaii icons: The original Roy’s restaurant and Kona Brewing Company.Sure, there are six Roy’s locations in Hawaii and dozens more around the country, but only one is the original! (Tip: Come for a spectacular evening view as the sun sets over Diamond Head). Kona Brewing offers a selection of great island-inspired food and amazing Hawaii-brewed beers, with seasonal selections using ingredients ranging from ginger to coconut to Kona coffee.





Bonus: 7. Save Some Money on your Oahu vacation Beyond Waikiki!



Let’s be honest: Hawaii can be expensive, especially the "tourist" areas. Oahu areas beyond Waikiki offer a less-crowded, less-expensive option to have some great fun, see some amazing sites, and enjoy more of the beautiful people of Oahu - all for a little bit less money."



Much mahalo again, Jason, for your fun post about your favorite Oahu activities. Your Oahu activity photos are wonderful and enticing for Oahu visitors to give the activities a try when on Hawaii vacation.



So, dear Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors, what is on the top of your list of 'Best Oahu Activities Beyond Waikiki'? Your favorite Oahu activity is wanted here. We are looking forward to your comments. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Affordable Hawaii Vacations



Best Oahu Activities beyond Waikiki related posts



Pearl Harbor in Honolulu

Biggest Waves in Hawaii

Oahu Trip Report

Visit Hanauma Bay Beach

How to have a great Oahu vacation and save money?

Tags: Vacation activities for Oahu, Best Oahu activities

How to watch a meteor shower in Hawaii

Dear Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors,

After celebrating our 5th Hawaii Blog birthday, we are happy to share another guest post with our Hawaii visitors. Hawaii will experience a special 'fireworks' in the night skies tomorrow, Friday night. Gerrit from BigIslandHawaiianVacation shares with you his Hawaii meteor shower guide:

Best Meteor Shower of the year in Hawaii

"Friday will be your best shot this year to see shooting stars burn in the Hawaiian night sky as the Delta Aquarids meteor shower reaches it peak.

Normally the mid-August Perseid meteor shower steals the show with on average up to 60 shooting stars per hour during its peak. This year however, the full moon will outshine all but the brightest of the Perseid Meteors, which forces those of us with a long wish list to turn to another shower.

Luckily, the Delta Aquarid meteor shower is a worthy contender. It may not be as active as the Perseids, but the peak of the Delta Aquarids coincides with the new moon coming Friday (July 29th). On top of that you will also be able to see the first of the Perseid meteors as the shower slowly starts building up to its (poorly visible) peak on August 13th. The combination of these two showers with the new moon make Friday the best night of 2011 to watch a meteor shower in Hawaii. Expect to see up to 15-30 shooting stars per hour against a clear and dark sky.

What are shooting stars or meteor showers

Meteor showers happen as Earth plows through the trail of debris that is left in the wake of a comet. Because our planet moves with the incredible speed of 90,000 miles/hour, all swept up particles quickly burn up in the atmosphere as a shooting star.

What is the best time to watch the meteor shower in Hawaii

You can see shooting stars during any time at night. However, you can see by far the most meteors after midnight. This has everything to do with the rotation of the Earth. Between midnight and sunrise Earth's rotation has brought you on the leading edge of our planet, and Earth can sweep up many more meteoroids!

How to watch a meteor shower in Hawaii

Comfortable meteor watching is best done with a reclining chair or a blanket to lie down on, because you will be looking up for a long time. Bring a pillow for your neck and find an as dark spot as possible. Once installed sit back, relax, and allow 15 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the darkness. As with all Meteor showers around the globe, the best time to watch the meteor shower in Hawaii is the early hours before dawn."

Much mahalo, Gerrit, for this guest post about meteor showers in Hawaii. Big Island visitors and everbody else who is preparing for watching the meteor shower tomorrow night in Hawaii, will find great tips on 'What to pack for watching the meteor shower in Hawaii' Don't forget your wish list when you are preparing for your long night out tomorrow. Make a wish or two or three...aloha, Pua HawaiiVacations
p.s.
Don't tell us your wishes but tell us when and where you watched a meteor shower in Hawaii.

Tags: Watch a meteor shower in Hawaii, Hawaii meteor showers

Hooray today is Best Hawaii Vacation's Birthday

and the lucky winner of our 5th Best Hawaii Vacation Blog birthday celebration is...

Sherie from Maui. Congratulations, Sherie, you won Keoki's 'Hawaii Easy Stretch DVD'. Just let us know your mailing address and we will be mailing you the DVD to Maui Hawaii as soon as possible. Stretch and relax with Keoki's DVD and keep visiting our Hawaii Vacation blog.





We would like to say 'mahalo' again to everybody who had joined our Hawaii Sweepstakes for 'Best Hawaii Vacation'. Best Hawaii Vacation blog starts today another year of blogging about Hawaii vacation. Please, come back for another blog visit to see what our next post will be about. Mahalo and aloha, Pua and Keoki Hawaii Vacations

Tags: Hawaii sweepstakes winner, winner Hawaii Stretch DVD

How to Win a Hawaii Stretch DVD?

Warm aloha to
our Best Hawaii Vacation blog followers, our Hawaii twitter friends and all the other Hawaii lovers. It's the time of the year to celebrate the birthday of our Hawaii blog. Our Best Hawaii Vacation Blog will be 5 years young on July 25th. That's five exciting years of blogging about Hawaii. Top Google ranked posts and a steadily increasing number of hundreds of daily blog visitors are a nice reward for all the work of love and aloha.

Well, a blog birthday is a good reason to celebrate with all our 'Best Hawaii Vacation' blog visitors and readers. Please, join our birthday celebration by leaving a short comment on this post 'How to win a Hawaii Easy Stretch DVD'. Just tell us what comes to your mind about the three magic words 'Best Hawaii Vacation'. Easy to do just as 'Hawaii Easy Stretch Body/Mind Relaxation' with Keoki.

How can you win Keoki's Hawaii Stretch DVD?

1.
Leave a comment which includes the three words 'Best Hawaii Vacation' in a sense making sentence or two. No advertising comments eligible. US + Canada comments only.

2.
This post is open for commenting + winning the DVD till 7/24/11. Sign in with Name/URL for extra traffic to your site (don't forget http://).

3.
Keoki and I will put the entries in a bowl and draw the lucky winner of Keoki's Hawaii 'Easy Stretch DVD' (value $25). Legal way excluded.

4.
After you left us a comment, email us the name you used for your comment, so we have your email address and may contact you by email in case your are the lucky winner of the DVD.

Ok the 'How to win a Hawaii Easy Stretch DVD' is on. Let's hear your 'Best Hawaii Vacation comment. Mahalo, Keoki & Pua HawaiiVacation

Best Hawaii Vacation Top Ranked Posts

Best Time to Visit Hawaii
10 Best Hawaii Travel Tips
What does a Hawaii Vacation cost?
Best Hawaii Sunset Photos

Tags: Win a Hawaii Stretch DVD, Hawaii Sweepstakes

4th of July in Hawaii

Dear Best Hawaii Vacation visitors,
Are you in Hawaii for 4th of July and wonder how to celebrate your Independence Day in Hawaii? Hawaii 4th of July events are very popular among Hawaii visitors and residents alike with parades, festivals, BBQs and 4th of July fireworks all over the Hawaiian Islands.


A Hawaii 4th of July event on the Big Island celebrates a very different and unique independence. It's the independence of the Hawaiian green sea turtle! The turtle (honu in Hawaiian) is one of the attractions when snorkeling or scuba diving in warm Pacific ocean around the Hawaiian Islands. In order to keep it that way for many years to come, everything is done to preserve the Hawaiian green sea turtle.

This is what 'Turtle Independence Day' on the Big Island is all about. Mauna Lani Bay Hotel educates theirs guests and Hawaii visitors on the Kohala Coast on their daily 'fish tour' around the premises with wonderful tropical fish ponds offering baby sharks, sting rays, huge variety of tropical fish like humuhumunukunukuapua'a and...Hawaiian green sea turtle babies which had a home in those ponds for a few years till Turtle Independence Day get released into the ocean when they are three and four years old after growing up in the Honu Ponds at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows.


At 10:30am on 4th of July, the turtles will be gathered from the Honu ponds and paraded to the beach front for release into their new home, the vast Pacific Ocean. A welcome ceremony will start the event. What a wonderful Hawaii 4th of July event celebration with live entertainment and BBQ to save our Hawaiian wild life and celebrate Independence Day at the same time. Please, tell our visitors about your 4th of July in Hawaii. Happy Independence Day! Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Tags: 4th of July in Hawaii, Independence Day events

Win a trip to Hawaii with Hawaii T-shirt design contest

Dear Hawaii lovers,
A Hawaii fairy tale wedding is not in your plans or budget for this year, but you'd still love to visit Hawaii, the Hawaii T-shirt design might be perfect for you, provided you have a creative streak in you to design a Hawaii T-shirt for Hawaiian style Kettle Potato chips. We received this Press Release yesterday and decided to publish it because your entry could win you fame or/and a Free trip to Hawaii!

"The makers of Hawaiian® Kettle Style Potato Chips take great pride in the beautiful, original artwork on all of its packaging and now want to inspire consumers to create a new generation of art. From now through August 31, 2011, adult residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia are invited to submit an original design for a Hawaiian® Kettle Style Potato Chips t-shirt. The winning design will be made into a cool Hawaiian style t-shirt that people all over the country could be wearing!

“We want people to use the unique, colorful, tropical artwork that appears on the Hawaiian® Kettle Style Potato Chips packaging as inspiration for their own design,” says Terri Barberi, Brand Development Manager in the Specialty Foods Division of Pinnacle Foods Corp., marketers of the Hawaiian® brand. “What we’re looking for is original artwork that takes a nod from the designs we’ve created to bring the laid back feel and taste of Hawaii to life."

The 'Win a trip to Hawaii T-shirt' design contest for Hawaiian Kettle Chips has officially started May 15, 2011. You can submit your idea of an original Hawaiian t-shirt design by going to HawaiianBrandSnacks and clicking on the "Hot Hawaiian® T-Shirt Design Contest" banner. Entry deadline is August 31, 2011. Have fun designing your own Hawaii T-shirt for Hawaiian Kettle chips. Good luck everybody for winning a trip to Hawaii. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Tags: Win a Free trip to Hawaii, Hawaii T-shirt design contest