| Date: | August 15, 2008 / year-entry #276 |
| Tags: | non-computer |
| Orig Link: | https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20080815-01/?p=21213 |
| Comments: | 10 |
| Summary: | This Sunday will be the Nth annual Seattle Danskin Women's Triathlon (for some value of N greater than 1), the largest women-only triathlon. I learned about this event last year when I saw that the express lanes on the I-90 bridge were crowded with bicyclists, and I went online to try to figure out what... |
This Sunday will be the Nth annual Seattle Danskin Women's Triathlon (for some value of N greater than 1), the largest women-only triathlon. I learned about this event last year when I saw that the express lanes on the I-90 bridge were crowded with bicyclists, and I went online to try to figure out what was going on. As I clicked around, I found the Volunteer Site and was particularly impressed with the Swim Angels. (More details.) These are strong women swimmers whose job it is to accompany the weaker swimmers and provide moral support. I was chatting with a friend of mine, who noted that one of the first volunteer positions to fill is the "Help the women change out of their wetsuits in the transition area." Go figure. Best wishes to all of this weekend's participants! |
Comments (10)
Comments are closed. |
I’d assume only women volunteers are welcome in the wet suit stripping transition area ?
Any of your STP biker friends part of a team, or running it on their own ?
FWIW, N = 19.
http://www.danskin.com/triathlon.html
"In its 19th consecutive year, the Danskin Women’s Triathlon Series remains the longest running multi-sports Series in the world."
D’oh – N = 16 for /Seattle/ Danskin Women’s Triathlon.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2003844467_danskin20.html
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
"… 15th Seattle Danskin Triathlon…"
15 + 1 = 16
You know, if this were a men’s-only triathalon, somebody would be complaining about how women aren’t allowed to participate. Does anybody ever wonder why nobody complains about the opposite?
I have occasionally wondered about that. But then, I have seen women competing in male-dominated events — sometimes well, sometimes not. I can’t recall a case where I’ve seen a man competing in a "women’s" event, though. Not sure whether that’s due to it not being allowed, or whether they just don’t want to. Or maybe I just don’t watch sufficient events to see that sort of thing. Probably a mix of all three.
The reason no one is complaining is because it’s not politically correct. I think lots of men would want to do this race if they could. It’s a triathlon conveniently located right in Seattle, which is hard to come by. It’s also beginner-friendly, so it would appeal to beginner guys. And, of course, there’s the excellent male-female ratio to consider.
I think the vibe or goals or something of female-only events are different than regular events, though, and men would just mess it up…somehow. I have done some races to support women’s causes, and they have always focused on finishing instead of being competitive. They also treated me like crap on most occasions ("oh, snap, all we have for post-race food is Luna bars, and it clearly says ‘nutrition for women’ on the wrapper. I’m pretty sure you can’t digest it. No food for you, you horrible MAN!"), but that’s a separate issue.
Best part of the race FAQ (http://www.danskin.com/faqrace.html):
“WILL I BE LAST TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE?
No. Sally Edwards, the DWTS spokeswoman, is the last to cross the Finish Line at every Race.”
If men want a male only event, why don’t they just create one instead of whining, and put up with the same kind of backlash you’re dishing out against a women only event. Grow up.
I think the point is less about wanting a male only event (which no one here, as far as I can see, has expressed a desire for) but more about having events (whatever their focus) open to anyone interested in them.
There are just as many women who could mess up the vibe of a women’s only event as there are men who could do the same. Gender is not a foolproof predictor of behaviour or attitude.
Yeah, Mark’s got it right.
No whining here.