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Mammoth Pass Triathlon renamed in tribute to George Fowler |
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Friday, 14 August 2009 |
By Diane Eagle
Mammoth Times Editor
 susan morning photos George Fowler finishes one of his 14-per-year triathlons in July 2008.
Organizer Gail Pavlich said Fowler learned to ride a mountain bike for this event in 2008, and he was a sponsor. He tried to compete in 14 triathlons a year.
Now called George’s Triathlon, the third annual event takes place Sunday Aug. 23 at Horseshoe Lake.
“This triathlon is different because it uses mountain bikes and it starts at an elevation of 9,000 feet,” Pavlich said. It took her three years to get a Forest Service permit for the event, which starts out with a quarter-mile swim, in a wetsuit, in the cold water of Horseshoe Lake.
Next it’s three laps, or six miles, around the lake on the mountain bike trail.
Then, it’s out of the water and a run (from the area near the restrooms) up the Mammoth Pass trail to McLeod Lake. Pavlich said most people walk the trail except for two local doctors, Mike Karch and Andrew Bourne, who run.
Pavlich, who used to teach skiing on Mammoth Mountain, remembers the 1980s as being full of activities, many of which were put on by Dave McCoy. Now, as a mother returning to Mammoth with her children during the summer, she wondered where fun times had gone. And so she came up with the idea of the Mammoth Pass Triathlon.
She hopes to draw families to the event, because there are usually members of a family who bike or run or swim, and “it’s a way for families to participate together.”
The entry fee for a family relay team is $55 – $35 for individual competitors.
Pavlich said the race routes are all well marked with cones and arrows, and that kayaks will be in the water for safety and security. There will also be food bars and energy drinks available for participants.
Proceeds will go to the Fowler family for community-based projects and for a scholarship. The race starts at 10 a.m. and people can register as early as 7:30 a.m. There is no pre-registration. For information call (415) 335 0179, or e-mail
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 22 August 2009 )
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