Posted: April 5, 2005

Triathlon: Silverman, Newest Iron-Distance Triathlon In The States Slated For November 13

Silver In The Water

The Wild West ain't what it used to be. Bucking broncs are all but gone, no longer is the sheriff the only law enforcement in town, and a respectable man can't even bring his six-shooter into a saloon without someone giving him an earful.

Las Vegas is a new town, built on promises of milk and honey and fast-moving money. But the Old West that Vegas left behind is what Frank Lowery wants the Silverman Triathlon to resurrect. Lowery is the mind and muscle behind the newest iron-distance triathlon in the States, a venture slated for November 13 in Henderson, Nevada, just outside the limits of Vegas proper. He's a veteran of 18 years of triathlon, coach of the local master's swim team, and known to sleep out in the middle of the desert while scouting his bike course.

"I want to bring back 'vintage' triathlon, the way it used to be," Lowery says. "I want athletes to have fun, more fun than they've ever had at a triathlon."

Like the men who journeyed through Vegas in the early 1800's on their way to the California gold rush, Lowery dreams of what could be, in a very big way. Silverman is ambitious - one of only eighteen iron-distance races in the country this year - and barn door big, its bike leg climbing 1500 feet and the swim next to one of the largest construction projects ever undertaken, the Hoover Dam.

To compete with Ironman North America events, Lowery is relying on the reputation of Vegas and his ability to produce an extravaganza, not merely an athletic contest. In the finest Las Vegas tradition, Silverman will have Showgirls at the finish line, a renovated riverboat that seats 300 in the middle of Lake Mead, and casinos lining the run.

But in there with the glitz Silverman also has substance. Lowery is inviting big-name pros, but catering to the age grouper with primes for every leg and goody bags brimming with goodies. His budget is large, but he has investors from one of the wealthiest cities in the world behind him. And the city of Henderson, site of the second transition area and the finish line, is constructing tunnels under highways and paved access roads specifically for the race.

Nevada was the first state to legalize casino-style gambling, but not before it reluctantly was the last western state to outlaw gaming in the first decade of the 20th Century. At midnight, October 1, 1910, a strict anti-gambling law became effective in Nevada. It even forbid the western custom of flipping a coin for the price of a drink.

Luckily, though, the law lasted a mere three weeks, for Lowery is embarking on a gamble of his own with Silverman. Will it pan out? Will the thousands of triathletes mining for the iron challenge find it in the silver-veined mountains of Lake Mead National Park? Lowery is not waiting for time to tell - he's busy stacking the odds in his favor.

The event website is at: www.silvermannv.com.