Dan Empfield competed in this type of event in Kona back in 1981 & created the first wetsuit made for it
... bike 
had ever been made from Easton #7005 aluminum; the Kilo was the first, and it 
quickly... [DOC] [TLE] Endurance sports - Thirty triathlon moments that mattered - ESPN.com [PAR] Jun 12, 2013 ... 1981: Race director Valerie Silk moves the Ironman to Kona on Hawaii's Big ... 
1983: Jim Curl and Carl Thomas create the first big-city triathlon, the U.S. ... 
lacking permits three weeks from race day and nearly canceling the event.