This year’s theme is He Au Hou i ka ‘Eheu o ka Noio (or “A New Era on the Wings of a Noio”).

According to Diana Bertsch, the theme is about “embracing change and welcoming new beginnings.” She wrote, “The Noio was an important bird to the Native Hawaiian sailor. The Noio is a land bird and typically travels no more than 40 miles offshore. If a Noio bird was sighted at sea, it was understood that new beginnings were ahead — land meant a new life. During times of change and new beginnings there is always hope in the wind and in the currents that carry us …”

After being forced to go digital in order to maintain access to broadcast TV, I found a new favorite station — Universal Sports. Through their ever-changing lineup, I have been able to watch coverage of a few of the past Ironman World Championships. Hearing the reasons the athletes compete, watching their incredible physical endurance, and bearing witness to their mental fortitude is almost always inspirational … and very often quite humbling.

My favorite athletes going into this year’s Worlds are Normann Stadler (38/MPRO) and Sister Madonna Buder (79/W75-79). To me, Normann Stadler represents the quintessential athlete. (It doesn’t hurt that he’s pretty easy on the eyes either.) Sister Madonna is a 79-year-old nun who hails from Spokane, WA, and the oldest woman ever to finish an Ironman.

The Ironman World Championship is this Saturday. Watch. And be inspired.

Universal Sports will broadcast live from Kona on October 10, 2009.

From the Official Statement at Matchstick Productions:

[...] J.T. Holmes , a close friend and long-time jump partner of McConkey who had jumped the 600 meter cliff moments before Shane, said McConkey performed a double backflip from the cliff and planned to release his skis and then fly in his wingsuit [...] But when both skis failed to release upon tugging on straps leashed to his legs, McConkey went into an upside down position as he manually attempted to release his bindings. Because throwing a chute while inverted poses the likelihood of the canopy and lines becoming entangled in the skis, McConkey used valuable seconds to focus on removing both skis and succeeded [...] but after 12 seconds of freefall he struck snow immediately [...]

McConkey’s passing leaves an entire industry reeling from the news. He starred in 15 MSP movies including the heralded “There’s Something About McConkey” and was honored as “The People’s Choice” for Male Skier of the Year three years in a row. As one of the most versatile skiers in the history of the sport, in his 17-year professional freeskiing career McConkey won everything from mogul tour events to big mountain competitions to skiercross races to big air events. One of the most forward thinking individuals in the sport, in the mid 1990s, McConkey singlehandedly convinced the ski world to get on fat skis [...]