Saba Hell’s Gate Triathlon 2017 was a great success

On Saturday January 28^th 2017 the 10^th edition was held of the Saba triathlon ‘where even the swim is uphill’. The overall winner of the triathlon was Gregory Pigeon, who won out of 60 participants from St. Maarten, St. Martin, St. Eustatius, USA, Canada and the Netherlands, who took the opportunity to be in this event. The race began at the Fort Bay Harbor at 8:00am with an 800 meter swim in rough open water.

Participants then biked uphill from sea-level to around 450m from the to the top of Mountain Road in Windwardside.

Here they started on a slippery trail run through the Crispeen Trail, Bottom Mountain Trail and onto the Sandy Cruz trail. After reaching the end of the Sandy Cruz trail in Hell’s Gate, the participants then had to run to the Tourist Bureau parking lot, located in Windwardside. At the parking lot many onlookers were waiting to cheer on the participants.

The winners for the six categories of the Saba Hell’s Gate Triathlon were: Kai Piscione for Youth Individual, Gregory Pigeon for Individual Male, Nicole Erato for Individual female, Dean Hodge, Jenneke Oosternrijk, Aukje van Kuiken for the Male/mixed Team, Latoya Charles, Leslie Revel and Marie- Louise Ameen for the Female team, and Zachary Johnson and Avant Baker for the Youth team. This year a Bas de Haan award was instigated and given to the best youth participant. The award is named after a great athlete and friend of the Saba triathlon who passed away last year after being hit on his bike by a car on St. Maarten. A moment of silence was observed, and attention was given to the ‘Share the Road’ movement that aims at increasing road safety for cyclists.

The triathlon would not be possible without the support of the Public Entity Saba, Satel , NuStar Energy, Tri-Sport, Saba Roads and Construction., WINAIR, Sea Saba, Eye Care Optical Saba, Queen’s Gardens Resort & Spa, DAWN II , Juliana’s Hotel, Saba Fit, Saba Lions Club, Body, Mind & Spirit , Bizzy B, Unique supermarket, Everyt’ings Saba, Bastiaan Janssens Photography, Long Haul Grill, Saba Electric Company , Saba Conservation Foundation, The Hideaway, Lamar cleaning, MyStore supermarket, and the Saba University School of Medicine. The triathlon committee would also like to extend its gratitude to the Public Works, Sanitation and Agriculture Departments who helped with preparations, and gave their assistance during and after the triathlon, as well as all of the volunteers who assisted with the triathlon and all who came out to enjoy the event.

The triathlon was a great success and the community is eagerly anticipating next year’s event.

GIS Saba