Prairieman Family Activities?

Yeah whats up with that? Why is this guy so damn angry? Today was the first time I ever did this race and while the race itself was fun, the atmosphere was not. Jack came off like an @$$hole who didnt give a sh*& about anyone, and all the race officials were walking around griping and yelling at everyone. You would of thought everyone was putting them out by being out there at THEIR race. Nonetheless, I will never do one of his races again.

I have done 4 IRP races and will keep doing them. They are run well and Jack does put on good races.  From what I have heard he is actually getting nicer...

Last year I actually got yelled at for being early.  I was in the park at 4:45 I think and he reminded me to read the rules that transition did not open until 5:00.  I wanted to say I was not trying  to get into transition yet, just park my car and make sure I made it on time.  But I just let it go.

He was yelling before the race even started and before anyone even had a chance to break any rules, just FYI.

Excuse me, but I think you are talking about Jack's crew of volunteers, not the race officials.

My husband and I are both USAT officials (he was working PrairieMan) and we are instructed to offer only rules clarification and enforcement at races we are working. I doubt any of the officials at the race were  "walking around griping and yelling at everyone"...........now, Jack's main guys? Your assessment seems pretty true to form.

However, I try to take the crankiness as part of the process of getting EVERYONE to follow the rules and provide a safe, fair race for every competitor. Sometimes that's what it seems to take.

I've done and worked a lot of races and it never ceases to amaze me how irresponsible, uneducated and self-absorbed the athletes can be. Seems to me it could be that the crankiness and lack of patience is the result of dealing with triathletes race after race?

G

I would personally much rather see a race director who makes darn sure that everything is done correctly, and in the safest manner possible (i.e., Jack) than see triathletes' safet jeopardized due to a race director who doesn't want to run a tight ship.

As Derek said, if you follow the rules and pay attention, Jack won't yell at you.  He'll "bark out" his pre-race speech, which I guess some people would consider yelling, but it is done for safety and to make sure everyone knows what is going on. 

To me, knowing that I am safe and in a well-organized event is far more important than it feeling like a party.

I do find his prerace speech commicial though.