Bill had two Hotronix Cap Presses hard at work during the Kona-based Ironman event that took place on October 11.
The first Ironman Triathlon took place in 1978, when U.S. Naval Commander John Collins and his wife Judy proposed combining Oahu’s 2.4 mile swim race, 112 mile bike race, and 26.2 mile marathon. At the first race there were only 15 competitors. On October 11, 2014, over 2,000 athletes were on hand in Kona, Hawaii to embark on this 140.6 mile test of endurance. And this year, for the first time, there was also a heat printing personalization station, organized by Bill Garrells of Individual Performance Apparel or IPA. Ironman has a great selection of branded merchandise and Bill was on hand to personalize hats, shirts, shorts and more with custom transfers and custom transfer numbers from Transfer Express. “Competitors wanted numbers on their hats and gear, and everyone wanted to personalize with something that said, “I was here in Kona’, on October 11, 2014,” Bill reported. Since most of the Ironman merchandise just features the IM brand, Bill was able to offer “Ironman approved” graphics for on the spot heat printing. Congratulations to all the finishers!
Bill enjoyed meeting and speaking with Scott Rigsby, the first double amputee to compete in the Hawaii Ironman, which he did back in 2007. This year he didn’t compete but was on hand to support other disabled athletes.
Heat printing on performance wear at the recent Kona Ironman 2014.
Ironman approved transfers were printed by Transfer Express. Fans could add to any item that fit under the heat press.