Ben Hobbs, also known as ‘The Real Starky’, has launched what is billed as ‘the fastest growing podcast in the history of triathlon.’ In just a few months, the team behind TRS Radio note that the podcast averages over 4,000 downloads per episode – with a total of 100,000 already achieved.
The TRS Radio show was officially launched in October 2014 on the Big Island of Kona, Hawaii, during the 2014 IRONMAN World Championships. The star-studded guest list included Olympic Gold Medalist, Jan Frodeno, two-time Olympic Medalist, Bevan Docherty and arguably two of the greatest long course athletes in recent history, Mirinda Carfrae and Craig Alexander.
Parody beginnings
The Real Starky started out as a parody Twitter personality who both mocked and glorified professional triathlete and IRONMAN bike course record holder, Andrew Starykowicz. Before long, TRS was mocking all aspects of the sport and ‘galvanizing triathlon’s vocal counter-culture.’ The irreverent pundit regularly challenges the establishment as he examines the news and controversy of the day with razor-sharp wit and (often dark) humour.
In a short time the TRS Radio show has earned 46 five star reviews on iTunes. One review called TRS Radio “The only triathlon based podcast that I have ever listened to more than once. TRS has assembled a terrific list of guests, but manages to have interesting and fun interviews where the triathletes let their guard down and reveal a bit of their personalities. Before TRS Radio, I had no idea that one could be entertained by a triathlon based podcast. From the Dave Mirra episode to the present you can hear TRS really hone his craft. It is hard to believe that he hasn’t been doing this for a lot longer than he has.”
Another iTunes reviewer said, “The easily offended should go elsewhere. If you want someone to tell you the story behind the story, listen to TRS. In a world of nimrods, corporate bobble-heads, age-group wanna-be’s and stone-faced pro athletes marching to their sponsors tune, you need someone to crack open a beer, drop a few F bombs and ask the hard questions.”
Challenging prize money at IMLP
In July 2014, The Real Starky (TRS) collaborator and funny man, Dark Mark, led an effort to help professional triathletes earn more prize money, along with a man known as ‘Pay10Deep’. As Ben Hobbs (aka The Real Starky) noted, the initiative was ‘Criticized by many as classless and attention seeking’. Yet they raised over US$7,000 for the seventh place finishers of IRONMAN Lake Placid.
Seventh place was not slated to receive any prize money. Hobbs added, ‘Instead, seventh place finishers, Ray Bothelo and Rachel Jastrebski, took home more money than the event’s male and female runners up.’
Kona Beer Mile
Another TRS initiative took place on the eve prior to the 2014 Ironman World Championships when AJ Baucco ran a mile in 6:25, chugging 4 Budweisers as he made 4 laps around a make-shift dirt track located in a nearby park. He beat seven other stars including former Stanford track star, Jesse Thomas, and IRONMAN Champion, Matt Hanson. The Huub Design sponsored event was organized by TRS and Valhalla Events. Dark Mark reportedly set the world record for fastest beer mile whilst wearing a wetsuit!
Future plans
In addition to leading his age-group triathlon team, TRS Racing, Ben Hobbs is launching a new website that ‘aims to become the BuzzFeed or Huffington Post of triathlon.’ TRStriathlon.com will feature a steady stream of guest posts and lots of opinion and satire, in addition to quirky race coverage. The site will feature a weekly animated comic strip by the ‘anonymous Photoshop genius known as Always Curious’. TRStriathlon.com will launch in late March.
Athletes (and the endurance sport industry) can listen to TRS Radio on iTunes, Stitcher, and TRStriathlon.com when it goes live later this month.
