The 39th Annual Hermosa Beach Ironman [VIDEO]
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The 39th Annual Hermosa Beach Ironman competition went off without a hitch Thursday morning. The early morning Fourth of July local tradition consists of running a mile, paddling a surfboard a mile and finally chugging six cans of beer – hopefully without throwing up, in order to win.
Jeff Bellandi and Annie Seawright, both past winners, defended last year’s titles and won once again.
The event is held every Fourth of July at 9 a.m. near 29th Street in Hermosa Beach and includes dozens of men and women competing. The Ironmen was left alone by the Hermosa Beach Police Department, whose stepped-up July 4 presence and increased enforcement of alcohol-related infractions didn’t begin until 10 a.m. By that time most of the competitors were clearing out and cleaning up the thousands of beer cans left over from the event.
Seawright said her key to winning is to drink light beer and pop the beer cans before starting the run so they’re less fizzy when you have to chug them.
“Then the trick is to burp a lot,” she said.
Seawright has only vomited twice in the last fifteen years of competition. — Chelsea Sektnan