Ironmap: The Story Behind the Map

Reprinted from Winter 2004 issue of The Word, Newsletter of Triathlon BC

This summer, Ironmap made its appearance in Penticton. Ironmap, brainchild of active triathletes Andrew Makepeace and Carolyn Wick, is a new tool for learning the routes, recognizing the sites and 'survival' - for spectators and athletes alike. Here's the story 'behind the map':

Lara Spence: How did you come up with the idea for the Ironmap and Spectator Guide?

Andrew Makepeace: In the spring I'd noticed some confused discussion about the race route on the Ironman chat page which made me wonder, "What kinds of maps are available for the south Okanagan?" The answer turned out to be, "Not much". I'm a cartographer, so I decided I could do something about it. Ironmap seemed a logical place to start for various reasons, like the accessibility of the course, my own experience with Ironman, and the apparent demand for detailed information.

LS: Who's been working on it with you?

AM: The main contributor, Carolyn Wick, worked very closely with me on this project. Carolyn is also an experienced Ironman competitor and spectator, which enabled her to do a superb job of the Spectator Guide on the reverse side of the Ironmap. And before it went to press, open-water swimmer Jennifer Getsinger went over it with a fine tooth-comb and provided a fastidious editorial review.

LS: Where did you get all the information used on the Ironmap and the Spectator Guide?

AM: Most topographic information was either purchased from the government or downloaded from the Web. I also talked to the race director, Dave Bullock, to clarify the most recent changes like the new finish area. As for the elevation profiles, I created them from scratch by surveying the race courses with a GPS receiver and barometric altimeter.

           For the Spectator Guide, Carolyn researched each section while I drove around photographing the relevant areas. On two occasions I 'stalked' triathletes around the race course with my camera to get some action photos. Several photographers also kindly donated images.

LS: Did you get lots of exercise while collecting data?

AM: Unfortunately no. I thought I could do the elevation survey by cycling the run course and bike course. But when I cycled to Okanagan Falls and back I found that the altimeter was too sensitive. Any change in the wind or my bike speed resulted in big errors. In the end I had to drive the bike course and run course in my truck with all windows rolled up and the air-conditioning fan on a constant setting to get an accurate reading.

LS: That's dedication! What experience did you (or didn't you have) in publishing a map for the commercial market (and how did you overcome this)?

AM: Until 2003 I was a cartographer for the federal government, so the actual 'making of the map' was not a big hurdle. Publishing a map, however, was something I knew nothing about, but I learned a lot in a hurry, thanks to the helpful advice of Vancouver publisher Jack Joyce of International Travel Maps. For example, he helped us design the map's folding pattern to make the Spectator Guide easy to read.

LS: What was your customers' reaction to it?

AM: Extremely positive. I was taken aback by how the map attracted people. I was showing a copy to a friend at Hog's Breath and suddenly had people crowding around to look at it and ask where to purchase one.

LS: Why does the web site show a person standing in Okanagan Lake with an Ironmap?

AM: This is to illustrate the fact that it is waterproof! It was printed on plastic, not paper; that way when it gets wet it won't turn to mush. Plastic also makes it more resistant to tearing. Although using this medium made the production cost significantly higher, we knew it was important to have a product that could be used outdoors. This was also one of the last-minute hurdles in this project: the plastic medium had to be trucked in from the east coast of the USA, something I hadn't figured into the time line!

LS: What are your goals for it in the next year?

AM: Unknown right now. Ironmap will be available all year (or until they run out), and at this time there are no plans for a second edition. If there are radical changes to the Ironman race course, I would consider updating it. But if the course changes are decided very late in the summer (as they were this year) it is very difficult to get a map created, printed, and on the market in time for race weekend.

           Carolyn and I have discussed mapping other Ironmans. Although it would be possible, it would also be a more difficult undertaking than the Penticton Ironmap was. Other Ironman races are all more distant and therefore more difficult to research. Secondly, not all races have the striking topography that the Okanagan does, and therefore a map might be less appealing from an aesthetic point of view. Another possibility might be to make a comprehensive "race map" of the Okanagan showing other triathlons as well.

           But for now I'm working on creating an animated fly-through of the race course. It will be sort of like a virtual helicopter ride that tracks south to Osoyoos, over Richter pass to the Similkameen Valley, and then over Yellow Lake and back to Penticton. Look for it on the Ironmap web site (www.ironmap.com) in December.