By John Majeski
If you’re looking for running gear, you go to a running store. If you want cycling gear, you’ll likely visit a bike shop. But, where do triathletes and other multi-sport enthusiasts go for a truly one-stop experience? KONA Multipsort.
A good number of local triathletes already go to KONA Multisport on County Line Rd., located next to L.A. Fitness just south of Wesley Chapel in northern New Tampa. The shop’s employees are all triathlon veterans who bill themselves as “swim-bike-run experts” who truly know the high-end products they sell.
“We can handle everyone from the novice triathlete all the way to the pros,” says general manager Bruce McCarthy.
The 4,000-sq.-ft. store carries everything required for you to cross that finish line. KONA carries a broad mix of apparel, running shoes, bikes, other gear and even protein supplements to stay energized during training or a race.
Bicycling is a particularly serious business in the triathlon world and McCarthy says the bikes KONA sells cost anywhere from $800-$12,000, but the majority of offerings are in the $2,500 range. How can two wheels cost so much? McCarthy says triathlon bikes are not your neighborhood cruisers, but are instead sleek racers that feature space-age carbon fiber frames and aircraft aluminum components.
McCarthy also says that a high-end bike should feel just right. Therefore, shop employees properly fit riders by using 3-D motion-capture technology, customizing rides for individuals right in the store.
Brands include Bianchi, Scott and QR, but the newest brand that KONA stocks is Felt, an international bicycle manufacturing company that produces some of the most technologically advanced triathlon bikes on the market.
“We’re very excited about (carrying Felt) for 2014,” McCarthy explains. “We’re planning to showcase (Felt) and have the brand be a big part of our focus.”
Broke a gear? Need a tweak? KONA can fully service your bike(s), too.
When it comes to swimming, the shop carries various wetsuits, goggles, fins, and other accessories for both training and races. One training tool that caught this reporter’s eye was the Finish Swimsense performance monitor. It’s worn like a watch, but can capture and analyze performance with “pace times, distance (in yards or even laps), stroke count, stroke rate, distance-per-stroke and calories burned across all four major strokes,” according to the online description.
Finally, brands such as Saucony, Newton, Mizuno, K-Swiss and Pearl Izumi round out the selection for those needing shoes for the running component of a triathlon.
Of course, you don’t have to be a triathlete to shop at KONA.
“We’re set up so if you’re a runner, you’re welcome,” McCarthy notes. “If you’re a swimmer, you’re welcome and if you’re a cyclist, you’re welcome.”
A Business & A Lifestyle
The name KONA apparently is a nod to the world championship Ironman Triathlon held each year in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, and the shop prides itself on knowing the multisport world. The KONA website states: “If you have questions like, ‘Which wheel set should I use on the Bee Line Hwy.?’ or ‘What is Kona really like?, call us! We have the answers.”
KONA Multisport employees, on behalf of the shop, sponsor a series of races each year in Fort De Soto Park in St. Petersburg: one duathlon and three triathlons.
“It’s pretty much a year-round thing,” McCarthy says of the events, which he adds draw about 1,000 participants each. “That’s the beauty of living in Florida.”
In addition to connecting triathletes with quality products, KONA also connects triathlon enthusiasts with other enthusiasts. McCarthy, who has been a triathlete for about 20 years, says, “We meet over at Flatwoods Park (in New Tampa) on Saturdays to bike, and Sundays at Sand Key Park (in Clearwater) for swimming and running. We encourage our customers to come and hang out.”
McCarthy notes that KONA Multisport is owned by New Tampa residents James Tedesco and Gary May, both of whom have other jobs, but enjoy the multisport lifestyle.
“The two owners were looking for triathlon gear,” McCarthy says, explaining KONA’s origins. “They were into the sport. There were many bike shops and running stores around, but nothing specifically that catered to triathletes. They wanted a central place.”
And so, because of the need, McCarthy says, KONA opened five years ago.
A Race To Popularity
Triathlon is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. According to a 2012 report from USA Triathlon, the official governing body of triathlons in this country, the number of registered members has roughly quadrupled in the past decade.
Although Texas has the highest number of USA Triathlon members in the U.S. (with more than 16,700), Florida isn’t far behind with nearly 13,400, the second highest number of members in the country.
KONA Multisport is in sync with the sport’s upward trajectory – and with its customers, too. The shop’s service has been lauded on the internet.
“Thanks Bruce (again) for setting me up on a sweet QR Kilo bike. I took 3rd in my (age group) at the FIT triathlon (my first!) and it was my bike that put me there!” — Ash Ryczek Price wrote on KONA’s Facebook.com page.
And, Barbara Benedict raved, “Great shop and great team sponsor.”
KONA Multisport is located at 6417 E. County Line Rd., Ste. 104. For more info, visit SwimBikeRun.com or call 751-1255. The shop is open Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and noon-5 p.m. on Sunday.
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