This year was epic. New records on the V-PR. Kona sunrises at Dig Me Beach. An American Champion. A groundbreaking (and split-winning) new wetsuit. Celebrating our 35th anniversary (crazy, right?). Let's look back at QR's Best of 2022.

After two years of start-stop races (including 2021 when we saw the Hawaii Ironman punted to St. George for a year), we got back on a regular racing schedule. We were stoked to get to The Woodlands, Texas, Tempe, Ariz.,  St. George, Utah, Atlantic City, N.J., and Kona for a season of action at Ironman races across the country.

Our crowning glory was a big blowout at the 2022 Hawaii Ironman World Championships. We invited all of our QR-supported teams to an exclusive QR COLLECTIVE breakfast and lunch to celebrate their amazing achievements. Kona Village kept us busy, spinning wrenches with free pre-race service for QR triathletes along with special tees and other swag for QR athletes. We were thrilled to be among the best of the best, for the biggest week in triathlon.

 Matt Hanson: U.S. National Champion

Every year, we’re wowed by the consistency of Matt Hanson. The former wrestler-turned-triathlete had what could only be considered a banner year this season.

Kicking off the year in South America with a runner-up finish at Challenge Puerto Varas, he got a double dose of Ironman World Championships, racing to 13^th at the spring Ironman World Championships in St. George, Utah (the make-up event for the skipped 2021 Kona event), and a 15^th-place result at the iconic Hawaii Ironman World Championships in October.

Hanson also managed second overall at the 70.3 North American Championship and Collins Cup, as well as fifth at Clash Daytona in the fall. A masterful victory at the Ironman North America Championship in Des Moines earned him the honors of the red white and blue Stars and Stripes, which he wore proudly on his V-PR and his Zoot kit in Kona this fall.

Yet he truly capped off the year with an incredible second-place finish at Ironman Arizona in November. The runner-up result banked his Ironman World Championships spot, wherever that may be. Having Ironman Worlds banked opens his 2023 season to endless possibilities… one of which being an Ironman Worlds course that miiight be perfectly tailored to his style. We may have next year’s Ironman World Champ in our midst. 

Haley Chura and Kelly Fillnow: Breakout Worlds Doubles

Kona pro slots aren’t just handed out to anyone… and we were stoked to have both Haley Chura and Kelly Fillnow taking the start in the water at Sand Hollow State Park in St. George and Dig Me Beach in Kona, for both the spring and fall Ironman World Championships. Chura earned her Kona spot after an incredible overall win at Ironman Mont Tremblant, with Fillnow taking a fantastic third at Ironman Des Moines

Both put on a great show, with super swimmer Chura leading the way, coming first out of the water (in the new HYDROsix2 wetsuit) at Ironman World Champs St. George— the first time Ironman had a wetsuit swim in the World Championships.

Swim Fit for You

After decades of fit based on gendered size, our expert fitters and athletes came to a simple conclusion: why not fit a swimmer to the suit based on their body shape, rather than their gender?

That’s where the new HYDROsix2 and HYDROfive2, triathlon’s first genderless triathlon wetsuits—were born. And they've been a hit. Chura (as mentioned above) used the new suit to earn the fastest swim at the Ironman World Championships in St. George. Triathlete Magazine had this to say during their online review of the HYDROsix2:

“As evidenced by Susan’s fit assessment, it’s safe to say that the genderless sizing is a hit for many—especially for someone who falls into a fit that might not always match his or her “gender silo.” I believe if I had stuck with my normal L1 (an LG in the new sizing), it probably would have helped my fit issues, but it’s tough to say. Regardless, I didn’t feel any restrictions or have a hard time putting it on or taking it off. Here’s a good time to mention that QR offers a 14-day money-back guarantee that I might have taken advantage of if I were a regular customer and exchanged for an LG. Here, again, you find an extra bonus value built into a well-priced suit.”
 

2023…?

So what’s next? For QR, we aren’t resting—per usual. There are a few things up our sleeve that you’ll learn about when we’re ready for you to know. We have Haley, Matt, and the rest of our formidable cadre of pros back doing what they do best (winning) along with our amazing cadre of age groupers—individuals and teams—ready to run and gun.

We'll be present at the start of the season at Ironman 70.3 Oceanside and the usual stops including Arizona, our home race in Chattanooga, Kona for the Ironman women’s World Championship, and more. All with the same killer QR athlete service you’ve come to know us for… and perhaps a few surprises along the way. We look forward to seeing you at the expos and cheering you on out on the course!