Team Zoot Athletes

SAM LONG

Yo, Yo, Yo! Sam Long, at age 26, shows a bright future for American long-distance racing. He is the current 70.3 Worlds Silver Medalist, has won two Ironmans, and five 70.3's. He has already changed the sport with his big personality that brings a new and infectious enthusiasm to triathlon. The future is bright and he is just beginning at growing his legacy. His dream is to win the biggest races while also embarking on an incredible adventure that inspires people to be their best while having fun. Join the journey!

Instagram @samgolong

ELLIE SALTHOUSE

Australian Ellie Salthouse competed in her first triathlon as an 11-year-old and never looked back. In 2020, she joined the Zoot Ohana training and racing with the Original Triathlon Brand. Ellie is an 8x Ironman 70.3 champion. She is a dynamic athlete who is capable of winning any race including the 70.3 World Championship. Always smiling. Always fast.

Instagram: @elliesalthouse1

BEN "THE HOFF" HOFFMAN

Ben Hoffman is a professional triathlete and 8x Ironman Champion. Originally from Grand Junction, Colorado, He was first exposed to the sport at the University of Montana in Missoula and quickly rose to the top of the ranks at the collegiate level. Since then he has moved on to train in Boulder, Colorado, and Tucson, Arizona, two of the fitness meccas of the U.S. Since turning professional in 2007, He has earned Ironman, Half-Ironman, and National Champion victories. The Hoff has been with Zoot Sports since 2007.

Instagram: @bhoffmanracig

SOPHIE WATTS

Representing the U.S.A, 27-year old Sophie Watts exploded on the long course triathlon with a 3rd place finish at her 70.3 debut at Ironman 70.3 Texas followed up by a top 10 finish at the 70.3 North American Championships in St. George, UT in May 2021. As a student-athlete while attending Stanford University, Watts competed in cross country and track as a Cardinal. Watts transitioned to ITU-style racing for Team USA before making the jump to long course racing. Look for Sophie on a podium near you.

MATT HANSON

Hanson, a 5x Ironman and 5x
70.3 champion residing in Castle Rock, CO, boasts an impressive resume. He holds the fastest marathon split recorded in an Ironman as well as being a 3x Ironman North America Champion. He will focus his efforts on becoming the first U.S. athlete to win Ironman World Championships in Kona, HI since 2002. In addition, Matt coaches the Matt Hanson Race Team.

Instagram @matthansontri

MANAMI IIJIMA

Manami Iijima is a former collegiate swimmer, turned triathlete in 2017, earning her professional card that same year - the first professional Ironman triathlete from Guam. A podium, couple of top 10 finishes in 70.3 racing, she is on a journey to be the first triathlete from Guam to make it to the Olympics. She is excited to be joining the Zoot Ohana to achieve her dreams. You can follow her journey on Instagram @manamitris

Robert Anthony

Robert was born with birth defect called Fibular Hemimelia. His mother made a hard decision when I was 10 months old to amputate his leg. Growing up wasn't easy, not only growing up with a disability but as a victim of various traumatic situations. As a young man he had to adapt to PMA as I call it "Positive Mental Attitude". Robert used sports as a way to show people what I can do instead of what I can't. Robert is a player on the USA Amputee Soccer Team but due to the Pandemic he had to take a step back from Soccer in 2020 to pursue his dream of being a Triathlete and making the Paralympic 2024 team.

ELLIOT BACH

Elliot is a 27 year old Professional Triathlete based out of Boulder, CO where he currently lives and trains. Growing up in a large family where everybody was active growing up, whether it was running 5ks or playing club sports. He found triathlon at the age of 14 when an older sister pressured him into entering a local sprint tri. After finishing almost dead last he somehow was hooked and has not looked back since. Over the last several years Elliot has been working on his craft and has risen through the ranks, where he now races professionally on the ironman circuit. When Elliot is not racing or training you can find him coaching triathletes of all abilities and levels. You can also find Elliot out on the pro Xterra circuit as well as the gravel scene as he has started to dabble in these forms of racing as a way to cross train and add some variety to his racing.

Instagram: @Elliot_Bach_Tri

KIS TRIATHLON TEAM

KIS Performance Team's mission is to improve the performance of our triathletes by creating a personalized approach to training while having fun. With professional triathlete Carrie Lester leading the charge, KIS is helping to develop modern professional athletes in an ever-changing sport.

SARAH KARPINSKI

Sarah Karpinski was a competitive gymnast turned pole vaulter, vaulting for Kent State University. She discovered triathlon in 2011 & finished her first Ironman in 2012. "I wasn't fast but I was officially hooked to the sport after that!" 2018 Kona Finisher & AG 70.3 Eagleman & IMMT Champion. Sarah raced her first year as a professional triathlete in 2019. She joined the Zoot Ohana in 2016 & loves the support the team gives eachother :)

Instagram: @skarpers

YU HSIAO

Yu Hsiao is professional triathlete representing Taiwan, currently holds the Chinese Ironman Distance Record from his debut Ironman (8:49:00). Born in Taiwan, Yu immigrated to California with his family and got hooked to triathlon while studying at UCLA. Armed with a hoody and glasses, he may seem like a shy, and humble engineer in the Silicon Valley but underneath he’s a deadly speed machine. Yu was never the fastest on his teams back in high school and college. but over a decade of hard work he has achieved impressive results including 8:49 ironman debut, 4:00:23 70.3 pb, and 2:26:05 marathon. Yu has been with Zoot since 2016.

Instagram: @yuxsjao

BENNY SMITH

Benny Smith is from Glenwood Springs, CO. "I got into triathlon when I was 11. I was ranked 1st in the country as a junior before turning pro at 18. I love training in the mountains at home and I’m stoked to see where I can go in the sport."

Instagram: @benny.smith_

Holli Finneren

Holli was a competitive collegiate and semi-pro soccer player before diving head first into triathlon. She completed her first Ironman in 2012 but it wasn't until her second Ironman at Lake Placid in 2014 that she truly fell in love with long course racing. Holli is a 2017 and 2019 Ironman Kona World Championship finisher, overall winner of Michigan Titanium, and AG Champion at IMMD, 70.3 Augusta, and 70.3 Traverse City. Her rookie pro year in 2020 saw limited racing action but she did manage to take home the Hawaii TT State Championship. She truly enjoys the process of long course training and racing and pushing the boundaries to see what her body and mind are capable of achieving. She's thrilled to be part of the Ohana for a 2nd year in 2021 as she has a re-do of her rookie pro season.Instagram: @hollifinneren

JESSE VONDRACEK

Jesse has been racing as a professional triathlete for over six years. He has been coaching triathlon and other athletes for over 9 years. Besides coaching triathletes, he has coached high school cross country, track, and club swimming.

He has been teaching for over 10 years, and has a Master’s Degree in Education. Currently a USAT certified coach, Jesse hopes to redirect his passion for education into educating athletes in triathlon.

KEVIN PORTMANN

Born in 1986 in Evian, France, Kevin competed in his first triathlon in 2011. After winning his age group in 2016 and qualifying for IM World Championships, Kevin soon jumped to the professional ranks. Currently residing in San Diego, Ca., you can find Kevin swimming, riding, and running around SoCal daily.

Instagram @kevportmann

ZOOT ATHLETES