Bass the ‘driving force’ behind Back Mountain Triathlon

The day before last year’s Back Mountain Triathlon, Dave Bass took a bike ride.

As the triathlon’s Race Director, Bass had worked tirelessly at that point to get the inaugural triathlon off the ground, effectively restoring the sport in an area that boasts dozens of elite triathletes but was lacking a local competition after the end of the Wilkes-Barre Triathlon several years prior.

While on that ride, Bass allowed the enormity of it all to hit him — he and his dedicated group of volunteers and colleagues had brought triathlon back.

“I was overwhelmed with emotion then because I knew that we pulled it off,” Bass said. “Up until then, I wasn’t sure.

“Now, in year two, I know we could do it.”

Bass and the rest of the volunteers are right on the doorstep now. On Sunday morning, the second Back Mountain Triathlon will further establish this race as one of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s premier sporting events.

Speaking with the Times Leader on Thursday, Bass acknowledged that the buzz and excitement had begun to set in as he and the volunteers had begun making their final preparations.

“Today is the first day I’m really starting to feel excited,” Bass said. “I’ve got volunteers coming to the house, we’re assembling packets … today’s the day, and it (the excitement) doesn’t let up.”

Last year, the Back Mountain Triathlon debuted to an incredibly enthusiastic reception from the community. Over 200 competitors registered for the race last year, a number that Bass said they’ve already reached for this year’s race with registration still open for interested racers.

That positive reception wasn’t just limited to the actual triathletes, either. Spectators waited on the beach to see the swim leg of the race and flocked to the finish line at Lake Noxen Elementary School to cheer the triathletes on as they finished the race.

“I had a plan, but I couldn’t even imagine,” Bass said, in reference to the wave of spectator support last year. “I love what we do for the whole community.”

Now, in year two, attention was turned to how the Triathlon Committee could take this competition to the next level.

The big addition this year is the introduction of the triathlon’s sprint course, which still involves all three legs of the race (swimming, biking, running) but at shorter distances for each.

While this addition was made in mind to make the race more accessible to a younger crowd, it’s also helped to draw in some older folks as well.

“Maybe they don’t have the time, or maybe they can’t go as far,” Bass said. “But there’s something for everybody here, this sport will keep you healthy for a long time.”

The committee has taken additional steps toward drawing in the next generation of triathletes. Bass said that they had reached out to local school districts to see if high school swimmers and runners wanted to take on the course.

Profiles on several young triathletes have been shared each week in the Times Leader sport section as well.

“We asked ourselves, how do we make this sport palatable to the next generation?” Bass said. “Someday, the next generation is going to have to take over.”

That day will come, and the talented young athletes already immersed in the triathlon scene will lead the way when the time comes.

For now, Bass provides a watchful eye and an unbelievable amount of passion as Race Director, coordinating with volunteers and his fellow committee members to make sure this race gets off the ground right.

It’s not lost on his colleagues just how much Bass gives to this sport.

“Dave Bass has put together such an incredible community here,” said Kristin Buchholz-Quigley, who will be taking on the new sprint course this year after tackling the Olympic course in 2023. “This is such a great local race, and we all want to support Dave.”

“He’s the driving force behind this whole thing,” said Bass’ NEPA Racing partner and fellow Triathlon Committee member Steve Taren. “He’s laser-focused on the triathlon, and he has this very loyal army of volunteers that always show up.”

For Bass, a longtime competitor himself before taking on the responsibility of starting the Back Mountain Triathlon, all the hard work is born out of a love of the sport and gratitude for what it’s done for him.

He explained that he turned to triathlon at a time when dealing with some personal struggles, and that it helped him regain his footing.

“I was dealing with some anxiety in life … this sport gave me my life back,” Bass said. “I’ve met so many good, giving people … I just feel whole.”