Easy to qualify for Kona?

Regarding IM Malaysia, I read somewhere that the Ironman organization was trying to decertify that race as being a qualifier. They were forced to honor their contract last year, maybe this year as well, but there is some question as to that race staying as an official Ironman event. So if you would like to do that race next year, that would be something to look into. Last year though, I believe that like everyone who wanted a slot got one last year. As far as the other races, in some cases it might be to your benefit to travel if you can afford it, but I don't know enough the different races to give you an ideas as to what race to try.

I still don't know how easy it is. The 2006 race was today. I just checked out the finisher's times. You still need to be a 10 hour IM to break the top 3. Even if there are only 4 or 5 people in that AG. I guess conditions there were brutal and there were a few DNF's

Hmm, the race results I saw (maybe they were last year's) had a total of 3 finishers in those two age groups, yet there were 6 slots open for Kona. So maybe it was last year you just needed a sub-17 and you were in.