lete ▁Magazine ▁and ▁then ▁Vice ▁President ▁of ▁Global ▁Sales ▁and ▁Media ▁for ▁W TC . ▁L AVA ▁built ▁its ▁initial ▁subscription ▁base ▁from ▁United ▁States ▁athlet es ▁who ▁had ▁entered ▁in ▁an ▁Iron man ▁brand ed ▁event ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁The ▁magazine ▁produces ▁ 9 ▁issues ▁per ▁year . ▁The ▁" L ava " ▁name ▁is ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁Hawai ian ▁Island ▁that ▁the ▁Iron man ▁Championship ▁is ▁held ▁on ▁each ▁year . ▁ ▁The ▁magazine ▁was ▁started ▁under ▁former ▁World ▁Tri ath lon ▁Corporation ▁CE O ▁Ben ▁F ert ic . ▁Under ▁CE O ▁Andrew ▁Mess ick , ▁W TC ▁sought ▁to ▁focus ▁sole ly ▁on ▁the ▁Iron man ▁brand ▁of ▁races ▁and ▁move ▁away ▁from ▁publishing . ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁W TC ▁sold ▁L AVA ▁to ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁invest ors ▁that ▁included ▁L AVA ▁publish er ▁John ▁Duke , ▁Active . com ' s ▁CE O ▁Dave ▁Al berga ▁and ▁president ▁Matt ▁Land a , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁former ▁h edge ▁fund ▁manager ▁Matthew ▁Mich elsen . ▁Additionally , ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁sale , ▁He ather ▁Gordon ▁became ▁the ▁new ▁publish er . ▁The ▁sale ▁also ▁coinc ided ▁with ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁a ▁two - year ▁ban ▁that ▁prevent ed ▁L AVA ▁from ▁being ▁sold ▁on ▁the ▁news stand ▁for ▁two ▁years . ▁That ▁ban ▁was ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁a ▁dispute ▁and ▁settlement ▁between ▁Duke ' s ▁previous ▁employ er ▁Tri ath lete ▁Magazine , ▁its ▁parent ▁Compet itor