Oh boy, I’m beat. I’m sitting here in the Vancouver airport, waiting for Kevin Jorgeson to arrive, make it through customs, and hopefully make it out into the great wide open. Let’s hope his bags don’t get lost like mine did. Mine came on the next flight which was an hour later, but our friend Charlie, who was supposed to come meet me, probably got tired and left until Kevin gets here. Let’s hope…
The past few days have been exhausting. I need a break. But I’m not gonna get one becuase I’m goin straight back to Squamish, land of endless granite and ever changing roads, due to the non-stop construction in preperation for the 2012 winter olympics in Whistler. Sonnie Trotter made a hilarious post on the Trade Show and comp that I won’t even attempt to compete with, so check that out. He pretty much sums it all up in two paragraphs.
It was great to see so many good friends again, that I only get to see like twice a year (at the show), but it really is overwhelming. When you spend as much time in this tightly knit community as I have, having friends who are photogs, videographers, alpinists, big-wallers, sport-climbers, boulders, tag-alongs and industry people, you get to meet, some might say, almost too many people. Too many names and memories to connect with those names and bright and shiny faces for my pea-sized brain. So many friends are there that it feels like your missing out by not spending time with all of them.
The comp eneded up going super-well for me, considering how crappy I felt. I won’t go deep into all the details of the weekend events, but I will say something that I can’t often say after a comp which is, I couldn’t have done much better. Yeah, I could’ve flashed problems 1 and 2 in the finals and taken 1st, but I felt like such crap that I was damn lucky to do as well as I did. So for that I am grateful. After I fell off problem 1 onto the wet pad (it rained for a few minutes as I started climbing) I pretty much gave up on the comp. I was crashing from all the sugar I had eaten, I was running a 100 degree temperature (it felt like), I was hungry, exhausted and didn’t want to believe all the hype Jason Danforth was screeching into the mic. But sometimes that’s all it takes, is setting the bar as low as it goes. Then you can hurtle it. Check out full results, more Photos and Video from the comp.
Here’s what I wrote on facebook when asked for “constructive critisism” on how the comp could be run better-
Hey Jackie,
That’s for writing that message. I appreciate what those guys are trying to do with the comp scene and the fact that they want constructive criticism tells me they’re serious about sticking with it.
OK. So. I guess I’ll just make a little list of what I think needs to see some changes.
-The setting: I actually thought the setting was pretty good in the qualies, at least for the men, but I heard a bunch of the girls were complaining the first three routes in the qualies were way too easy, and then the fourth was pretty good, and the fifth was just really reachy. I did them the next day and I think that’s a pretty good analysis. Maybe make the first three harder, or make them all hard (which is what I know Natasha wants) and use slightly worse holds but a little closer so some of the non-amazonian girls won’t get hosed having to all out jump for moves the taller girls can do keeping their feet on (or maybe they need to just get a little stronger).
As for the finals, the mens problems were pretty dead on, for the conditions they were being climbed in. Except men’s #3 was obviously way too hard. All the rest were like V10 and that one was like 13. Paul Rob said he saw the problems before hand and pegged the third as such, and said the course setter ignored his advice to make it easier. When someone, paul of all people says it’s not gonna go, listen. Get better for-runners. Get Small, but burly girls to fore-run the problems.
-The Front: the Front climbing center was like a freaken sauna. Get bigger fans or turn on the vents or open the windows to get some ventalation in there. Turn the music down. The music was good but it doens’t need to make you deaf. Get better stick-brushes and after 2/3 of the qualies, take a 15 minute break to brush the shit out of all the holds. People fall of those problems so much because they are greasy as shit and people use way too much chalk.
-The Finals: Ok, I think Jason is a nice guy, and funny, but there needs to be a little more variation and creativity in the announcing. Maybe shout out a competitor’s nickname? and if not that, at least say his name right. Brian Hedrick’s (not Ben Hendrix, as pronounced by Jason) nickname in Cuz, or The Cuz. Get it right! JK. But keep the crowd laughing. I know Jason knows us well enough to embarass us a little before we climb.
Limit the # of competitors in the finals to 8, 10 max! Or, do it like a WC and have a Semi-final with 12 and a final with six. And bring all the competitors out before the finals one by one and introduce them. It will get people psyched. People’s attention spans are way too short to sit around and watch 30 men and women flail on 5 problems for 3 hours with a 30 min break for rain (get a big-ass tarp!) during dinner time. I know a lot of people left when the rain started because they were hungry and bored.
Ditch the limo. If you really think the limo is necesarry, at least make sure the crowd can see the climbers getting out of the limo. When our limo arrived, there was absolutely no one there to greet us and we didn’t even know where to go… maybe put the coast of the limo tawards a little more prize money? On that note, I think the first prize purse should be at least 3gs if this is going to be the biggest bouldering event of the year. Get Toyota of SLC to bone up a Prius for 1st. That’ll boost the attendance. I know this isn’t golf, but were serious athletes… kind of.
Like I said, I really appreciate what y’all are doing, and I think comps in the states can grow to exciting new levels, but they just have to be run a little better, to make it a little more enjoyable and desirable for the climbers and the spectators. When everyone has to wait around in less than Ideal conditions late at night to compete or watch, then psyche is lost and the competitors only want to compete to win and not because they are amped, which is lame. And when things don’t go their way and they do shitty, then the whole thing seems pointless. But I know you guys will stick it next time!
Hope this wasn’t too harsh.
-E
reality bites….truth and honesty is the only way.
Offspring: Quit yer grousing. Comps are a ton of thankless work to put together: persuading sponsors to put up prize $$ and equipment; finding gyms willing to give up the time, income, and work; getting the routes right; setting dates that don’t conflict with other events; enticing big name climbers; working up the mechanics of registration and timing; figuring out the most objective scoring; setting up the equipment and sound systems; conveying all the right info to the announcers, who, in turn, have to ad lib and be exciting. All this, then to deal with weather — heat one day and rain the next. Snafus are inevitable in an event like this, especially in such a young sport. Gyms, production companies, sponsors, organizers, scorers, route setters, and announcers should be encouraged. Sounds like those guys did a great job. A big shout-out to them and the Front gym. Of course, I wasn’t there. But still.
I agree with what you have to say about the comp. and About the Women’s quailfing as well. The Fourth was good and the fifth was reachy as hell.
anyways, best of luck to you and Kevin north of the border. Reading about the sends, the trys, the life of of “pro” climber always kills time and makes me laugh. Thanks buddy.
See you when you get back.
i agree ethan! i stopped by the front & left shortly there after – waaaaaay to damn hot!
finals were great even tho i had no idea who was in them at the start. glad i stuck out the rain to see you. you are an awesome climber (even if your down on your game!) you have inspired be to climber harder & even to train harder! Thanks!!
p.s. thanks for taken the time for the autograph