Conversation with Molly Beard
Monday, January 14th, 2008
Interview by: Chris Danielson for e-Grips
For the second interview in the e-Grips series of setter profiles, Chris talks with Molly Beard, the longest serving USA Climbing national setter.
Molly has over 15 nationally sanctioned bouldering & difficulty comps in her bucket.
Chris Danielson: When did you start routesetting? How many, and which gyms, have you set at commercially?
Molly Beard: I started setting around ’95, mostly just tooling around the gym where I was coaching. It was very fun, as most setters can attest. I was also starting to compete and that really perked my interest as I quickly noticed when the setting was good and when it wasn’t. Most of my commercial setting time has been spent here in Portland; primarily at Stoneworks and ClubSport. With comps I’ve set at more gyms that I have digits on my paws.
CD: So, Molly, you’ve been a part of the USAC National Setting family for years now, what’s it like to be the reigning queen of routesetting in US competitions?
MB: Ha. I like queen better than Grand Dame, that’s a fact! The folks I’ve gotten to work with and know over the years are AMAZING. No lie. I think it would be impossible to do the things we do: to critique each other, to be brutally honest with each other and still really like each other if we weren’t all good people at the start. Family is a good way to call it. On a serious note, I don’t know why there have been so few women involved. Up until last year I hadn’t worked with a single lady at any event. On the one hand, I don’t care about being the only female; hell, my best friends are guys, why does where the toilet seat goes matter? Yet it’s more than a little weird because I know there are good lady setters out there!
CD: Yourself, eG Team Setter Kynan Waggoner, and kid climbing phenom and comp setter Kevin Branford all call Tony Yaniro a routesetting mentor – tell us what you’ve learned from the legend of American Routesetting?
MB: Unyielding desire to always do better. There is always something new to learn as long as you look carefully at what you have done.
