Just wanted to share some pics from our event this past weekend. I love seeing gyms stripped down for comp setting. The setters were great for the event. I was very pleased with their efforts for the event and the quality of the kids specific setting for every category.
The kids, as always, are stronger and stronger every year.
Pics @: http://www.flickr.com/photos/18245774@N00/sets/72157624048942148/
Luke Bertelsen
Rocks and Ropes
Tucson, AZ
I agree that a stripped down gym looks awesome. In some way almost unrealistic.
I'm sure it is a big difference from the norm. and it is good to see the walls stripped. However these pictures look ... well... How do i put it... They don't look "clean" or "Neat" in any way.
I mean look at all the things going on.
10 million colour holds
volumes of all sorts of colors.
Tape around the volumes, the quickdrwas and ofcourse (?) the holds
the fact that the wall is not uniform coloured dosn't help.
I understand that this is the way it is done in the US but I feel that it should be possible to make it more "cleaner". Let me explain:
1. Climbers can use everything. So if there is only a single route on a wall there is really no need to mark the holds is there?
2. Why are the quickdraws marked? Just Clip the bottom biner in the bolt for each quickdraw that that does not have to clip. If another quickdraw is used for another route at the same time then these routes are to close for safety anyway.
The result: the climber can clip everything you come across.
3. I undertand the need to tape off a volume. But why is it done everywhere and using two coloured tape or using a different colour when a matching colour is available.
4. [euro rant alert on :-)]
For a competition it should be possible to use unicolored holds. At the moment climbers will have to look at the colour of tape. so they will have to look at the colour anyway.
I do have two questions though:
How do you geys deal with colour blind people? do you choose the colours of the tape carefully?
What are the marked Crosses on the floor for. Presumably that's where the route starts but what is it's formal status? (based on the regulations)
These walls look much "Cleaner":
http://competitie.climbing.nl/2008/nkherenverslag.html
Just to prove that I don't have all the answers: this is the last comp that i was involved in:
http://competitie.climbing.nl/2009/p1finaleverslag.html
wow!
This is exactly what I mean / how the sport should be presented
http://joost.climbing.nl/?p=1535#more-1535
ps:
Spot the grat move at 9:30
I thought the pictures from the Regional comp looked very neat and clean. I would do a few things differently because that is my preference, direction of tape being one of them, but overall it looks good to me.
Now, I am NOT a fan of the one color hold thing. Sure it "looks" cool, but I would rather have routes that ARE cool at a comp like this. Especially since all the kids are climbing harder and harder and getting more and more difficult to separate. The one color hold method is also extremely expensive for gyms to actually pull off properly. My biggest problem I have had with the one color method is finding the right holds for the right moves at a certain grade for a certain category. I would rather the setters have all the holds at the gym to create the right route.
Just my thought on it.
I can respond to a few things that might clarify why things are the way they are in these photos. I have the unique position of having been the head setter for this event as well as the gym manager.
First off it is a big gamble for a commercial gym to host events. They run the risk of alienating the majority of their members by stripping the whole gym for up to a week ahead of time and for up to a week after the event as they put the gym back in order with climbs that everyone will use. With proper planning all of that alienating of members can be somewhat avoided, but it is still a gamble for the gym and most often I see it at best a break even financial venture unless the event will be huge.
In an ideal circumstance where money and space on the walls are infinite I would not have used tape and we would not have used routes for different categories on the same wall. This happened to be a one day event with a morning and afternoon session. The two routes per any given wall were never being climbed at the same time. I would also have gone back and taken off the draws not in use in hindsight. As far as what is "clean" its all relative. To me this looks much much more clean than a gym completely full of everyday routes. Compared to other local and regional events I have attended I truly believe we put on an above average event. As I said before, I am proud of my crew and the way the event was run.
We have all seen things that look cooler or cleaner or "perfect". Within a commercial gym setting where our members and their needs drive the business we can only afford to incorporate some of those attributes as we look beyond the comp. I think we struck a great balance. The competitors and spectators were happy so I am happy.
unless i had every hold, in every color x4, i would never set with all the same color holds for one route, especially for a regional, be realistic. it is very rare that a gym in the US is going to be able to get the money together or even want or need to do this. and in my opinion, it is not that important. time, space, money, are all factors that go into a comp. at a local and even a one day regional there is only so much you can, want, or should do.
that comp looks great to me. this was a regional, not a world cup, or even a national. our nationals here in the US look much to what you favor herman. im sure you will approve of what is going to happen this year in atlanta.
Nicely done Luke! Looks to have been a great event.
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