Software guru Andy Laakman, the original mastermind behind RGP, now has a new gym management software—Redpoint HQ (pictured)—that hit the market this year. (All images courtesy of Redpoint HQ)
Andy Laakman, the founder of Rock Gym Pro (RGP)—the most widely-used gym management software in the climbing industry in North America—recently launched a new gym management software, called Redpoint HQ. The software has been in development since late 2022 and allows gyms to sell day passes, sell retail merchandise, track customer check-ins, manage recurring (or prepaid) memberships, manage inventory, and manage programs and bookings, among other features.
Since founding RGP in 2008, Laakman served as a key developer at the software company—which was sold to Togetherwork in 2018—before he and two other key staff members departed from RGP in 2020. Laakman told CBJ that the team behind the creation of Redpoint HQ has been in the climbing industry since 2005 and has a “deep understanding” of gym operations, from that of a “local bouldering gym” to multi-facility gym chains. “It’s truly dream software by a team that knows deeply how gyms operate—from the front desk all the way to the back office,” added Laakman.
Laakman explained that Redpoint HQ was designed with three principles in mind—to be fast (i.e., with the fewest clicks possible in operation at the front desk), to be easy (tailored to the unique software needs of customers, staff and managers), and to be flexible (allowing gym operators to configure the system to the needs of their specific business).
The new Redpoint HQ software is already in use at Edgeworks’ Bellevue, Seattle and Tacoma locations.
Redpoint HQ is currently live at the three Edgeworks Climbing + Fitness gyms in Washington. Laakman says that Redpoint HQ’s pricing will be competitive with other products on the market. Updates and onboarding dates can be obtained by joining Redpoint HQ’s mailing list at redpointhq.com.
EP Climbing is gearing up for an exciting presence at the Climbing Wall Association (CWA) Summit 2024 in Portland. Attendees are invited to visit Booth 700 to explore the latest climbing technology and products, including over 300 new holds being released. As a token of appreciation for your support, we’re excited to offer exclusive discounts and offers for CWA Summit participants, from special promotions to giveaways.
EP Climbing will host the “Portland to Paris” Afterparty at the EP-built Portland Rock Gym (PRG) Beaverton. This event promises live music, drinks benefiting the Access Fund, food trucks, games, prizes, and a slab competition by Kilter. Attendees can also climb the US-First Titan Wall, a replica of the bouldering wall for the Paris 2024 Olympics, during CBJ’s Grip Showcase, which will feature an EP route!
Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate our climbing community. Join EP Climbing at CWA Booth 700 and the “Portland to Paris” Afterparty on Thursday, May 16th 8-11pm right after the showcase.
CBJ press releases are written by the sponsor and do not represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.
We at Rockcity are thrilled to be attending this year’s CWA summit, where we will be showcasing all of our latest climbing holds, which are set to play a crucial role in the coming World Cup season and at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This year’s CWA Summit promises a great opportunity to get a closer look at the latest cutting-edge holds designed to test the skill, strength, and strategy of the world’s top climbers, as well as the regular gym-goer. Designed by leading shapers with feedback from seasoned climbers, these holds are not just a piece of the puzzle; they are the stepping stones to new heights in the climbing world.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect with the heart of the climbing community, discover the latest trends, and equip yourself with knowledge and resources that will elevate your passion or business to new heights. Head down and visit us at stand: 1012. We can’t wait to see you there!
Can’t attend? No problem. You can still access our full catalogue over at rockcityclimbingholds.com.
CBJ press releases are written by the sponsor and do not represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.
Plenty of interesting news and articles in this World Cup gap week. Access Fund’s trail-building and education teams introduced. A new BLM rule that prioritizes conservation and recreation. Articles about how beneficial climbing can be for you. Convos and profiles of top athletes.
Industry professionals in North America are preparing to convene in Portland for this year’s CWA Summit. Want to know what’s happening that week? Check out our A-to-Z rundown of that full week. It’s not too late to decide to attend, or to sign up for one of the many valuable pre-conference workshops.
“The Operations Manager (OM) is responsible for the success of the Experience Team, which are the voice, the face, and the heart of HiClimb. The Experience Team delivers first impressions, teaches classes, manages risk, and guides our guests and members along their journeys with us while maintaining a clean and risk adverse environment. The OM is an expert on HiClimb procedures and polices and ensures their team is upholding them while operating cohesively…”
“It’s crucial to trust your instincts. Landing a job with a toxic work culture can affect your career prospects and even your physical well-being, according to The American Institute of Stress. And multiple resources link the stress and anxiety of a demanding job to difficulty sleeping, burnout, and depression. But it’s not all doom and gloom. You can avoid those outcomes by taking the time to familiarize yourself with the red flags that may pop up during your job search.”
The CWA Summit week is just around the corner, and this year’s lineup is packed with more pre-conferences than ever, a CBJ Grip Showcase on Olympic walls, a 10th-anniversary Setter Showdown, events at local gyms, and rocking afterparties. (Image by Climbing Business Journal)
It’s almost that time…when climbing industry professionals, from veterans to first-timers, get together to learn and share.
Since 200,7 the annual CWA Summit has been the pinnacle event of the climbing industry stateside. It’s filled with networking, education, new products, and a few good parties. It’s the place to gather if you’re a gym owner, manager, routesetter, coach, instructor…or aspiring to work in one of those roles. It’s a place to learn from and connect with industry peers. And don’t forget to bring your climbing shoes!
The week is always filled with much more than just the Summit…
Grip Showcase
Taking place in conjunction with the official Summit afterparty, the CBJ Grip Showcase is a time to celebrate the art of holds and setting. This year on May 17th, Portland Rock Gym Beaverton will be filled with brand-new holds, macros and volumes, with each route set entirely with a single brand’s grips. Then it will be your turn to rank each one. If you’re not able to attend, you can still participate (the voting will be held online for two weeks). If you’re able to attend, bring your shoes, and get ready to climb on EP’s Titan Boulder, the same wall we’ll see in the Paris Olympics.
Setter Showdown
The weekend before the Summit, also at PRG Beaverton, you will find dozens of routesetters working to earn the Setter Showdown crown. In the Showdown’s 10th year, Louie Anderson is organizing this half-competition, half-clinic on May 11-12. There may still be spots for setters who want to learn and be challenged.
Events At Local Gyms
There is so much happening around the Summit:
Tuesday May 14th at Movement Portland: Pre-party at 6pm with music, beer and more, plus climbing on new routes from the Sup’r Setting Party. Free to Summit attendees with proof of registration.
Thursday May 16th at Movement Portland: Tommy Caldwell slideshow and Q&A from 6-8pm for gym members or via a day pass.
Friday May 17th at Rock Haven: CWA Appreciation Event with snacks, drinks and climbing from 3:30-9:00pm. Free to Summit attendees with a badge.
2023 CWA Summit Expo Hall. (Photo by Erik Lambert)
CWA Summit
Of course the CWA Summit is the main reason we’re all headed to Oregon! This year’s annual gathering will be held at the Oregon Convention Center in downtown Portland on May 15-17, the first time it’s been on the West Coast. The days prior will be filled with certification events and pre-conferences—opportunities for in-depth learning across a spectrum of topics.
It’s not too late to attend! It’s best to register in advance to save time and money, sooner for the best price. Once online registration is closed, walk-up registration is available with day passes. There are room deals still available at the Hyatt and Courtyard.
Download the App
The Summit app is a must-have, allowing you to plan your schedule, message attendees and presenters, research sessions and exhibitors, and win Attendee Reward prizes! Note: The app uses your local time zone, so the schedule may be misleading if you are not in the Pacific time zone.
Highlights and What’s New This Year:
Pre-Conferences: This year features more of these in-depth learning opportunities than ever before! Are you a manager? Owner? Routesetter? Coach or instructor? There is a pre-conference for you.
Multiple Keynote Speakers: This Summit also has not just one, not just two, but three keynotes! Pro climber and entrepreneur Sasha DiGiulian will open the Summit at 3pm on Wednesday, while legendary climbers Tommy Caldwell and Alan Watts will close out the event at 2:30pm on Friday.
Women’s Fireside Chat: Now in its second year, the Women’s Fireside Chat is a space for all women and nonbinary people of the climbing industry. It will be held in rooms adjoining the Expo Hall at 7:00-9:30 on Wednesday. Note: Women’s Fireside Chat is a ticketed event.
EP’s “Portland to Paris” Afterparty: Hosted at EP-built PRG Beaverton, this year’s Summit afterparty promises to be the most epic one ever. In addition to music, drinks (beer sales benefit Access Fund), and food trucks, get ready for an evening of games, prizes, a slab comp by Kilter, and the climbing extravaganza that is CBJ’s Grip Showcase, where you can climb on the first Titan Boulder in North America! Note: There are free shuttles every 30 minutes from 6:00pm to Midnight to/from the Convention Center MLK Entrance and PRG Beaverton!
After three Volcanic Rock Gym locations closed in six years, Ali and Rex Huetter teamed up with original founder Justin Ridgely to open a new Volcanic Rock Gym in Hawaii (pictured) and have been keeping the dream going. (All images courtesy of Volcanic Rock Gym)
Volcanic Rock Gym
Kailua, Hawaii
Specs: The latest Volcanic Rock Gym—co-owned by Ali Huetter and Rex Huetter and opened with original founder Justin Ridgely—opened in September 2022 in Kailua, Hawaii. About 15 years ago, Ridgely moved from California to Hawaii and, discovering the climbing scene was still relatively young, started establishing climbs outdoors. Later, Ridgely opened an indoor climbing gym in Waipio, then Honolulu, and eventually on the outskirts of Kailua, where he and the Huetters met. By 2019, though, all three gym locations had permanently closed due to leasing issues. But the Huetters shared Ridgely’s vision of contributing to the growth of climbing on the island of Oahu, and in 2022 they decided to bring the Volcanic Rock Gym name back to Kailua.
Before the 2022 gym opened, both the Huetters and Ridgely had routeset at Hi Climb, a mixed-discipline climbing gym on the other side of the island, where Ridgely was a head setter. Ali noted the group was looking to create a bouldering-focused gym and, because one of Ridgely’s gyms had been in Kailua, they chose to move back. “He had that reputation and following, and people knew that his last location was in Kailua,” Ali explained (adding that Ridgely helped open the new location but has since stepped back from the gym). Finding a suitable building at the time was not an easy task, though. Warehouses in Hawaii are pricey and “very few and far between at the moment,” according to Ali, but the team and local climbers were set on Kailua.
Volcanic’s owners opted to include multiple adjustable walls in their compact space, including a Kilter/Lemur Adjustable Slab wall (pictured).
Ali described the Kaliua area as already prosperous and growing, with a population consisting largely of tourists, families and military service members. The owners eventually found an available building in the area next to the Hamakua Marsh wildlife sanctuary, a backdrop that Ali says contributes to a natural feel in the gym. “It was small, it was intimate, it had nice tall ceilings,” she noted of the building. “The marsh behind was really nice, so we have this outdoor area that we could utilize. And there are a lot of buildings that are owned by big companies in Kailua, and this wasn’t owned by a big company; this is small, personally owned. So, it also gave that touch of getting back to the community, being part of something a little bit bigger.”
When searching for a suitable space, Ridgely wanted a facility that could fit 14-foot bouldering walls, a 24×14-foot Kilter/Lemur Adjustable Slab wall, two Kilter Boards and a Moon Board—all of which now reside in the chosen building, totaling over 2,100 square feet of climbing surface. The facility also features a rowing machine, squat rack, campus boards and hangboards in a gym space Ali describes as “small, cozy, [and] intimate.”
In addition to events like Mo’olelo Matters nights (pictured) and setting clinics hosted by Kanaka Climbers, Volcanic has also held women and nonbinary climb nights at the gym, intro to climbing clinics, and youth teams and comps.
Volcanic organizes nonprofit evenings with local organizations, such as the Boys & Girls Club and Kanaka Climbers, “a group of local Native Hawaiian people who want to teach people how to ethically recreate in Hawaii,” said Ali. Every other month, for example, Kanaka Climbers has been hosting a free event at the gym that helps climbers learn about different climbing locations nearby and become better stewards.
Having been unaffected by the Maui fires last fall, the Volcanic ownership team wanted to give back to the local community. Ali and Rex both work at Buzz’s Original Steakhouse, as well, where they connected with others looking to help. In the end, the Huetters delivered nearly five truckloads of toiletries, diapers, formula, canned goods, clothes and more to people impacted by the fires.
In Their Words: “I’m still getting to know people in my community. We’re getting to know our neighbors who have the yoga studio and the brewery and the tattoo shop, and we’re doing events with them. And seeing the growth of some of these people that come in, whether it’s just a couple of times or they’re coming in daily—not just on the wall, but off the wall as well—and seeing their connections that happen, is actually the coolest part for me, just because I see it as we’re providing a space and people grow within the space. Being able to provide this meeting area is my favorite part.” – Ali Huetter, co-owner of Volcanic Rock Gym
Editor’s Note: Corrections were applied to this article on April 26, 2024.
Trango, the Colorado-based premier climbing brand, is pleased to announce a new partnership with U.S. climber and US Olympic team member, Jesse Grupper. Grupper, who has qualified for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games, is also a member of the US Climbing Team. He secured his Olympic ticket by winning the 2023 Pan American Championships. In 2022, he won two Lead World Cups in (Briançon, France and Edinburgh, Scotland). He also enjoys climbing outdoors, with flashes of Pure Imagination (14c; Red River Gorge, KY), and Living Astro (14c; Rumney, NH), and a send of Full Metal Brisket (15a; New River Gorge, WV). Grupper started climbing at age 8 and won his first national title at age 11.
But qualifying for the Paris Olympic Games is not the pinnacle of Grupper’s career. The 27-year-old earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University in 2019, and in 2020, accepted a research fellowship in the Biodesign Lab at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). His focus has been working on projects designed to restore movement to individuals who have suffered strokes; his first project was a soft robotic glove to help stroke victims with their rehabilitation. In preparation for the Olympics, Grupper is working remotely and balancing his mechanical engineering career.
Says Grupper, “Trango has been a leading brand in technical climbing gear for such a long time and has had some of the best climbers in the world utilize their products. With the wide breadth of gear that Trango has to offer, I’m super excited to be joining a team of experienced and dedicated climbers!” Some of Grupper’s favorite gear from Trango include the Horizon Harness, the Beta Stick Evo, and the Regulock HMS Locking Carabiner.
We posed Jesse with a few questions to help you get to know him better:
What do you like about climbing?
I see climbing as an art form and a way to showcase an expression of myself that can’t come out in any other way. Despite being in the sport for so long, climbing continues to provide unique challenges for me to push my physical and mental capabilities
Do you climb outdoors as well as indoors? Trad and sport?
I do! I love having the balance between the two and the challenges that they each bring respectively. (I have done some trad climbing, but I don’t have much experience here and mostly focus on boulder and sport.)
How does your educational background impact your climbing (e.g. you’re trained as an engineer, are there any connections with problem solving?).
Definitely! Engineering and climbing are quite similar you’re presented with a start and a finish and it’s up to you to figure out the best path from one to the other using the tools and skills that you’ve developed. Engineering also provides me with a way to find balance from consistent high-end training and competing. It lets me think about alternative problems and helps me feel more well-rounded in general.
How would you describe yourself–as an engineer who climbs, or a climber who happens to be a dedicated engineer working with adaptive technology?
Right now, I’m a professional climber who also works as an engineer in assistive technology, but this has flip flopped, and I think the balance is really valuable.
How did you get involved with climbing?
My sister and parents found our local climbing gym, NJRG in a magazine. I was dragged to the gym with them for my sister’s lessons. I had way too much energy as a kid and couldn’t just sit on the couch. I started taking lessons myself and haven’t looked back. My dad started climbing soon after us, and we all have continued climbing to this day.
What advice do you have for young climbers who are interested in competition?
Have fun! Climbing can be a life-long pursuit if you give it the chance!
What are your strengths as a climber? Weaknesses?
I think my strengths are my tenacity, and willingness to keep fighting when it’s hard (on and off the wall). My weaknesses might be that same tenacity- I think this tenacity can make it challenging for me to walk away from boulders/routes that I haven’t completed, and just accept that I’ve learned something for the day when I actually would have been more productive moving on to something else.
Any favorite music you listen to before competitions?
I love musicals, Hamilton, Moana, and Encanto are some of my go-tos. Some Classical music has also been my go-to while I’m in the chair before competing.
Chris Klinke, Trango president, welcomes Grupper to the Trango athlete team. “We have long been impressed with not only Jesse’s climbing, but his sheer enthusiasm for the sport,” says Klinke. “Not only are we proud to have Jesse representing Trango at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games and future World Cups, but we know that he inspires other athletes on a daily basis. We are very supportive of the excellent work he does in his professional life as a mechanical engineer and even more impressed with his dedication to climbing.”
About Trango
Founded in Boulder, Colorado in 1991, Trango is an athlete driven brand, dedicated to challenging the status quo of climbing and advancing indoor gym technology. Our company is passionate about creating solution-oriented products that help climbers pursue the sport we love. We make innovative equipment that climbers trust. You can count on Trango gear to deliver something extra, something special, that will contribute to your climb, indoors or out.
CBJ press releases are written by the sponsor and do not represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.
USA Climbing is looking for individuals to serve on its new Youth Series Task Force, which will make recommendations on all aspects of the Youth Series to improve inclusiveness, athlete well-being, growth of the series, ease of hosting, and international competitive success. Please apply no later than Friday, May 10.
Climbing holds, macros and volumes are building blocks of our indoor climbing experience. Routesetters combine them to create infinitely varied movements, dreaming up new ways to arrange the artistry of the shapes. The crafts of hold shaping and hold production evolve over time, with each year bringing new innovations.
CBJ Grip Showcase events celebrate these innovations. We are routesetters, and we love holds!
The first Grip Showcase of 2024 will be held on May 16th at Portland Rock Gym at the official afterparty of the CWA Summit.
Each route will be set with holds from a single brand, and you are invited to vote on your favorites! We will use a 5-star rating for each brand/route, and the winner will receive the Grip List Showcase Award.
Learn more about past winners and Grip Showcase history here.
The Portland event would not be possible without the generous support of these brand sponsors:
EP’s “Portland to Paris” Afterparty: Hosted at EP-built PRG Beaverton, this year’s Summit afterparty promises to be the most epic one ever. In addition to music, drinks (beer sales benefit Access Fund), and food trucks, get ready for an evening of games, prizes, a slab comp by Kilter, and the climbing extravaganza that is CBJ’s Grip Showcase, where you can climb on the first Titan Boulder in North America! Note: There are free shuttles every 30 minutes from 6:00pm to Midnight to/from the Convention Center MLK Entrance and PRG Beaverton!
