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    Minnesota Gym Closes After 20 Years

    Prairie Walls Video Tour

    Since 1998 Prairie Walls Climbing Gym has offered state of the art indoor rock climbing, inspiring and fostering a love of climbing in people of all ages and abilities.

    Posted by Prairie Walls Climbing Gym on Wednesday, January 21, 2015

    Minnesota’s second oldest climbing gym closes its door for the finial time this month. Prairie Walls, located in Rochester (pop: 114,000 and 1 1/2 hours south of Minneapolis) told its members that last month that the facility will be closing July 1.

    First opened by Dave Brandt in 1998, the 10,000 square foot space was the second gym to open in the state. Brandt sold the business, though stayed on as an employee in 2015 to Jay Maier. In 2015 Mair told the Post Bulletin, “Dave has built a great thing at Prairie Walls, but it has only just begun. While Dave will manage the business day-to-day, I will challenge the status quo and be involved with the strategic planning, financial management, business processes and marketing from behind the scenes,” said Maier.

    Also in 2015 in Rochester, Roca Climbing and Fitness opened a modern climbing facility with 15,000 square feet of climbing surface.

    The exact reason for Prairie Walls closing is still unknown.

    Building Your Rental Shoe Fleet with Butora

    Branded Content

    From the company that brought you the original markless rental shoe—Butora Habara—comes an innovative rental shoe upgrade for late 2018—the Enoki and the Sparrow.

    The Enoki is Butora’s update to its fleet of adult premium rental shoes. It comes with a breathable mesh upper material, and a sturdier markless rubber composite for increased durability without compromising performance and comfort when taking on the toughest of walls.

    The Sparrow is Butora’s improvement to its fleet of youth premium rental shoes. It also comes with a breathable mesh upper material, and a tougher markless rubber composite for increased durability, comfort, and performance on even the most demanding walls.

    Adapting to Ever-Changing Needs

    With more and more gyms choosing higher friction walls and volumes for those walls, it is important for shoe companies to be able to adapt quickly to changes made by gyms.

    In 2017, the Butora team, with its more than 300 demos across the country, noticed that the higher friction walls were creating problems for the gyms by eating through the rubber on their rental shoes. So, the company decided to get ahead of the curve, address the problem, and reformulate its rubber to increase durability to its already high-performance rental.

    In addition, through the close relationships of Butora with club directors and climbers all over the country, we developed an understanding of how important it is for first-time climbers to move from their athletic training shoes into their first climbing shoes.

    The added mesh, breathable upper to Butora rentals is a modification to help new climbers transition into their new sport with a shoe that makes them feel they are in their element. An added feature is the antimicrobial lining that helps reduce odor, so that new customers walk into a gym and step into rentals that smell fresh and welcoming.

    It is important to stay up-to-date with the continuous changes and growth in the industry, and Butora is excited to introduce these shoes to new and current climbing communities across the country. Whether you are a current customer looking for an upgrade in quality but not in price or a new patron looking to create an environment in your gym that will keep people coming back, Butora has the answer to your rental needs. Contact us to complete your rental fleet with our brand new Enoki and Sparrow shoes.

     


    This story was paid for and produced by the sponsor and does not necessarily represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.

    Philly Is So Hot!

    Philadelphia, PA

    This summer, the sixth most populous city in the United States will see the doors open at it’s first new commercial climbing gym in 5 years – a bouldering lounge located in the South Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. A Philly gym – conceptualized, owned, and managed by Philadelphia locals.

    Reiver Ketcham, Andrew Deming, and Rory Coughlin are the brains and the brawn of Tufas Boulder Lounge and are making this 12,700 sq ft facility come to fruition at lightning speed. They just started working together in January, but each benefits from much preparation. The last couple of years have been spent working on independent projects, each trying to bring the first locally-sourced gym to Philly. When they realized that combining their collective passion and energy into one gym would be even better, they stopped competing and started synergizing.

    The team of three are bringing 5,500 square feet of climbing surface combined with an additional 700 sq ft of climbing-specific training and 1,100 sq ft of general fitness, their goal is to keep their community strong, motivated, and healthy.

    Part training center, part creative space, all bouldering lounge – Tufas’ intent is to provide a destination for climbers to productively capture their off-the-wall downtime as much as it provides a modern space dedicated to the pursuit of getting stronger at climbing. This unique entwinement of objectives is perfectly Philadelphia, a city that is more than Rocky and Cheesesteaks.

    Wall rendering of the new Tufa’s Bouldering Lounge. Photo: Tufa’s

    More For Philly

    Philadelphia is one of the east coast’s hot spots with five new climbing gyms either opening in 2018 or in development for 2019. Long-time stalwart of Philly is the Philadelphia Rock Gym, which fist opened in 1994 and now has four locations around the metro area. They are working on what they call “Philadelphia’s first boutique climbing gym”. The facility will be located in the heart of the city in the hip up-and-coming neighborhood of Fishtown.

    The Cliffs, a New York-based operator has plans to open in the neighborhood of Callohill. And Gravity Vault is hoping to bring one of their franchise locations to the city. On the out skirts of the city is Reach Climbing and Fitness which started construction this past spring on a full-service facility in Bridgeport.

    Wall rendering of Reach Climbing and Fitness.

    “Philly needs and deserves a new gym. We’re plugged into the community, listening to the community, climbing in the community, and have been waiting as long as everyone else”, emphasized Reiver Ketcham over the phone.

    There hasn’t been a new climbing gym in the City of Brotherly Love since 2013. Before that was in 2000 when the city saw the arrival of it’s first gym, Go Vertical. In 2015, Brooklyn Boulders tweeted what was ultimately an April Fool’s joke that they were planning a gym in the Queens Village section of Philly – a publicity stunt that left local climbers even more hungry for a gym that is the product of local energy.

    Tufas is not only well-positioned to deliver to the community, what it’s been asking for, it is also has it’s eyes on the future. There is but a cinder block wall between Tufas’ current space and another 24,000 sq ft of expansion space. The team has already begun negotiations that would result in Tufas tripling the size of the present footprint.

    Deeper Meaning

    When asked about the origin of the name ‘Tufas’, Reiver Ketcham responded, “Who doesn’t love tufas? It’s a funky word and they’re fun to climb on.”

    Reiver goes on to explain that the word ‘tufa’ points toward the greater world of climbing and how climbing is metaphor for the bigger picture in life. Each of the team has a poignant story how they have been fundamentally changed by the world of climbing. “Climbing is very powerful…the amount of lessons it teaches.” adds partner Andrew Deming.

    “If people come in and make friends and that’s it, that’s a win. If someone comes in an gets healthier, that’s a win. If they come in and realize the world is a bigger place than they thought, that’s a win”, team member Rory Coughlin outlines as a part of Tufa’s mission.

    The Tufas team intends to “create an atmosphere that gives people opportunity”. They aim to be a community sponsor, provide scholarships to local kids, and create programming and events that build inclusivity. Speaking about the aspirations of the organization in giving back, Reiver Ketcham summarized, “When you support people, they can achieve more than they thought they could.”

    Planet Granite Revamp Plans For Chicago

    Building rendering of the new Wrigley Field PG/ET location.

    Planet Granite Climbing, Yoga and Fitness announced that it will begin construction on two new climbing gyms in Chicago. One location, located directly adjacent to Wrigley Field, will feature three floors and 40,000 square feet of bouldering, yoga and fitness and is slated to open late 2019. The other gym, located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, will boast 40,000 square feet of roped climbing and bouldering terrain, and is expected to open early 2020. Planet Granite is excited to become a part of these remarkable neighborhoods and looks to create a place for the climbing community to gather.

    “We think that people in Chicago, who love adventure and fitness, want a place where they can come together and share their passion for climbing,” said Robert Cohen, CEO at Planet Granite and Earth Treks. “We are delighted to have a chance to open two facilities in Chicago and become a part of these iconic and vibrant neighborhoods.”

    In 2016 the Planet Granite announced plans for two climbing facilities in Chicago but now those plans have changed.

    The Wrigleyville location will have convenient access to the red and brown lines and discounted parking on non-game days in an adjacent lot. “Our Wrigleyville facility will be an incredible experience – much more than a climbing gym,” said Micky Lloyd, head of expansion for Planet Granite and Earth Treks. “The facility will be on three floors wrapped around a central atrium that reaches up 50 feet to skylights on the top of the building. Our weights and cardio equipment will be on a separate floor and will overlook the climbing – the most fun view you can get while working out.”

    The Lincoln Park location is nearby to the bustling neighborhoods of River North, Gold Coast, Old Town, Wicker Park and Bucktown, with access to the red line only two blocks away. This new facility will feature 55-foot climbing walls and several balconies overlooking the action. “Lincoln Park is a destination retail area with Apple, REI, Patagonia, Whole Foods and numerous other retailers all within a few blocks. We’re thrilled to have Planet Granite become a part of the already-thriving area,” said Jeff Berta, Senior Director of Real Estate with Structured Development.

    Madison Gets Downtown Bouldering Gym

    Boulders Downtown Concept Tour

    For those who couldn't make it to our celebration last night, here is a brief tour of our new space. Enjoy!

    Posted by Boulders Climbing Gym on Friday, June 1, 2018

    Madison, Wisconsin’s oldest gym, Boulders, is breaking ground on a new bouldering gym in the heart of the city. Which they hope will be the first of two.

    “Our members have always been committed to us, and we are just as committed to them,” says Boulders Founder Brad Werntz, continuing: ”Twenty-one years is a long time, but we want to inspire generations of climbers here in Madison, and so we’re building gyms to do just that.”

    Bob Richards of Climbing Wall Advisors agrees: “This site is the absolute bullseye for a bouldering gym in terms of demographics, density, and market presence. I’m not sure how you could pick a better location.”

    Climber Dies In UK Gym

    Stock photo of the inside of the The Quay Climbing Center. Photo: Quay Climbing Center.

    The BBC is reporting that a 57-year-old man has died after falling from an indoor climbing wall.

    He suffered a fatal head injury when he fell to the floor on Friday, the Quay Climbing Centre in Exeter said.

    The center said the experienced climber suffered a “tragic accident” while “independently using climbing facilities at the center”. It confirmed that it had since reopened.

    Devon and Cornwall Police said the death was being treated as an accident and has yet to formally name the man.

    The center said the “accident occurred on our roped climbing walls” and “not in Clip ‘n Climb Exeter”.

    It also said staff “cooperated fully and professionally with all the emergency services” and that “our thoughts are with [the victim’s] family at this difficult time”.

    No other information is available at this time.

    CWA Summit Recap

    The main hall during the opening ceremony of the CWA Summit.

    By John Burgman

    Last week marked the Climbing Wall Association’s 12th annual summit, an all-encompassing event that has proven to be beneficial for gym owners and prospective developers, equipment manufacturers, professional climbers, thought leaders, and others associated with the various facets of indoor climbing.

    While each year’s gathering features important discourse, the continual growth of the industry contributed to this year’s summit being the largest ever: Approximately 900 attendees converged at the Exhibit Hall of the Embassy Suites in Loveland, Colorado, from May 16-18, which was an increase of several hundred people compared to last year’s turnout.

    The Climbing Wall Association (CWA) provided those in attendance with a record number of “breakout sessions” on topics that ranged from gym flooring and employee communication to finance and coaching. In fact, this year’s summit saw a 40 percent increase in the amount of such focus-group sessions. Complementing those smaller symposiums was a large showroom that featured display booths for clothing brands, hold shapers, and wall manufacturers from around the world. It all corresponded with the global popularity of gyms, as the summit included sponsors and attendees from Slovenia, Bulgaria, Singapore, Japan, and Canada, in addition to the United States.

    “The industry is growing, so it’s important for the event to be aligned with that and to be emblematic of where the industry is at currently,” says Emily Moore, the Events Coordinator at CWA. “We’re always striving to ensure that [attendees] are happy from a logistical perspective, but the educational and professional development aspect of it is what keeps people coming back. So, it’s really critical that the presenters are genuine thought leaders on their topics and are hitting on subject matter that really resonates with their audience.”

    In terms of educational and professional development, the 2018 summit was noteworthy for having multiple breakout sessions related to routesetting and the duties of staff routesetters. “There is a lot of opportunity to professionalize that role in the gym, and the content that we pulled together for this year was looking to address that, at least as a first step,” says Moore, who identifies routesetting as an area that will benefit from having more industry-wide resources going forward.

    The summit included a presentation by Bouldering Project’s Tonde Katiyo titled, The Future of Routesetting, a presentation by Evo’s Nick Foster titled, The Cost of Setting, a panel moderated by Climbing magazine’s James Lucas titled, From Beginners to Crushers: A Discussion on Commercial & Competitions Routsetting, and a routsetting roundtable discussion moderated by Kilter’s Jackie Hueftle.

    Left to Right: BelaySAFE, Kingdom Tufa, Squadra Holds, Kilter Board.

    Laura Allured, the Marketing and Communications Manager at CWA, said, “The routesetting content this year was included intentionally because we see that as the industry grows and professionalizes, routesetting is also becoming more professionalized.” She adds, “We’re building a closer relationship to the routesetting community in order to better support their growth and professional development.”

    Allured specifies that the CWA is planning to form a routesetting-based committee in the future that will create a commercial training program. CWA is also hoping to hold regional routesetting workshops and networking events, maintain an online forum for setters, and host a blog/newsletter for anyone interested in the craft.

    FOCUSING ON CUSTOMERS, MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

    This year’s summit was also significant for its increased focus on demographics related to climbing on the whole and, specifically, gym membership and participation. For example, the summit kicked off on Wednesday evening with a keynote speech by alpinist James Mills, author of The Adventure Gap and host of The Joy Trip Project podcast.

    Mills’ speech explored the broad topic of diversity in the outdoors and advocated the creation of increased opportunities for minority communities to explore wilderness and climbing. “There are still a lot of strides to be made, in terms of who spends time in the outdoors and who doesn’t,” Mills said in his speech.

    The demographics of the climbing industry were further discussed in breakout sessions. For example, a presentation led by Dr. Ryan Gagnon, climber and professor at Clemson University, was titled, Towards 5.16: Engaging Minority Groups in Climbing. Another breakout session moderated by Evo’s Hilary Harris was titled, Women in Climbing.

    The culmination of the summit was a plenary panel—in front of a jam-packed audience—titled, Entrepreneurs, Athletes, Business Leaders: Women in Climbing. Moderated by Renee DeAngelis, COO of Planet Granite/Earth Treks, the panel included famed climber Lynn Hill, Stephanie Ko Pound of Planet Granite, Becca Droz of Movement, alpinist Sophia Dannenberg, Shelma Jun of Flash Foxy, and Halcy Webster of Alpenglow Collective.

    From right to left: Renee DeAngelis, COO of Planet Granite/Earth Treks, Halcy Webster of Alpenglow Collective, Stephanie Ko Pound of Planet Granite, alpinist Sophia Dannenberg, Shelma Jun of Flash Foxy, Pro climber Lynn Hill, and Becca Droz of Movement.

    Referencing the day’s previous roundtable discussion, Webster noted during the panel that there are a number of gyms that already have a healthy ratio of female to male members and gym participants. Webster added, “Also, in leadership, there’s a number of places that have female leadership from the top coming down, and this is really exciting to see those changes happen—even though it’s very regional, and some places don’t have it and some do. But that change is starting and also we can have that discussion here. This discussion wouldn’t have been a thing before, but now we have a room full of people wanting to hear about this, and that’s really awesome.”

    One of the overarching messages of the panel, however, was that there are still many areas where the industry can improve in regards to equity and equality.

    “The biggest thing that I’ve seen is when I go to the gym, the diversity that I see within the people who are climbing at the gym—I just don’t really see that when I go to a conference like this or Outdoor Retailer,” said Jun, addressing the summit audience from the stage. “I would really love to see some of the changes happening at an industry level. And—spoiler alert—it’s going to be harder. It’s harder to be intentional about hiring more women, more people of color, being inclusive, reaching out and mentoring to people who don’t have the same background as you. It’s more work. So, I want you to be prepared for that. It is going to be harder, but I just assure you that if we can do that, I really, truly believe it will make our communities so much richer.”

    CASTING A WIDE NET

    Amid the various presentations and panels over the course of the three days, products being unveiled in the showroom included the “world’s first friction adjustable fall reduction system” known as BelaySAFE from Singapore-based Climb Asia. Slovenia-based hold manufacturer Simpl also unveiled an interchangeable grip system for its volumes, which allows a routesetter to choose the degree of dual texture on a given hold. And Colorado-based Kilter set up its new training board for attendees to climb.

    The challenge of any summit—both in the products showcased and the topics discussed—is to appeal to an audience that grows wider every year, says Moore. In additional to new gym owners and operators at all financial levels, last year’s merger of Planet Granite and Earth Treks means that the industry has begun to see high-level venture capitalism, which might continue with further mergers in the future. And the summit must appeal to those interests and backgrounds too.

    She notes: “Some folks come as far out as, ‘I’m thinking about opening a climbing gym, but I’m not sure yet.’ And they have so many open-ended questions that [the summit] is an opportunity for them to learn what it takes to even make that dream possible. And then you get someone who says, ‘I’m building a gym this year, and I’m attending to figure out who my vendors are.’ And so you have these huge sales opportunities which parlays into sponsors and exhibitors.” She adds, “It gets complicated to try to address all those audiences. That’s where the presentations can really diversify.”

    More information about the CWA can be found here.

    Instructor Sentenced In Climbing Prodigy Death

    Tito Traversa climbing in Gorges de Loup in France. Photo: titotraversa.it

    Gear Junkie is reporting that several people connected in the death of climbing prodigy, Tito Traversa were sentenced earlier this month.

    The case came to fruition this week as Nicola Galizia, 36, the climbing instructor on site, received a prison sentence of two years. Galizia was also fined €21,000 ($24,716) in judicial expenses.

    Read more about the details of the climbing accident at Climbing.com

    The sentence concludes the first part of the case. The judge now has 30 days to explain his decision, and lawyers can decide how to proceed.

    Galizia’s sentence was half of the original request of prosecutors. In Italy, a prison sentence of two years usually does not lead to time spent in jail.

    Five people were charged with manslaughter in the case. Among those charged were Luca Gianmarco, owner of the climbing gym Traversa visited; Carlo Paglioli, owner of Aludesign, the company that manufactured the rubber part of the quickdraw; the owner of the gear shop that sold the parts of the quickdraw; and two of the adults that were present at the climbing site.

    The judge acquitted Gianmarco and Paglioli of the charges.

    A New Direction For Eldorado Walls

    Eldorado Walls in the new Sky Zone in Newark, Delaware. Photo: Sky Zone

    Eldorado Climbing Walls is moving away from the commercial climbing gym sector with the help of a new owner who is no stranger to the company. Kevin Volz, who has been the CEO of Eldorado Climbing Walls since 2015, purchased the 24-year-old company two months ago.

    “My predecessor was really pursuing the commercial climbing gym market,” Volz told BusinessDen. “That was a little off-base when it comes to the margins of the products and the resources,” he said.

    Even though the company just completed a large commercial gym in Oakland Park, Florida called projectROCK, Volz is starting to sell to more universities for their rec centers, ski resorts, apartment complexes and homeowners who want their own climbing wall.

    “We make twice as much money when we go to the university setting, or when we go to Vail,” he said. This is typical of most climbing wall builders who build for both commercial and institutional customers. The current trend however, is for the major builders like Walltopia, Entre-Prises and Vertical Solutions to concentrate on the rapidly growing commercial market. This move could allow Volz to corner a smaller yet more profitable market.

    “It’s all these little things we’ve got our finger in the pot and they’re all growing,” Volz said. “The most dramatic thing we’ve seen in the past year are the trampoline parks. It seems as part of their suite of offerings they’ve embraced climbing.”

    Eldorado Climbing Walls has been manufacturing climbing walls in Boulder, Colorado since 1994 and employs 45 people. The company’s headquarters are a combined 10,000 square feet spread over two location outside of Boulder.

    “Right now, we’ve run out of space, and there’s no room to expand,” Volz said. “We’re looking for somewhere between 10,000 to 12,000 square feet.”

    One of Volz’s first moves at the helm of Eldo was not an initiative to build more walls. Instead it was a move to get more climbers climbing. Volz invited individuals and companies to join him in donating to Paradox Sports an adaptive climbing organization. Volz kicks off the campaign with a donation of $6,600 and a commitment to donate 5% from the sale of Eldorado’s Climbing Slabs and Panels going forward.