Cliffs Brings Brand to Brooklyn
The Cliffs Climbing + Fitness, operator of climbing gyms in NYC and Westchester, has announced plans to open a 40,000+ sq. ft. climbing, yoga, and fitness facility at 233 Nevins Street, in Gowanus, Brooklyn.
“Gowanus has become a hub for unique, non-traditional forms of fitness and recreation—including circus arts, archery, and axe throwing,” said Mike Wolfert, owner of The Cliffs. “We aim to bring an exceptional new rock climbing experience to the mix. Residents have been asking The Cliffs to expand into Brooklyn for years. We have listened and are excited to be joining this vibrant community.”
The facility is slated to become New York City’s largest climbing gym, with 36,000 sq. ft. of climbing terrain, two dedicated floors of bouldering, roped climbing with 40-ft high walls, and a 4,400 sq. ft. outdoor terrace with additional climbing. The
In addition to climbing, the facility will feature state-of-the-art climbing training, a full-scale fitness gym, saunas, yoga, group fitness, and a retail store offering climbing gear, accessories and apparel. There will also be an on-site parking garage available for visitors to use. The building is being constructed from the ground up and tailored specifically for rock climbing use by a partnership between JBS Project Management and Atkins & Breskin. The cost of construction is projected to be $18,000,000.
The Cliffs currently has three locations: The Cliffs at Valhalla in Westchester, NY; The Cliffs at DUMBO on the Brooklyn waterfront; and its flagship location, The Cliffs at LIC in Queens. The Cliffs at Harlem is scheduled to open later this year and The Cliffs at Callowhill in Philadelphia is slated to open in 2019.
Five Ten Founder Dies
On Saturday, July 14, Charles Cole III—an innovator, expert rock climber, and the founder of climbing shoe company Five Ten—died at his home in Redlands, California. The cause of death is currently unknown. Cole was 63.
After hitting the market, Stealth Rubber became known as the stickiest in the world and would end up being used by NASA and the U.S. military. Cole eventually held ten patents; he would go on to create the first climbing shoes with Velcro straps, the first pull-on-tab shoes, and the first downturned climbing shoe.
Read more about Cole’s life and his influential work here.
Vital Going Big In New York
Vital Climbing Gym, a California boulder gym chain, is moving onto the East Coast with a deal for an entire Brooklyn warehouse, according to the RealDeal.
The San Diego-based company signed a 15-year triple-net lease for a 31,000-square-foot industrial property at Cayuga Capital Management’s 1 Nassau Avenue, located at the Williamsburg-Greenpoint border, the firm told The Real Deal.
Vital plans to build out the total space to as much as 46,000 square feet, utilizing the rooftop and ground-floor outdoor space. The 24-hour, full-service gym is expected to open by summer 2019. The asking rent was $110 per square foot.
Vital is known for their small, hand-crafted, boutique style bouldering gyms. This will be the largest facility for the company.
The one-story property was built in the 1910s and was formerly home to metal manufacturer Nash Metalware Company.
“The building is spectacularly underutilized,” said Vital co-founder David Sacher. “It’s really run down and we can do something cool with it.”
The deal marks Vital’s first location outside of California and Washington state. There are outposts in Oceanside, Murrieta and Carlsbad in California and Bellingham, Washington.
Sacher told CBJ, “We’re really excited to become part of the New York climbing community. The neighborhood is vibrant, creative and active. We’re going to build a gym that embraces that energy. It is a perfect fit for our next location.”
USA Climbing Hires New CEO
From Press Release: “As a proven leader with over 25 years of experience in Olympic sport, a former elite speed skater and a longtime climber, Marc brings a unique skill-set, passion for climbing, and significant Olympic sport experience to the position,” said Patti Rube, President of USA Climbing’s Board of Directors.
“We are thrilled to welcome him.” Norman joins USA Climbing from the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation (UOLF), where he served as VP of Sport and Venues, responsible for working directly with the US Olympic Committee on sport performance and funding with multiple NGB’s on high performance planning. He served as Chair of the Organizing Committee for numerous World Cup and World Championship level events, and represented the UOLF to International Federations.
“USA Climbing is a star in competition event organizing and is seeing tremendous growth in its membership and visibility.” said Norman. “With the first Olympics for climbing only two short years away, the prospect of joining USA Climbing at this critical juncture in its history is very exciting. I’d like to thank the Board for the opportunity and look forward to working closely with the Board, the USA Climbing team, the USOC, sponsors, partners, volunteers, other members and stakeholders, and of course the athletes in making USA Climbing successful.”
Norman has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Utah and lives in the Salt Lake City, Utah area with his wife Catherine, a 4-time Olympic speed skater, their 1-year-old aspiring climber River Huck and two yellow labs.
Norman replaces outgoing CEO Kynan Waggoner after Waggoner’s successful 12-year tenure with USA Climbing, the last four years in the CEO position. “Under Kynan’s leadership, our organization achieved full recognition by the US Olympic Committee, saw unprecedented success in elite athlete performance, and grew our grass roots membership at a robust pace,” said Rube. “We are thankful that Kynan planned far in advance for this smooth transition and wish him all the best in his next steps.”
Boston Rock Gym Closes
Open letter from the CEO of the Boston Rock Gym, Chris OConnell.
“It’s with a heavy heart that I send this letter. I’m going to be closing the Boston Rock Gym in December of this year. It was a difficult decision but it’s the right time.
I’d like to thank all the members of our community who have made the Boston Rock Gym such a magical place for the past 30 years. Our customers, members and staff have been an integral part of this endeavor and of each other’s lives for many seasons.
As most of you are aware, Central Rock Gym will be opening a location just up the street in Stoneham this Fall. I have talked with CRG’s management and we will be offering some attractive terms for members of the BRG community who are interested in moving over to their new state-of-the art-facility.
In many ways, the facility that CRG is building is what I had hoped the BRG could evolve into and is what I believe this area needs and deserves. You will see some familiar faces joining the CRG team from BRG. Details regarding memberships and programs will be forthcoming.
As I look back at the Boston Rock Gym’s history, I feel a great deal of satisfaction in all that we’ve accomplished. When the BRG was founded in 1989 by Steve and Tom, it was truly ahead of its time. I have many great memories of climbing and working there in the early days.
Our association with and support of the Climbing Wall Association, American Mountain Guides Association, Access Fund, and American Alpine Club over the years has been a source of pride. And the list of climbers who received their introduction to the sport at the BRG is truly staggering!
Some of our achievements might be worth noting:
Climber visits: over 1,000,000
Individual customers (waivers): about 250,000
Introductory lessons taught: about 50,000
Outdoor lessons taught: over 1,000The BRG has been an integral part of both Boston’s and the Nation’s climbing communities for a very long time. We have shared respectful relationships with more recent arrivals, starting with Metro Rock and then with Brooklyn Boulders and Central Rock. We have seen climbing move from a fringe activity to what it is today – an official Olympic sport in 2020!
It’s been a journey.
It’s never easy when something good comes to an end, but it’s also the opportunity for a new beginning. The Boston Rock Gym has paved the way for today’s climbers – that’s something that we all share and a legacy that we will leave behind as we look toward tomorrow. Between now and December let’s savor the friendships and community we’ve found at the BRG.”
Climb on,
Chris OConnell
Owner, Boston Rock Gym Inc.
