By now you’ve probably heard about the augmented reality game Pokémon Go. The insanely popular app is getting tons of press, and for good reason; in the last week, the game became the most downloaded and top grossing app, and is about to surpass Twitter for the number of daily active users. It’s also the first to bring the concept of augmented reality to a mass consumer audience.
Still confused about what it is? The New York Times breaks it down for us:
The game — in which players try to capture exotic monsters from Pokémon, the Japanese cartoon franchise — uses a combination of ordinary technologies built into smartphones, including location tracking and cameras, to encourage people to visit public landmarks, seeking virtual loot and collectible characters that they try to nab … Players traverse the physical world following a digital map, searching for cartoon creatures that surface at random. People look through their smartphone cameras to find Pokémon. When an animated creature appears, they toss Pokéballs at it until it is subdued.
In addition to tracking the animated characters all over town, players can visit virtual Pokémon Gyms that allow players to train and battle others, and PokéStops, which are essentially “general stores” for the game.
So how can your businesses capitalize on this emerging technology? Well, climbing gyms near existing PokéStops and Pokémon Gyms have an opportunity to embrace the phenomenon and its accompanying potential customers. There are great suggestions in this Forbes article, including using PokéStops at your business location as social media content, creating special events for Pokémon hunters in the neighborhood, offering special deals to Pokemon teams, and use the purchasable “Lure Module” which attracts Pokémon to a particular PokéStop for 30 minutes to draw extra attention during events or slow days.
The game developers have also indicated that in the near future they will be announcing details about sponsored locations inside Pokémon GO in the near future, which could provide an entirely novel form of digital advertising to businesses.
Regardless of whether or not you’re ready to jump on the Pokémon GO bandwagon yourself, keep in mind this game could be deploying an enormous wave of potential customers right to your doorstep. So if you haven’t yet checked it out yet, download it for free from the Google Play Store (where it is at #1 ahead of Snapchat and Facebook Messenger) or the Apple App Store – there’s a good chance you could already be one of these Gyms or PokéStops! If that’s the case, prepare for the influx of foot traffic and potential customers.
On July 7th, Ashima Shiraishi took a 45-foot ground fall at the Stone Summit climbing gym in Kennesaw, Georgia, according to Rock and Ice. Her father Hisatoshi Shiraishi was belaying her at the time of the accident.
Ashima Shiraishi. Photo for IFSC by Eddie Fowke.
Shiraishi, at 15 years old is considered one of the best climbers in the world, was training at the gym in preparation for the upcoming Youth Sport National Championship. Mr. Chiraishi is not only her father but also her coach and mentor. Though not a climber himself, he is an experienced belayer.
Her agent Jonathan Retseck told Rock and Ice, “She’s doing really well. She’s been up and walking around. She’s super sore and her back is bruised, but she’s recovering.”
Though well versed with a belay device, Hisatoshi Shiraishi succumbed to an all-too-common user error. According to Retseck, he accidently clasped down on the Grigri 2’s brake release lever that he was using to belay Ashima, which caused her to drop 45-feet to the padded floor.
Routesetting, the lonely art. Photo: CBJ
The Climbing Wall Association and the Petzl Technical Institute have developed a Work At Height training and assessment program for commercial and institutional climbing gym operations.
The three-day course combines instruction in the tools, techniques and management practices
for routesetters and other staff that access your climbing wall in day-to-day operations.
The Work At Height In Climbing Gyms course is designed to:
Improve the level of consistency and competency of employees working at height in climbing gyms
Define a consistent standard of care for employees working at height in climbing gyms
Evaluate the technical skills of employees working at height in climbing gyms
Provide candidates with guidance for managing a fall protection program in climbing gyms
Provide a means of promoting consistency and quality assurance for employees working at height in climbing gyms
This certification course will cover:
Administrative requirements
Specialized equipment
Practical techniques
Procedures for work at height as a gym employee
We will discuss the selection and use of vertical rope access fall arrest equipment and the application of certain industrial work at height techniques used in the climbing wall environment. While working at height on a climbing wall, course participants will demonstrate techniques for: Ascending; Descending; Work positioning; Self-belay; and Rescue.
Successful candidates should understand, and be able to implement, a comprehensive work-at-height program, and be able to train staff to work within that program.
Cost: $1000 / per person (3 day course – Includes catered lunches at Petzl America and discount referrals to neighboring hotels)
Date/Time:
07/20/16 – 07/22/16
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Location:
Petzl Technical Institute
2929 Decker Lake Drive
Salt Lake City, UT
The University of Iowa will have to pay a former student $75,000 after he fell 40 feet from the school’s climbing wall in 2012 and suffered serious injuries, including two crushed vertebrae in his spine, according to The Guardian. The climbing wall at the University of Iowa. Photo: Athletic Business By Kun Zhang, Dimension Images
From The Gazette:
Spencer Bean, who was both a UI student and university recreational services employee assigned to the climbing wall, fell off the 52.5-foot wall in the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center on Nov. 8, 2012.
He filed a lawsuit in June of 2014 accusing the university of negligence for, among other things, failing to properly supervise the apparatus, test equipment and train climbers. The State Appeal Board on Tuesday approved a $75,000 settlement with Bean, who in exchange agreed to drop his case against the university.
Bean, who was 21 at the time of his fall, described the incident in his lawsuit, explaining he was not working at the time and was “lead climbing” with a partner — relying on that person to belay him. As Bean neared the top of the wall, he fell 30 to 40 feet to the ground, landing on his feet, according to the lawsuit.
Following Bean’s accident, the university in 2012 closed its climbing wall and conducted an internal investigation. The inspection determined neither the wall nor its components contributed to the fall — although it didn’t establish a cause.
Risk Management officials did, however, suggest the university make some changes before reopening the wall, including mandating stricter training and testing policies, updating camera equipment, re-evaluating what non-UI equipment is allowed, and communicating to users that they are responsible for those devices.
The summer is shaping up to be a busy one for gym operators. Here’s a quick round up of just a few of the climbing gyms that are expanding their footprint, getting ready to break ground or just opening their doors for business.
The Bay-area based climbing gym developer is firmly planting their flag in the Chicago area with the announcement that they will build two full-size climbing facilities in the city. The two gyms will be the largest in the PG fleet and total 85,000 square feet of space.
PG also hinted at a third Chicago location in a recent press release: “There is a good community of climbers in the Northwest corridor along Milwaukee and we hope to have an announcement about a third facility there soon,” says Stephanie Ko Pound, Sr. Dir. of Marketing. “Our goal is to open a pod of facilities in the Northwest quadrant of Chicago to give a similar variety of climbing as we offer with our three Bay Area facilities.”
The word “gym” doesn’t seem like the right word to describe the type of facility that Vital likes to open. With their meticulously designed spaces, boutique bouldering lounge might be a better descriptor. Their newest facility, and fourth for the company opened this month in Oceanside, California and is the perfect example of Vital’s unique philosophy. The new Vital in Oceanside, CA.
Co-founders David Sacher and Nam Phan told Onside News:
“Nam likes to build things” said David “David likes to design things.” added Nam. Between the two, Vital Gym is a very aesthetically pleasing place. Roll up doors instead of windows to open up the place and let the ocean breeze flow through. Attractive lighting highlights the paneling and the custom self-built furniture and fixtures along with a kitchen, showers and a traditional weight machine area. Upstairs you will find a loft which includes a library, a meeting room for parties and a place for relaxation or just watch people bouldering plus a cardio area. “It’s an environment where members can feel like they have a second home. Obviously we don’t want people to live here but with the 24 hour access, you can be part of a community in a really comfortable environment.”
Climbers line up for some fresh climbing at Adventure Rock. Photo: Onmilwaukee.com
As early as 1 a.m. on June 18th, climbers were waiting in line to get their chalky fingers on the dozens of new climbing routes spread out over 16,000 square feet and up walls as high as 42 feet at the new Adventure Rock – Milwaukee location.
As CBJ reported earlier, Ad Rock’s newest facility is a one-of-a-kind project that combines urban living with urban fitness all under one roof.
Touchstone opened their eleventh location and their third bouldering-only facility called Hollywood Boulders in Hollywood, California earlier this month. The brightly colored, beautifully designed space is the company’s latest foray into the lucrative Los Angeles climbing market. Inside Hollywood Boulders. Photo: Touchstone
Touchstone also just announced a massive expansion of their extremely popular Dogpatch bouldering gym in San Francisco by moving into the neighboring space.
And, phase 2 is about to be finished at the Cliffs of Id location in Culver City. This includes adding lead and top rope walls to the already expansive bouldering area.
The silent giant, Central Rock recently announced a new location will be built in Warwick, Rhode Island south of Providence. This new 20,000 square foot facility will mark the company’s seventh, which puts them as the third largest developer in the US by number of locations and second largest by total climbing square footage.
Up in Whitefish, Canada a group of climbers are bring a bouldering gym to a local mall. The 24-hour climbing gym will cater to all ages and abilities, and include more than 3,000 square feet of climbing surface up to 14 feet high.
The Boardroom Climbing gym near Liverpool, England was ransacked last weekend by yobs who stole money from charity bins and the cash till.
The thieves snapped a padlock just after closing during daylight hours. David Thomas, one of the directors at the centre told the New North Wales, “They took the cash drawer and they smashed open the charity tins.”
The gym was outfited with a securty system, which was activated and CCTV which caught the men in the act. “I looked at the footage and they were stamping on the charity tins in reception and it really riled me straight away,” Thomas said.
Thomas said they have a thousand pounds in expenses with the theft of the till and damage to the building, while up to £200 was stolen from the charity tins.
“I think we got off quite lightly in the end and they must have known that they didn’t have much time,” he said.
The longtime Louisiana climbing gym, The Rok Haus, which opened in 1995, is changing hands and changing names. Arthur Cormier, who became nationally famous for a video of him chair bouldering, is turning the Lafayette gym over to husband and wife team, 28-year-old Kelley Matt, and 29-year-old Jonathon Matt. A new look for Rok Haus. Photo: Soutern Stone FB
The gym will be rebranded as Southern Stone and feature extensive remodeling efforts.
“We were really close with Art and my husband started kind of managing the gym around December. We’ve been in talks for a little bit about the sale,” Kelley Matt told The Advertiser.
According to the Acadiana Active, the Matts have both previously worked as route setters at The Rok Haus and Jonathan has been managing since December.
Kelley said, “Our previous owner is moving to Yosemite to continue climbing, and he didn’t want to leave the Acadiana area without passing his baby on and continuing to grow the climbing community, so that’s where we’ll take over.”
“We are doing so much,” Matt said. “We knew that the Rok Haus had this great legacy because of Art. We wanted it to continue to be with climbing, but keep it fresh. We want to still continue a lot of the principles and things that Art did.”
The gym has been closed since June 4 for the remodel and has their re-Grand Opening last weekend.
Climbers getting fit at Planet Granite Portland. Photo: CBJ
More Americans participated in climbing activities in 2015 than in 2014, according to a report put together by the Physical Activity Council and PHIT America.
4.6 million people participated in either sport climbing, bouldering or indoor climbing last year, ranking climbing seventieth on the list of the top 111 activities in America — just beating out gymnastics, track & field and a number of other traditional sports (traditional, ice and mountain climbing also made the list at number ninety-five with 2.5 million people participating in 2015).
PHIT America compiled their list of the top 111 activities and sports for 2016 based on the PHYSICAL Activity Council and Sports Marketing surveys.
The report noted that from 2007 to 2014 the climbing participation level only grew by 18,732 people. But from 2014 to 2015 participation grew by 148,287.
Climbing and all its forms (even indoor climbing) are counted in the report under the “outdoor” category. When taken together, all “outdoor” activities remained flat, which is a continuing trend since 2012, decreasing, on average, 1% over the last 5 years.
This flies in the face of the general assumption that the crags and trails of America are becoming overcrowded. This statistic also contravenes the exceptional growth climbing gyms and the climbing industry have experienced over the last five years. However, upon further inspection it makes a bit more sense, since climbing is lumped together in the report with a myriad of other activities, such as birdwatching, camping, snowshoeing and wakeboarding, among others.
Demographics
When it comes to being active, the Gen Z population (born in 2000 or later) prefer outdoor sports (62%) and team sports (57%), being the highest participation rate in both categories compared to other generations. This is great news for climbing gyms and those selling climbing gear. This age group has been in climbing gyms their whole life and are comfortable there. They will shortly come into adulthood and the financial independence that bestows.
When it comes to being active, most of the population prefers a form of fitness followed by outdoor activities. While both winter and water sports are only participated in by less than 15% of the population, their rates have increased over the past year. Both outdoor and racquet sports remain flat and individual sports show a decrease. This decrease has been a continuing trend since 2012, decreasing, on average, 1% over the last 5 years.
In terms of interest, all age groups continue to look at swimming as a means for future fitness. Followed heavily by outdoor activities, such as camping and biking. Fitness activities are featured high on the list for most adult age groups while team sports are more attractive to the youths.
Inactivity and Aspirational Participants
There were 81.6 million inactive Americans in 2015 compared to 82.7 million inactive Americans in 2014, marking the largest year-over-year drop since 2010, according to the report.
The report stated that while these rates seem to fluctuate over the last five years, the 2014 to 2015 decrease (0.6%) is the largest drop since 2010. This showed that 1.2 million people who were inactive in 2014, participated in a some sort of fitness activity in 2015. Although this doesn’t make up for half of the Americans who became inactive in 2014 (2.6 million from 2013), the 1.2 million additional active people in 2015 was the most gain of active people over the last five years
“Inactivity” is defined to include those participants who reported no physical activity in 2015 and an additional 18 sports/fitness activities that require minimal to no physical exertion.
However, there are still 81.6 million inactive Americans. Inactivity decreased for most age groups, with 13 to 17 year olds having the biggest drop (1.4%) and 35 to 44 year olds having the lowest decrease (0.2%) in 2015. While those Americans between the ages of 45 to 54 remained flat in inactivity, there was a gradual increase in inactivity for 55 to 64 year olds.
Bring a Friend
The report also tracks those individuals that wish to be active but for reasons of their own are not. These “aspirational” participants reported that having someone to participate with or having a friend bring them along would be a strong motivator to start a new activity. While having more free time was mentioned to be helpful, more people felt that their current health was a big hindrance.
Ways to Get a Non-participants Involved in Activities
“One of the most important findings of this report and an overall trend that we’re seeing across activity sectors is people prefer to participate with friends,” Christine Fanning, executive director, Outdoor Foundation, said in a statement. “As we try to engage new audiences, it will be critical to highlight, promote and even expand the social aspects of activities.”
Climbing is essentially a solo activity, yet it is also a very social one. Climbing gyms in particular have used the power of community to market to those people that are not attracted to traditional sports. And gym operators should use this report to set up special events in which members are encouraged to bring a friend or other social gatherings.
Methodology
There’s more information and a further breakdown of demographics in the full report. You can also find the methodology of how the report was put together.
PHIT America is a non-profit campaign focused on promoting active, fit and healthy living through education, supporting school-based activity programs and other advocation.
The Physical Activity Council is made up of IHRSA, SFIA, the National Golf Foundation, the Outdoor Industry Association and Outdoor Foundation, Snowsports Industry of America, the Tennis Industry Association, the United States Tennis Association and USA Football.
