National Training Center Plans Remain Paused; Task Force Releases Report—Latest Updates

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March 29, 2024

USA Climbing’s development of a new National Training Center (pictured) continues to be on pause as the organization collects and considers feedback from its stakeholders, and a new report from USAC’s Gym Partner Task Force highlights some of the ongoing concerns gym operators have with the project. (Image from USA Climbing)

[Editor’s Note: This story has been updated from the original piece published on January 2.]

In the latest developments to the ongoing story about USA Climbing’s plans to construct a new National Training Center, USA Climbing’s Gym Partner Task Force recently released a report summarizing its findings of the past several weeks.

The 7-page report culls together information garnered from an online survey, roundtable discussions with gym owners and operators, and other modes of outreach. Those various efforts to gather feedback—and the creation of the Task Force itself—came after many gym owners and operators around the country expressed significant concerns over USA Climbing’s ambitions to construct a new national training center in Salt Lake City with a commercial gym component.

The Task Force’s new report, which is viewable here, notes that USA Climbing received 62 responses to its aforementioned online survey and had “direct conversations with approximately 25-30 individual gym owners/operators,” as well as five roundtable sessions attended by 30 participants. The report also notes that gym operators who were communicative in the feedback “generally expressed their support for USA Climbing,” particularly in matters of developing elite competition climbers and growing the sport of climbing.

However, the report specifies that many gym owners and operators felt they were not consulted in the “scale and direction” of the Training Center’s plans—and remain concerned about the implication of a commercial component to a National Training Center facility. Of note is that 94% of the survey respondents did not indicate support of memberships available to the general public as a potential revenue source for the National Training Center, and the response was similar for day passes (90%).

The report states: “One of the common themes of the feedback is confusion about what exactly is being proposed—from the square footage of the facility, to how much it will cost to build, to the business model that is being used to confirm its financial viability. Many have asked for clarity from [USA Climbing] about what are the documented ‘needs’ for a facility versus what are the ‘wants’ (e.g., ‘nice to haves’). Regardless of their level of support for the project, everyone indicated that they are looking for greater clarity and transparency about when and how the [USA Climbing] Board plans to make these decisions and better ongoing communication and engagement with its stakeholders about what it plans to do.”

Despite those lingering concerns, the Task Force’s report highlights a “fair amount of support” for a purpose-built (national) facility to host large-scale competitions—which has long been one of the intended roles of any new National Training Center. And, according to the report, the current pause in the development of the Training Center will remain in place as USA Climbing continues to “consider [the] candid and constructive feedback about the purpose and scope of the [National Training Center].”

In an effort to garner feedback [unaffiliated with USA Climbing or its Task Force] and gauge current industry sentiment, CBJ reached out independently to several gym operators. Most responses and prevailing opinions hovered between frustration and resignation over the entire National Training Center saga. As one gym operator told CBJ, “I think there has been a fairly widespread loss of confidence that USA Climbing leadership will make any meaningful change in strategy…They are exploring alternative ways to fund their concept but…it seems they will likely fall back on the commercial concept if they can’t find an alternative. As most of us already assume, there is probably no way to permanently fund an event and training space this size without running it as a commercial facility. This makes the Task Force effort to collect feedback that has already been provided many times feel like lip service. I do appreciate the effort the Task Force has made, and I empathize with their position because they have been put in a difficult spot to try and collect feedback for how to use $15m in funding that has already been granted for a very specific vision.”

Stay tuned for further updates to this story.

Video Roundtables To Be USA Climbing’s Newest Tools for Decreasing Training Center Pushback – Latest Updates

Published February 16, 2024

USA Climbing Gym Partner Task Force — USA Climbing is now planning a series of roundtable discussions with climbing gym owners to address concerns around the planned National Training Center in Salt Lake City. (Pictured: members of the USAC Gym Partner Task Force presenting in the video update)

In the latest update to the ongoing and far-reaching industry conversation about USA Climbing’s proposed new National Training Center, USA Climbing recently released a 15-minute YouTube video update from its “Gym Partner Task Force.” The video features members of the task force introducing themselves and addressing some of the exposition that led to the task force’s creation.

The video is a precursor to what is being deemed Phase 2 of a process, with Phase 1 being the current gathering of feedback, objections and suggestions from gym owners and operators related to the proposed Training Center. The feedback is predominantly being collected online through USA Climbing’s National Training Center survey.

“The purpose of our task force is to identify ways to rebuild trust with the owners and operators of gyms around the country—and we acknowledge that we are currently in a trust deficit with many of you,” task force member Steve Struthers states in the YouTube video’s opening.

Later in the video, task force member Kyra Condie says, “We know that many of you are eager to move beyond surveys and engage in direct dialogue with us, and we’ve already had a lot of one-on-one conversations with gym owners since the task force has started—but we are really looking forward to hearing from more of you, and so we’re ready to deepen that engagement through a series of video roundtables.”

The roundtables will run for approximately 90 minutes and be comprised of 10-12 gym owners—with specific topics being in focus for each session. USA Climbing explained to CBJ that gyms possessing a USA Climbing membership will be invited (via email) to participate in the roundtables. Completion of the aforementioned National Training Center survey will not be a prerequisite for roundtable inclusion.

An email sent later by USA Climbing to a number of gym owners specified the following dates and times (in MT time zone) for upcoming roundtable discussions, while also offering the gyms an opportunity to pre-register:

Wednesday 2/21 from 10:30 a. to 12:00 pm
Friday 2/23 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Tuesday 2/27 from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Wednesday 2/28 from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Thursday 2/29 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm

The email from USA Climbing also explained that the agenda for each roundtable will include a review of the results of the gym survey and an “interactive discussion of emerging ideas related to the proposed components of the [National Training Center] project—athlete development, event hosting, and community access.”

Some time of each roundtable session will also be devoted to discussing the relationship between USA Climbing and gyms. “We are planning to do more engagement around this topic in the months ahead,” the email added.

Stay tuned to CBJ for continuing coverage of this story.

Task Force Survey Does Little to Lessen Gyms’ Concerns About New National Training Center; Shocking Board of Directors Resignation

Published January 31, 2024

2022 USAC Youth Regionals at Mesa Rim North City — Gym owners around the country continued to express anger and frustration following USA Climbing’s recent task force survey regarding the planned National Training Center, and on Monday the lone gym representative on USAC’s Board of Directors, Alice Kao, resigned. (Pictured: a USAC Youth Regionals Lead/Top Rope event held at Mesa Rim North City in 2022; photo by Jason Chang @theshortbeta)

This week marks the official halfway point of USA Climbing’s self-imposed 45-day pause on plans to develop a new National Training Center. Yet, there is still anger and frustration among gym owners as to the lack of communication from USA Climbing during the pause. There are also growing doubts about the effectiveness of a task force, which was put in place by USA Climbing to gather feedback from gym owners about the National Training Center’s development.

“We were really optimistic when we heard about the task force,” Jeffery Bowling, Creative and Business Development Director at the Touchstone gyms, told CBJ. “Unfortunately, the only communication from the task force is the survey they sent out [January 25].”

The online survey referenced by Bowling invites climbing gyms to offer feedback on the National Training Center, and USA Climbing has indicated that a similar survey will soon be open to feedback from competitors, parents and coaches. But Bowling feels that many aspects of USA Climbing’s proposed National Training Center—such as its commercial component, as well as the center’s ability to host events—have already been decided, at least according to the verbiage of the survey.

“It seems like the task force is already working in a framework for the [National Training Center] that many of us fundamentally oppose,” Bowling elaborated, speaking on behalf of multiple gym owners. “It was my hope that the task force would take a much bigger picture view of this project and see how it could work for all stakeholders. Instead it seems to be asking us to accept that many aspects of this project are already set in stone and are not open for discussion.”

Other gym owners and operators feel similarly. Wes Shih, co-founder of Sender One, explained that the task force feels like merely a veneer, asking for feedback but in a manner that forces only positive responses. In that framework, Shih detects a level of bias that makes the task force’s efforts feel incomplete at best and disingenuous at worst, in his opinion.

Dustin Buckthal, CEO/CFO of The Front, told CBJ, “Our perception is that USAC is intent on forming a counter-coalition to defend its existing commercial-based plans, rather than genuinely considering any alternative paths to a National Training Center. The initial engagement from the much-awaited task force was merely an online survey. This survey was seemingly designed to support their predetermined agenda rather than to sincerely gather diverse opinions or collect insights that could contribute to alternative visions for a National Training Center.”

Buckthal added, “So far, this disjointed process hasn’t been the dialogue and transparency we had hoped for when USAC promised it.”

Adding to frustrations with USA Climbing’s task force survey was a public statement from a task force member last week, which read: The Gym Partner Task Force looks forward to continued opportunities to thoughtfully address the many perspectives regarding the Training Center, this Task Force’s work, and the broader engagement between USAC and its gym partners. The Task Force is currently communicating directly with USA Climbing’s gym partners to collect feedback, build connections, and engage those partners in the development of this project’s vision.

“That all sounds very nice and responsive,” Jon Lachelt, co-founder and general manager of Ascent Studio, said to CBJ about the statement. “How the ‘engage those partners in the development of this project’s vision’ actually plays out is the key to our contention with USA Climbing. The ‘vision’ seems already to have been set.” Lachelt added, “The vision that has already been presented will by definition have the [National Training Center] in direct competition with their supposedly ‘partner’ gyms. It’s hard to believe that USA Climbing will be able to correct this misstep in such a way that satisfies their gym partners and still fulfills USA Climbing’s commitments to the legislative stakeholders.”

When pressed for more information regarding that statement from the task force, USA Climbing explained that the task force has thus far had conversations with “about 10 gym partners,” and through the survey received “more than 40 responses.” Those responses will be analyzed this week. “We recognize the urgency that many gym partners are feeling around this project,” Steve Struthers, one of the members of the task force, told CBJ. “Our focus, as volunteers with additional Board and non-USAC responsibilities, has been on setting up a plan for gym partner engagement, a communication of that plan to the gym partner community, and the development of our initial [National Training Center] survey.”

In another significant development, Alice Kao, CEO of the aforementioned Sender One, resigned from the USA Climbing Board of Directors on January 29. In a letter of resignation, Kao wrote, “While I started my tenure with hope and optimism, I have now lost all confidence in this Board’s ability to lead USA Climbing and steward competition climbing in the way this sport deserves.”

Kao was the only member of USA Climbing’s Board with direct ties to the ownership of a climbing gym, and she was also a previous recipient of the ‘Small Business’ Person of the Year award from the U.S. Small Business Administration. At a representative level, her exit from the Board puts additional figurative distance between USA Climbing and the commercial operation of gyms—a disconnect that lies at the heart of many gyms’ objections to the National Training Center.

Further in her resignation letter, Kao condemned USA Climbing and its Board of Directors for failing to uphold its core values, including Integrity and Teamwork, as well as Inspiration and Excellence. “This Board has made ongoing decisions to steer financial and operational resources away from youth climbing, which provides USA Climbing most of its annual budget,” Kao explained. “This disproportionate focus toward the elite levels of our sport needs to change. This Board has capitalized on the love so many constituencies have for this sport and for their own communities while at the same time denying them a voice in decision making.”

The USA Climbing Board of Directors responded to Kao’s resignation with their own statement after CBJ reached out. They pushed back on Kao’s comments, and listed a variety of current and future initiatives to demonstrate they are “continuing to engage our many stakeholders to solicit advice, feedback, and to grow the sport we love for years to come.” Additionally, they signaled intent to fill the vacant Board position with a gym owner.

As illustrated in Kao’s letter, increasing frustrations from gym owners are evolving into larger, more substantive mistrust of USA Climbing. When asked how the National Training Center controversy has affected his gym’s relationship with USA Climbing, Jon Lachelt of Ascent Studio said, “Unsure at this point. Unrelated to this project, our gym does not have any USA Climbing comps on our calendar for 2024 yet, so we haven’t had to make any specific decisions about hosting a comp for [USA Climbing]. That said, it’s certainly been in our consciousness as we plan for the fall.”

Lachelt’s comments came just a week after Ian McIntosh, CEO of the Mesa Rim gyms, chose to forgo the tentative hosting of a Divisional Championship youth competition in objection to the National Training Center’s proposed commercial gym component.

Stay tuned to CBJ for continuing coverage of this story.

National Training Center Pushback Affects Comp Schedule and Multi-Million-Dollar Loan for The Front

Published January 25, 2024

Preparing to set routes at The Front SLC — A $2 million loan to The Front for a sizable expansion project in Salt Lake City has been put on pause, amid ongoing pushback around USA Climbing’s plans for a new National Training Center in the area. (Photo by Hayden Hulsey of The Front’s South Main location, courtesy of Proxy Climbing)

The 45-day pause that effectively put USA Climbing’s ambitious plans for a new National Training Center on hold has been in place for over two weeks. But the pause has not stopped the hot-button issue of the Training Center’s development from continuing to have ramifications and reverberations in multiple areas of the climbing industry.

For instance, as reported last week by BuildingSaltLake.com, a director from the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency (SLCRA) notified CEO/CFO of The Front, Dustin Buckthal, that a previously approved $2 million expansion loan for The Front was being paused. The move was noteworthy because SLCRDA is also enwrapped in the lease procedures for the aforementioned USA Climbing Training Center in Salt Lake City—a plan that Buckthal publicly opposed, particularly due to the Training Center’s proposed commercial gym (for-profit) component.

“Your opposition to the [National Training Center] project has expanded from a narrow opposition to the commercial gym component to opposing the project wholesale,” a missive to Buckthal from the SLCRA stated.

Buckthal went on record saying that he does not, in fact, oppose the wholesale concept of a new national Training Center, but feels that a commercial component of a new Training Center would be in direct competition with the commercial operations of The Front, which is also based in Salt Lake City.

In a January 19 message to USA Climbing’s gym partners, USAC CEO Marc Norman affirmed that the loan pause “was a decision solely made by the [Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency]…”

Reverberations are also being felt outside of Salt Lake City. Mesa Rim, which operates gyms in Texas, Nevada and California, was “penciled in” as the host for an upcoming Divisional Championship—but recently chose to forgo any such hosting duties in its facilities.

Ian McIntosh, Mesa Rim’s CEO, was one of the many gym owners who publicly opposed the new Training Center’s commercial gym component earlier this month. McIntosh told CBJ that he is yet to see any “meaningful engagement or clear change in strategy” by USA Climbing. “We are not hosting any competitions that were not already under contract at this time,” McIntosh explained. “I am deeply committed to supporting youth climbing and it saddens me that USA Climbing is moving in a direction that is not in the best interest of 99 percent of youth climbers in this country. My goal in taking a stand on this issue is in large part to ensure that all youth climbers get the support they need from USA Climbing in the future.”

A USA Climbing task force was created to gather feedback from gym owners amid the 45-day pause in the Training Center’s development. In his January 19 message, Norman indicated the task force will be reaching out to USAC’s gym partners this week.

Stay tuned to CBJ for further updates as the 45-day pause continues.

USA Climbing’s Plans for a New National Training Center Paused Amid Protests from Gym Owners—Latest Updates

Published January 9, 2024

2023 Youth Nationals scene by Daniel Gajda — USA Climbing’s plan for a new National Training Center in Salt Lake City has been paused for at least 45 days while a task force gathers stakeholder feedback. (Photo of the 2023 USAC Youth National Championships in Salt Lake City, courtesy of USAC, photo by Daniel Gajda)

Talks between gym owners and USA Climbing—pertaining to USA Climbing’s plans for a new Training Center in Salt Lake City—have continued this week. Development of the Training Center remains a hot-button issue.

Most recently, on January 9, USA Climbing’s board of directors and the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City—commonly known as SLCRDA—agreed “to pause the process for securing a ground lease for a National Training Center site,” according to a USA Climbing letter.

The pause will remain in place for at least 45 days as discussions continue between all relevant parties. As part of the ongoing dialogue, USA Climbing also announced the creation of a task force to “gather, analyze, and assess valuable feedback from gym owners…[and] explore ways to build and rebuild connections and trust between USAC and its core partners.” Another primary goal of the creation of the task force is to engage gym owners in the ongoing development of a new training center. The five members of the task force are: Maureen Beck, Kyra Condie, Laura Domoto, Deana Labriola, and Steve Struthers.

That recent update comes on the heels of a group call hosted by Climbing Wall Association on January 4, during which a number of gym owners expressed their ongoing concerns about the Training Center—and, in particular, expounded on their objections to a would-be commercial gym component of the Training Center. USA Climbing’s Board of Directors hosted a meeting for gym owners that same day, January 4.

Gyms Unify in Protest of USA Climbing’s Plan for a New National Training Center

Published January 2, 2024

USA Climbing’s plan for a new National Training Center in Salt Lake City has been under scrutiny by gym operators around the country. (Photo of the 2023 USAC National Team Trials at Mesa Rim Austin, courtesy of Mesa Rim)

USA Climbing’s National Training Center development project, which has been in the works for some time, has recently received intense pushback from a number of prominent climbing gyms. Specifically, many gym owners have expressed increased displeasure and concern that a commercial gym portion of the new National Training Center will draw customers away from preexisting commercial climbing gyms—particularly those gyms in the Salt Lake City area where the National Training Center will reside. Some climbing gym owners also feel that the commercial gym portion of the National Training Center could potentially monopolize the hosting of large-scale American climbing competitions. And behind these concerns is a belief that USAC has been proceeding with the National Training Center development without close enough consultation with gym owners, a key stakeholder group known to have been fundamental to the organization’s solvency and growth over the years.

One of the first formal expressions of such concerns came on December 10, when several executives at The Front Climbing Club (CEO Dustin Buckthal, Chief of Staff Justin Wyse, and Director of Routesetting Eddie Morillas) collectively authored a letter to USA Climbing declaring opposition to the National Training Center’s commercial climbing gym component. “The Front has been a strong supporter of USAC events, staff, and athletes for many years, but we have consistently communicated our opposition to USAC opening a commercial climbing gym in Salt Lake,” the letter stated, adding, “…a publicly funded, directly competing commercial climbing gym mere blocks from established, local gyms is not in line with USAC’s mission or recognition of ‘the critical role that climbing gyms play in our organization.’”

The letter stressed that The Front does support the need for a larger, dedicated training space for the USA National Team athletes—but would suspend USA Climbing events/competitions at The Front gyms “until we have assurances that the project will be in line with USAC’s mission and not a direct threat to our business.”

Further developments after that initial letter from The Front included a Zoom call with Climbing Wall Association representatives and multiple gym owners. And on December 21, USA Climbing President and CEO Marc Norman responded to the mounting concerns with a letter of his own. Norman stated, “Our vision for the [National Training Center] is not that of a typical commercial climbing gym. The [National Training Center] will be different, it is not solely focused on generating revenue. It will be purpose built to host major National and International events with spectator capacities ranging from 1000+ in the indoor comp spaces to 3500+ in the outdoor comp spaces. It will provide high-performance athletes with dedicated training, locker rooms, and recovery spaces—not only for elite adult athletes, but also paraclimbing athletes with an accessibility focus throughout.”

Norman’s letter also explained that the National Training Center would exist and operate as an LLC separate from the USA Climbing governing body organization—and that “income generated from the [National Training Center] will be reinvested into the sport nationwide.”

More recently, on December 28, another letter was collectively written and signed by operators and owners representing 75 gym locations in total—including Robyn Raboutou of ABC Kids Climbing, Jon Lachelt of Ascent Studio, Ian Anderson of Climb So Ill, Jon Shepard of First Ascent, Jason Haas of G1, Ian McIntosh of Mesa Rim, Wes Shih of Sender One, Kristin Horowitz of The Pad, Jeffery Bowling of Touchstone, and others. “To be abundantly clear: We oppose the USA Climbing gym project as currently envisioned,” the recent letter stated. “We cannot and do not support a poorly vetted, unilaterally executed decision by USA Climbing to radically shift its direction from its core mission to undertake a commercial endeavor that conflicts with USA Climbing’s own non-profit structure, history of grassroots development of competition climbing, and cooperation with the national commercial climbing gym community.”

That recent letter by myriad gym operators also elucidated gyms’ concerns related to “a growing inability of USA Climbing leadership to manage its operations, communicate with and serve its constituents, and carry out its core mission and primary responsibilities – all with an absence of accountability.”

The situation remains ongoing, with those aforementioned gym operators requesting that USA Climbing pause the National Training Center development project for the time being. According to the December 28 letter, “there is currently a USA Climbing Board meeting scheduled for January 3rd, where the Board plans to discuss and approve what USA Climbing plans to present to the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency on January 9th for the purpose of receiving a site for the gym project.”

Stay tuned to CBJ for updates and further coverage of this story.

Indoor Climbing Expo 2023 – Observations From the Floor

Climbing Business Journal

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March 29, 2024

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Indoor Climbing Expo routesetter roundtable — The inaugural Indoor Climbing Expo last December brought together businesses, professionals and climbers for a fresh take on climbing industry gatherings stateside that offered a little something for everyone. (Pictured: the routesetting roundtable panelists; all Expo photos by Andrew Gonzalez @agonzaphoto)

In 2023, multiple climbing industry trade shows took place for the first time in North America, and in the United States that trade show was the Indoor Climbing Expo. Over 40 industry brands and organizations had booths at the event’s debut, held at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Tennessee from December 12-16. The weeklong gathering featured roundtable discussions on hot indoor climbing topics, educational seminars on gym development and operation, hold shaping/maintenance and rope art activities, certification courses and routesetting/training clinics at local gyms, a job fair, a board competition with pro athletes, a CBJ Grip Showcase and more. And when not touring the vendor booths in the Expo Hall or networking with other industry insiders, attendees were often out climbing the trad, sport and bouldering crags or hitting the trails around Chattanooga.

Also of note about the Expo, besides the business-to-business (B2B) happenings, was the business-to-consumer (B2C) side of the event. While not the first trade show in the climbing industry worldwide to combine the two concepts—the Salon de l’Escalade in France, for instance, which premiered in 2019, includes a B2C focus—the inaugural edition of the Expo was perhaps America’s most noteworthy climbing industry gathering in recent memory to be marketed to both insiders and the general public. The trade show was also billed as having low financial barriers to entry. “We want everyone there,” the Expo’s founder, Travis Williams, had said on the CBJ Podcast ahead of the event.

In case you missed the show, below are observations from some of the attendees on the floor, and stay tuned to CBJ for updates on year two of the Expo, set for March 19-22, 2025.

Trade Shows Can Be for Everyone by Mario Stanley
The Industry Isn’t Slowing Down by Gavin Heverly
Innovations Are Around Every Corner by Zachary Joseph

Trade Shows Can Be for Everyone

By Mario Stanley

This past December, I attended the first Indoor Climbing Expo in Chattanooga, TN. My focus was on representing The Global Climbing Initiative and recording podcast episodes for my show, Sends And Suffers.

This event was a vibe…a throwback to 2008, hanging out in the climbing section of Outdoor Retailer. There was a genuine sense and feeling of community in that room at the Chattanooga Convention Center; I think that feeling was amplified by the general public having access to the Expo, in addition to insiders. I heard people talking with excitement about attending a clinic or session, and they didn’t even have an industry job.

Exhibit Hall at the Expo — Exhibitor booths in the Expo Hall showcased a wide array of businesses serving gyms and climbers, from apparel companies to gear manufacturers, software companies and more.

I tend to get lost in the motions of these trade shows sometimes, but this one was different. I spoke with Jack from Sōshin, a t-shirt design company based in Florida that may currently have the best drip in the game. Climbing has kept bringing him and his six childhood buddies back to Chattanooga for years, helping to keep the bond strong between them all.

I spoke with routesetters at the Expo who are passionate about important topics, like fair pay and the creation of career pathways within our industry—topics I believe need more consideration in our industry.

During my time, I had the opportunity to sit down with Pete Woods, a Canadian climbing legend and sportscaster who is looking for new opportunities in the sports world. I spoke with Katie Jo Myers, an accomplished climbing athlete and creative who has suffered a significant loss in her life but still creates and carries on.

These are just a few of the people who sat down with me at the Expo. We talked about the journey that life has taken them on and how to make the most of the time we have now and be present in our lives.

The Indoor Climbing Expo is an event that is here to stay. It is not OR, not CWA, nor does it strive to be. It’s a unique event that has a real chance of bringing the consumer climbing community into a much closer relationship with the commercial side of indoor climbing. In a way, that connection really could lead to the next stage of organic growth and evolution in our industry. It is no secret that over the past ten years, indoor climbing has seen rapid growth in the number of gyms opening across the United States, combined with the popularity of climbing films hitting the mainstream and an upcoming appearance in the Olympics. We will continue to see climbing grow and new climbers enter the sport.

The Indoor Climbing Expo was a place where we can all come together and collaborate on new concepts. I believe it has the possibility to do so well into the future. I look forward to going next time and hope you’ll join me in Chattanooga in 2025 for year two.

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About the Author

Mario Stanley has been a leader in the climbing community as an indoor climbing coach for just under two decades and an outdoor climbing guide for several years. You may have heard him hosting conversations with industry climbers and professionals on one of the 80 podcast episodes at Sends And Suffers, a show which has been running since 2020. Additionally, he was a contestant on the upcoming HBO Max series The Climb. This experience gave him a unique perspective on both the B2C and B2B side of the climbing industry.

The Industry Isn’t Slowing Down

By Gavin Heverly

To me, Chattanooga was an excellent and almost symbolic choice for the inaugural Indoor Climbing Expo. Chattanooga is somewhat of a sleeper climbing town. You rarely hear much about this town in the climbing world. Chatty is not a coastal city, it’s not Boulder or Salt Lake or any of the places the industry tends to gravitate toward, but the Great Smoky Mountains just outside of town host what is surely some of the most amazing climbing in the U.S.

And much in the way that Chattanooga is not the heavy hitting, superstar rock climbing town, the Indoor Climbing Expo has arisen seemingly out of nowhere to be a viable complement to some of the more established summits, conferences and trade shows in our space.

As someone who has been in the industry for 25 years now, I can say with confidence that this profusion of new industry gatherings is a good thing. Optionality creates option value. Competition keeps the market more honest and gives consumers choice. When this evolution happens, it is a sure sign the industry is growing.

Signs of growth were everywhere I looked at the Indoor Climbing Expo, despite its modest attendance. I counted over 20 different hold brands showcased at the Expo. And of note, I had heard of maybe only half of them before. There were at least four software companies. Read that sentence again. Four. Software companies. At a climbing industry expo. There was also an insurance brokerage, outdoor clothing brands, and on and on.

I felt fortunate to have a front-row seat at the show. I ran a few seminars, all of which were well attended, with new faces, dozens of prospective gym owners, and existing chains hoping to scale. Importantly, the content from those seminars was also broadcast live from the Expo, and two recordings—Opening a Climbing Gym: Adjusting the Dials of Development and Scale Your Business, Scale Your Team: Professional Development and Org Structure Planning—are available for those who couldn’t make it. To my knowledge, it may be the first time a trade show in the industry has held seminars that were broadcast live and made available on demand.

"Opening a Gym" seminar — In addition to discussions about opening and scaling a climbing gym business, other seminars and roundtables at the Expo delved into routesetting, insurance, gym-to-crag programming, and sustainability. (Pictured: Chris Ryan leading the “Opening A Gym” seminar)

I was on a panel about opening gyms, with people from every market imaginable asking questions, including Florida. There were at least four people in the room opening gyms in Florida. I discovered climbing while in Florida (R.I.P. Gainesville Rock Gym), so I am not at all hating on the Sunshine State. I am, however, saying that having multiple people taking on the Florida market is absolutely a sign of continued growth in our industry. I handed out more business cards and shook more hands than I have at any other industry event to date. People were excited about growth, opportunity, and seeing what’s happening in the industry.

I spoke to people who lived in Bali. I had a long chat with people who had just moved back to the U.S. from working at gyms in Australia. I spoke to business owners from multiple countries. I saw maybe three or four different podcasts being filmed.

I could go on, but I think you get the point. It was exciting to see it all come together, with a good showing of owners, aspiring owners, routesetters, managers, consultants and vendors, all showcasing that our industry is not slowing down any time soon. And I’m excited to continue my now 25-year-long journey in the industry watching and supporting its continued growth.

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About the Author

Gavin Heverly has been working in the climbing industry for 25 years and is the founder of Rise Above Consulting. He has spent most of his life pursuing his passion for growth, climbing, fitness and adventure. That journey has allowed him to apply a unique set of skills and experiences in leadership, operations, team development, and scaling culture and strategy to a variety of real-world challenges and opportunities. Gavin is also a volunteer with a mountain search and rescue team and an avid climber.

Innovations Are Around Every Corner

By Zachary Joseph

When I walked into the exposition hall for the first time, a familiar voice—Travis Williams’ of sToKed Climbing—was heard as Vanilla Ice’s classic “Ice Ice Baby” was blaring on the speakers. A strong sense of excitement permeated the air. As I walked down the corridors, I saw visually inviting, colorful, shiny globs of plastic expertly arranged on booth walls, and people were smiling as they shook hands and greeted one another in person for the first time. Many of these people, myself included, had spent years talking to other hold aficionados in the industry, but for many folks it was their first time meeting each other face to face. This was the Indoor Climbing Expo’s debut, and it was the first time I had personally attended a climbing convention.

The elephant in the room, when it comes to climbing grips, was that it was very clear that the climbing holds/macros/volumes sector is changing and adapting faster than ever to the growing demands of climbing gyms, competitions at all levels, as well as demand from routesetters and climbers.

Hold brands at the Expo — More than 50 climbing hold companies from around the world were represented at the Expo, which made for a colorful Expo Hall full of new creations and timeless classics on the grips market.

Innovations were around every corner—such as environmentally vacuum-thermoformed plastic from large companies like Blocz in Germany, which was at the show with Bold Climbing, as well as smaller companies like Absolute Climbing from Alex Waterhouse of Contact Climbing in the UK, who is also exploring reparation and recycling technology.

There were also new polyurethane creations on display—such as those of Ocelot Climbing, which has arguably risen to the brands at the forefront of modular climbing with their Shade Theory wedges and Mass Slopers, two complementary lines of wedges and spheres that can be placed on top of or beside one another in myriad ways.

Long-established companies were also present—such as Kilter Grips, which some may argue started the modular climbing trend through their various Complex series of holds. In addition, more companies are starting to produce and distribute overseas—such as newcomer Lacuna Climbing from China, as well as the new branch of Method Asia which was announced.

Across the board, the shapes were amazing. So, instead of singling any one out, here’s a bonus breakdown of every grips-related booth that was on the floor at the inaugural Indoor Climbing Expo.

I have been not only routesetting for nearly two decades but also climbing on interesting holds, macros and volumes for over 20 years now. At the Expo, the progress we have made as a sport and as an industry was on display for everyone to see, and one thing was very clear: The holds sector will continue to move forward with new trends, technology, professionalism and shaping capabilities in ways that no one will be able to predict entirely. And all of this progress is made possible through the passion and hard work of these creators, shapers and setters.

Through it all, the team kids will get stronger, more athletes will compete and excel at all levels of climbing competitions—from local to regional, national international and Olympic stages—the average climber will climb harder, and more people than ever will be able to climb on great climbing grips, experiencing what made us all fall in love with this great sport. And that progress is worth celebrating. See you at the Indoor Climbing Expo 2025!

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About the Author

Zachary Joseph is a routesetter of almost 20 years and runs a social media company that has been around since 2019, called Climbing Hold News Reviews. So, you could say he knows a thing or two about climbing holds, and he’s always psyched to break down the latest and greatest shapes of hold companies big and small from around the globe.

A to Z Holds Breakdown From the Indoor Climbing Expo Hall

Zachary Joseph

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March 29, 2024

0

The Hold Room booth at the Indoor Climbing Expo 2023 — All photos by Zachary Joseph, unless otherwise noted

Over 50 climbing hold companies from around the world were represented at the inaugural Indoor Climbing Expo last December. Cutting-edge macros and volumes, recyclable holds, modular climbing holds…the Expo had it all.

Couldn’t make it to the show? Here’s a breakdown of all the grips-related booths that were in the Expo Hall. In tandem with this bonus report, be sure to check out the full recap of the 2023 Indoor Climbing Expo here.

BRANDS INCLUDED BELOW:

– Bold Climbing/360 Holds/ArtLine/Blocz/Bluepill/Chapter/Community Climbing Equipment/Rockcity/Simpl/Unit – Capital Climbing/AG Holds/Enix/Toejam – Contact Climbing/Absolute Climbing – Echo Stone Holds – EP USA – Grizzly Holds – Industry Macros/Arctic Grips/Boulder Recipe/Digital Climbing Holds/Giant Grips/T-Wall – Kilter Grips/Urban Plastix – Lacuna Climbing – Magic Wood Distribution/FU Macros Next Climbing/Illusion/sToKed Climbing/Under Blue Holds/Vertex Climbing/WideBoyz – Method Grips – Ocelot Grips – Solution Climbing – Spark Climbing/Agripp Climbing Holds/Lynx Holds/Neo Holds/SNAP Climbing Holds – The Hold Room/Elevation Climbing/IBEX Climbing Holds/Supr Climbing/Thrillseeker Holds/Thrive Climbing/Trickit Holds/Unleashed – Usable Surface –

Bold Climbing / 360 Holds / ArtLine / Blocz / Bluepill / Chapter / Community Climbing Equipment / Rockcity / Simpl/Unit

Bold Climbing is a company based in Los Angeles, California, which distributes holds, macros, volumes and more from multiple European hold companies. At the Expo, Bold had a mega-booth which showed off many of their newest products.

The company announced the return of distribution for 360 Holds in North America, featuring the Ghost series from the IFSC World Cup circuit that has a striped pattern which hides where the dual-tex is located. 360’s high-profile Volcanos and fun Kids Monkeys grips were onsite, too.

Also in the booth were vacuum-thermoformed grips from Blocz, the new Liquid Art PU and Baguette PU poured by Proxy, Hexatite and Hexamite column volumes, flat-topped Chips triangles, and Triangle and Pentagon volumes in many different textures and colors.

Bluepill was represented, as well, with the new, hueco-like Dopes line and dual-tex plastic versions of the Impossible line, plus the full line of dual-tex Split Group creations by Proxy.

Unit had a practical spray wall which sported the brand’s macros in bright neon colors, such as the K9 line, Cruise Control sloping jugs, and dented, spherical Force Majeure slopers.

Around the corner was a wall full of ArtLine’s hueco, dual-tex Abyss line, complementary Vortex line, and full-tex Mercy sloping edges.

Adjacent was Chapter, a newer company that exhibited the giant pinch Shallows line and “reverse dual-tex” Mirrors line, where the slippery portion is in the center of the hold.

Featured from Community Climbing Equipment were the blockable/stackable Scoops from Proxy as well as the French Connection pockets and the Crescents line.

Rockcity, whose macros have been hard to miss in recent IFSC comps, had massive, dual-tex UFO plate/hueco slopers at the Expo, in addition to the Fontainebleau line modeled after classic climbing destinations.

Simpl was present with familiar, partially dual-tex and aptly-named shapes, such as the triangular Flats, circular Wheels discs/flakes, and Wannabes rails with varying levels of positivity.

Capital Climbing / AG Holds / Enix / Toejam

Christopher Neal is an owner and shaper of Capital Climbing and Toejam Climbing, poured through Proxy, and owns Enix Climbing, poured through Aragon Elastomers. Neal showcased holds from each of these brands, and showed off brand-new, dual-tex macros from AG Holds, which is based in China. He and Louie Anderson also led a shaping class at the Expo with many aspiring shapers which was standing room only.

Contact Climbing / Absolute Climbing

Contact Climbing is a company based out of the UK that was started in 2021 by routesetter Max Aryton and competition climber Alex Waterhouse. The pair have released six new dual-tex and full-tex ranges, such as the sloping edge Pods, and debuted their glittery, fiberglass, dual-tex macros and holds with a PU base but fiberglass-textured surface. They also have a strong focus on sustainability, with a new re-texturing service and a new company, Absolute Climbing, that’s all about vacuum-thermoformed grips.

Echo Stone Holds

Echo Stone Holds is a newer climbing hold company dedicated to creating fun shapes for the climbing industry. Echo had a battery of holds on display, including the life-like Peanuts holds. The brand also had some small micro-holds for keychains and single-screw use.

EP USA

The walls of France-based Entre-Prises have appeared at the Olympic Games and many an IFSC World Cup, but the company also specializes in holds and volumes, such as the new dual-tex Bone and Pulse volumes from the Bio range and the slopey Wrasslers from shaper Connor Auchterlonie. Notable at EP’s booth in the Expo Hall were the shiny, dual-tex Dish macros from European shaper Florent Bonvarlet.

Grizzly Holds

Grizzly Holds, poured by Aragon Elastomers, is a Canadian hold company owned by shapers Tomasz Wojtkowiak and Anthony Richard. They had striking, dark wood panels at their booth and a brightly colored front wall. On the walls were new dual-tex Carbon slopers/jugs and giant Meridian fins. Also present were the aptly-named Flakes, shaped by Joey Jannsen of Ocelot Grips, as well as the geometric Tectonic Plates and small, dual-tex Microbes.

Industry Macros / Arctic Grips / Boulder Recipe / Digital Climbing Holds / Giant Grips / T-Wall

Tomasz Wotjkowiak and Anthony Richard also announced a new climbing hold/macro distribution company, named Industry Macros, which is currently exporting from multiple European and Asian brands. On the roster is Arctic Grips, a Norwegian company with the oversized Nordic Flowers that look like giant flower petals with sweeping, sloping lines carved across the surface; Digital Climbing Holds from France, co-owned by Roisin Boileau and her husband, who debuted the dual-tex, gold and black Cha Balls and tufas/pinches in the Slenders series; holds and macros from Giant Grips based out of South Korea; and the V01 line of macros from Japan-based Boulder Recipe, with the tagline “set easy” on their Instagram account.

Kilter Grips / Urban Plastix

Since the company’s inception 10 years ago, Kilter Grips’ creations have been ubiquitous in the industry and have won many a Grip List award. At the Expo, Kilter presented a smorgasbord of red, yellow, blue and green polyurethane holds that showed off a plethora of their most popular lines from shaper Ian Powell. Urban Plastix was also onsite, with new shapes by Peter Juhl which were also visually inviting and comfortable to grab. Both brands are poured by Aragon Elastomers.

Lacuna Climbing

Lacuna Climbing is owned by Kelly Soohoo of Climb Co Group and made its debut in the United States at the Expo. Shaped by Andy Nelson and Kegan Minock, Lacuna brought a buffet of comfortable and equally aesthetic lines to the show. The brand has a number of larger lines—such as the Foundation crimps, jugs, slopers and pinches—which are designed to offer one massive, super-family of polyurethane climbing holds, all with compelling texture.

Magic Wood Distribution / FU Macros Next Climbing / Illusion / sToKed Climbing / Under Blue Holds / Vertex Climbing / WideBoyz

Magic Wood Distribution has been around for several years as an international hold and macro distributor which is owned by Expo creator Travis Williams. On hand were some of the inaugural brands, such as Under Blue Holds from Japan, which showcased the Tunas that were heavily featured in the 2023 IFSC World Cup season and several other fiberglass macros.

Also featured in the booth was Next Climbing, based in Spain, which showcased its spherical Boootes, swooping Anatares, sloping Cygnus edges, and other dual-tex and full-tex, fiberglass shapes.

Vertex Climbing displayed a mix of fiberglass macros and polyurethane shapes made by Walltopia and poured by Composite-X in Bulgaria, including the fiberglass Symbiosis and Da Vinci lines and polyurethane Dualism line.

Volumes by sToKed Climbing were also on display in the Magic Mood booth, such as the stacked Dillos, and so too were the shiny, dual-tex Sharks (think shark fin shapes) from Travis Williams’ FU Macros fiberglass brand.

Wideboyz, started by well-known crack climbers Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker, now makes fiberglass crack volumes with patented, soft-grip inserts designed to make learning crack climbing more fun and less painful, and the Full Crack setup was in action at the Expo.

Illusion Climbing Holds also debuted U.S. distribution through Magic Wood at the event, showcasing several full-tex, stackable Nose macros that were used on the IFSC World Cup circuit.

Method Grips

Method Grips has been around since 2018 and has featured shapes from Louie Anderson, Kegan Minock, Andy Raether of Menagerie Climbing, Vice President Kevin Branford and President Andy Nelson. Some new additions at Method of late have been the comfy Lip Pockets by Nelson and the large line of positive Shards jugs by Kegan Minock. At the Expo, Method also handed out some smaller, “blister” packs of hold samples which were popular with attendees. The company also announced Method Asia, distributing through Climb Co Group, which describes itself as an American hold factory located smack-dab in the middle of China.

Ocelot Grips

Ocelot Grips is one of the newer hold companies, having emerged last year, and is owned by Rich Breuner and shaper Joey Jannsen. Ocelot’s slogan is “every hold has a purpose,” and they mean it. Jannsen was onsite at the Expo presenting their versatile hold selection, including the All Good Pinches, Good Good Jugs, and high-profile Dose Fins. They also showed off some comp-oriented Glazed Jugs, Fade Slopers and Looking Glass Pockets, as well as the modular Shade Theory wedges.

Solution Climbing

Andreas Lerch, owner of Vancouver-based Solution Climbing, featured full-tex and dual-tex, customizable volumes in Chattanooga, as well as the dual-tex Low Tides, mirrored Talons and stackable Dingos volumes, plus some t-nut plugs and drill-bit holders. Also notable were the smaller, low-profile Adjusters volumes, which allow for nuanced angle tweaks.

Spark Climbing / Agripp Climbing Holds / Lynx Holds / Neo Holds / SNAP Climbing Holds

Spark Climbing, based out of Texas, is a distribution company for many European brands. Spark had a small-but-mighty booth at the Expo that featured fresh grips from SNAP Climbing Holds, Lynx Holds, Agripp Climbing Holds and Neo Holds. The booth was run by Ben Edwards, Director of Routesetting for Crux Climbing and co-owner of Spark, who has been known to break away from traditional routesetting. The booth reflected this spirit as well, with a rotating display of products that changed daily.

The Hold Room / Elevation Climbing / IBEX Climbing Holds / Supr Climbing / Thrillseeker Holds / Thrive Climbing / Trickit Holds / Unleashed

The Hold Room is a routesetter supply and hold/macro/volume producer and distributor based out of Arizona which encompasses nine brands in total. They showed up in full force at the Expo, with a behemoth, multi-level booth from owners Mark Bradley and Ryan Wurm. They also had the in-person presence of shapers Louie Anderson, Dario Stefanou, Will Watkins, Thiabault Toussaint and veteran comp climber Gautier Supper. Climbing holds, macros and volumes from all of them were on display in the booth, which also had a barista coffee service and screen printing of custom tees and hoodies.

Elevation Climbing exhibited shiny, fiberglass macros from newly announced Walltopia production, dual-tex and carbon-fiber versions of their massive macros, and an arsenal of wood volumes.

Thrive Climbing brought signature Blocks and Blubber Pinches lines, as well as ergonomic, bread-and-butter jugs, edges, pinches, slopers and footholds of the new Essentials line, plus a new dual-tex Wibbles line shaped by Kegan Minock. Thrive is poured by Aragon Elastomers.

IBEX Climbing Holds, based in Greece, was exhibiting the matte, dual-tex Nisyros comp line and the Kalymnos tufas line, as well as the bulbous, multi-purpose holds of the Beta series intended for steep roof climbing, in particular. IBEX is poured by Composite-X.

Will Watkins of Unleashed Climbing, which was previously based in Australia and now operates out of England, featured the new comfy Originals/Loves (think bread loaves with rounded slopers/incuts) and Angles lines in polyurethane and fiberglass varieties, in addition to the dual-tex Commas series that has been set on many a comp wall of late.

Thrillseeker Holds, produced at Composite-X (PU) and Walltopia (macros) in Bulgaria, showcased large, blocky Obsidian Macros, shaped by Dario Stefanou, and the new crescent-shaped Rubble Macros, shaped by Henry Kinman, who owns Lock Holds.

Trickit Holds is a newer brand that produces holds and volumes with a modern feel in full-tex and dual-tex varieties that have been making their way into climbing gyms. Some of the Trickit grips in the booth were the Balance, Pressure, Stellar, Orcas and Vacuum lines.

Supr Climbing is also a somewhat newer brand run by shaper Thibault Toussaint and pro-competitor Gautier Supper. Their shapes, produced in Europe, stepped onto the IFSC World Cup scene last year and include the thin, pinchy Cruisers; the slopey, dish-like Eclipses and Spaceships; the new circular Shields; the long, tufa-like Lances; and shiny, flat Ice Plates. Supr recently started production of polyurethane lines in the United States—such as the dual-tex, blad-like Majestics—through Peak Polymers.

Usable Surface

Usable Surface, based out of Arizona, is a newer wood volume brand from USAC Level 4 setters Evan Marlatt and Cory Hanson. Their booth had large, red wooden columns featuring several custom, gray volume creations, including the rail-like pinch Toothpicks, thick Tweezer volumes, multi-angled triangle volumes, large Twisted Pentagons, and stackable Apogees spheres. All of these wood volumes come in t-nutted or non-t-nutted versions.

Climb Insider: crag reports and so many jobs

Insider News

Climbing Business Journal

-

March 28, 2024

0

Just a few thoughts

Wins, effort, and strife from the crag scene this week. A few annual reports, a salute to a US access hero, and a podcast about route data. Back indoors, calls for USAC volunteers and hosts/sponsors for a fundraiser. Coaching and setting clinics. A few new boards get some attention. The setters and judges for Paris Olympics are announced. And gobs of jobs down below!

See The Freshest Job Posts Here

Community & Culture

Podcast: Natalia Grossman – The Tyranny of Expectations (Enormocast)
Who Is @sleepeatclimbrepeat? (Alben Osaki, Outside)
5 Benefits of Rock Climbing for Kids (Jenny Beaulieu, Movement Gyms)
Climb to Paris Challenge (Vertical-Life)

Comp Scene

IFSC Officials Announced for Paris 2024 (IFSC)
IFSC Launches New Website (IFSC)
2024 National Athlete Categorisation list (Sport Climbing Australia)
Location Announced for USA Climbing 2024 Youth Nationals (CBJ)
Video: The Climbing Works International Festival 2024 Finals (ClimbAble)

Crag Scene

Podcast: Mountain Project vs Open Beta – A Fight For Data Rights w Viet Nyguen (The Climbing Majority)
When You Clip a Bolt or Climb on Public Lands, You Can Thank This Guy (Jeff Jackson, Outside)
Annual Report 2023 (Global Climbing Initiative)
2023 Climbing Advocacy Report (Access Fund)

For Routesetters

Jul-Sep: 2024 Routesetting Workshops (B.I.G. Initiative)
Vortex Launches Routesetting Program Data Survey
Video: First Reset Comp Boulder at Studio Bloc Masters 2024 Semifinals (Beta Routesetting)
Video: Route setting tips & tutorial – Setting boulders with limited space & holds (Beta Routesetting)

For Managers & Coaches

May 18-19: C4PC at Freestone Climbing in Missoula (Camp 4 Human Performance)
39 New Climbing Products and Services for Spring 2024 (CBJ)
Help Shape the Future Direction of USA Climbing (CBJ)
Seeking Hosts & Sponsors for CLIMB Fundraiser (CBJ)
Outdoor Industry Participation Still Up Despite Retailer Struggles (Bart Schaneman, The Daily)

Training Tips

Podcast: The Secret to Hard Moves that Most Climbers Are Missing (Kris Hampton, The Power Company)
How Gut Health Affects Training, Recovery, and Performance (Lucie Hanes, PhysiVāntage)
3 bad habits to banish to get injured less often (Laurence Guyon, La Fabrique Verticale)
How to Use a Tension Board (Aaron Pardy, Gripped)
What’s Best For You – the Tension Board 2, the 2024 MoonBoard, or the Woods Board? (Matt Samet, Outside)

Become DYNO Detroit’s Assistant Head Routesetter – Climbing Jobs Weekly 2024 March 28

Climbing Jobs Weekly

Climbing Business Journal

-

March 28, 2024

0

CBJ hosts the most active job board for climbing businesses and organizations. Below are the latest posts from this past week…

Assistant Head Routesetter

DYNO Detroit
Detroit, MI

“DYNO Detroit, located in the Eastern Market district of Detroit, MI, is Detroit’s first full-service climbing gym and seeking a full-time Assistant Head Routesetter. The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, collaborative, and able to work effectively within our routesetting team. Our routesetting program strives to be modern and professional, taking pride in the product they provide to our dedicated climbing community. Candidates must embody enthusiasm to create climbs for all, while contributing their own unique style to our routesetting team and adhering to the highest safety standards at all times.”

JOB SEEKER TIPS:

Answering “Tell Me About a Time You Had a Conflict at Work”
By Indeed Editorial Team

“Think about your work experience, and choose a relevant example that aligns with the position you’re seeking. This can help the interviewer understand how you might behave if a similar situation occurs if they hire you, and it may demonstrate how your skill set matches the job requirements. It’s also important to select an example with a positive outcome so you’re able to highlight what you learned from the experience.”

Read the full article here

LATEST JOB OPENINGS

See all current jobs // Post your job
FT = full time
PT = part time

RECENT/TOP JOB POSTS AT CBJ	LOCATION	TYPE
Employee Experience Generalist at Sender One	Anywhere	FT – other
Events & Outreach Manager at Sender One	Anywhere	FT – mktg/sales
Marketing Coordinator at Joe’s Valley Fest	Anywhere	PT – mktg/sales
Junior Software Engineer at Capitan	Remote	PT – other
Community Coordinator at Sender One	Lakewood, CA	FT – front desk
Customer Experience Supervisor at Sender One	Lakewood, CA	FT – front desk
Program Supervisor at Sender One	Lakewood, CA	FT – coach
Risk & Safety/Facilities Supervisor at Sender One	Lakewood, CA	FT – other
Training & Development Coordinator at Sender One	Los Angeles, CA	FT – coach, instructor
Community Coordinator at Sender One	Santa Ana, CA	PT – front desk
Training & Development Coordinator at Sender One	Santa Ana, CA	FT – coach, instructor
Facilities Associate at Movement	Sunnyvale, CA	FT – manufacturing
Regional Manager, Facilities at Movement	Sunnyvale, CA	FT – manufacturing
Head Coach at The Spot	Colorado	PT – coach
Trails Technician Climbing LTE at Jefferson County Open Space	Golden, CO	Temp – other
Wall Attendant and Adult Instructor at Grip Bouldering	Grand Junction, CO	PT – front desk, instructor
Lead Routesetter at HiClimb	Honolulu, HI	FT – routesetter
Facilities Associate at Movement	Timonium and Columbia, MD	FT – manufacturing
Assistant Head Routesetter at DYNO Detroit	Detroit, MI	FT – routesetter
Gym Manager at Upper Limits	St. Louis, MO	FT – manager
General Manager at High Altitude	Incline Village and Truckee, NV/CA	FT – manager
Regional Manager, Facilities at Movement	New York City, NY	FT – manufacturing
Routesetter at Reach	Philadelphia, PA	FT – routesetter
Routesetter at Climb Murfreesboro	Murfreesboro, TN	FT – routesetter
Routesetter at Mesa Rim	Austin, TX	FT – routesetter
General Manager at The Front	Salt Lake City, UT	FT – manager

Career Centers of Climbing Industry

	NAME	CAREER PAGE	TYPE	LOCATION
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/access-fund.png	Access Fund	https://www.accessfund.org/inside-access-fund/careers	organization	USA - CO
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/wi-adventure-rock.png	Adventure Rock	https://adventurerock.com/jobs/	facility	USA - WI
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/alpine-climbing-adventure-fitness.png	Alpine Climbing Adventure Fitness	https://climbatalpine.com/about/careers/	facility	USA - CA
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/american-alpine-club.png	American Alpine Club	https://americanalpineclub.org/jobs	organization	USA - CO
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/ascend.png	ASCEND Climbing	https://www.ascendclimbing.com/ascend-jobs	facility	USA - OH, PA
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/ascent-studio.png	Ascent Studio	https://ascentstudio.com/employment/	facility	USA - CO
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/bonfire-collective.png	Bonfire Collective	https://thebonfirecollective.com/team/	service	USA - CO
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/bouldering-project.png	Bouldering Project (pick location)	https://boulderingproject.com/	facility	USA - MN, TX, UT, WA
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/ab-calgary-climbing-centre.jpg	Calgary Climbing Centre	https://calgaryclimbing.com/employment/	facility	Canada - AB
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/central-rock-gym.png	Central Rock Gym	https://centralrockgym.com/careers/	facility	USA - CT, FL, MA, NY, RI
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/delire-1.png	Delire	https://www.delirescalade.com/en/carrieres	product	Canada - QC
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/eldorado-wall-company.png	Eldorado Climbing	https://eldowalls.com/pages/careers	product	USA - CO - Louisville
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/entre-prises-1.png	EP Climbing	https://epclimbing.com/na/en/ep-usa-careers	product	USA - OR - Bend
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/Logo-Everlast-Climbing-square.jpg	Everlast / Kumiki / Groperz / eXpression	https://everlastclimbing.com/pages/careers	product	USA - MN
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/fa-climbing.png	FA Climbing	https://faclimbing.com/careers/	facility	USA - IL, PA
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/on-guelph-grotto.png	Guelph Grotto	https://www.guelphgrotto.com/careers	facility	Canada - ON - Guelph
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/trublue.png	Head Rush Technologies // TRUBLUE	https://trublueclimbing.com/about/careers	product	USA - CO
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/high-point-climbing.png	High Point Climbing & Fitness	https://www.highpointclimbing.com/employment	facility	USA - AL, TN
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/impact.png	IMPACT	https://impactclimbing.com/careers/	product	Canada - ON - Milton
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/junction-climbing-center.png	Junction Climbing Centre	https://www.junctionclimbing.com/employment-opportunities	facility	Canada - ON - London
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/metolius.png	Metolius	https://www.metoliusclimbing.com/job-openings.html	product	USA - OR - Bend
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/metro-rock.png	MetroRock	https://metrorock.com/	facility	USA - MA, NY, VT
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/momentum-1.png	Momentum	https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/All/df699b76-9e67-4daa-9236-27d597e75dbf/Momentum-LLC	facility	USA - TX, UT, WA
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/movement-2.png	Movement Gyms	https://movementgyms.com/careers/	facility	USA - CA, CO, IL, MD, OR, TX, VA
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/Logo-OLC-jpg.jpg	OLC Architecture	https://www.olcdesigns.com/about-us/#teammember	service	USA - CO
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/Logo-OnSite.png	OnSite	https://www.theonsite.com/careers	product	Canada - QC
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/organic.png	Organic Climbing	https://organicclimbing.com/pages/employment-opportunities	product	USA - PA - Philipsburg
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/peak-experiences.png	Peak Experiences	https://www.peakexperiences.com/employment	facility	USA - VA
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/salon-de-lescalade.png	Salon de l'Escalade	https://www.salon-escalade.com/vertical-jobs/recruteurs/	organization	France
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/va-sportrock.png	Sportrock	https://www.sportrock.com/join-our-team	facility	USA - MD, VA
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/stone-age-climbing-gym.png	Stone Age	https://climbstoneage.com/employment-staff/	facility	USA - NM - Albuquerque
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/ut-the-front.png	The Front	https://thefrontclimbingclub.com/careers/	facility	USA - UT
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/the-gravity-vault.png	The Gravity Vault	https://gravityvault.com/careers	facility	USA - CA, NJ, NY, PA
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/the-north-face.png	The North Face	https://www.thenorthface.com/en-us/about-us/careers	Product	USA
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/the-pad.png	The Pad	https://www.thepadclimbing.org/employment/	facility	USA - CA, NV
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/co-the-spot.png	The Spot	https://www.thespotgym.com/careers	facilities	USA - CO
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/trango.png	Trango // Tenaya	https://trango.com/pages/careers	product	USA - CO
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/treadwall-fitness-1.png	Treadwall	https://treadwallfitness.com/careers/	product	USA - MA
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/nc-triangle-rock-club.png	Triangle Rock Club (choose location)	https://www.trianglerockclub.com/morrisville/about/employment/	facility	USA - NC, VA
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/co-ubergrippen.png	Ubergrippen	https://ugclimbing.com/jobs/	facility	USA - CO
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/UK-Climbing.png	UKC (jobs in UK)	https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/job_finder/	organization	United Kingdom
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/vertical-solutions.jpg	Vertical Solutions // Habit // Proxy // Pebble	https://vsclimbinggyms.com/company/careers	product	USA - UT
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/vertical-world-1.png	Vertical World	https://verticalworld.com/	facility	USA - WA
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/VITAL.png	Vital	https://www.vitalclimbinggym.com/careers	facility	USA - CA, NY, WA
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/walltopia-1.png	Walltopia	https://careers.walltopia.com/	products	Bulgaria
https://www.climbingbusinessjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/zenith.png	Zenith Climbing	https://zenithclimbing.com/employment/	facility	USA - MO

Help Shape the Future Direction of USA Climbing

Press Release

CBJ Press Release Service

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March 27, 2024

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The Board of USA Climbing is looking for individuals to serve on its new Strategic Planning Task Force to help guide the development of the organization’s 2025-2028 strategic plan. The task force will work from May through December this year to solicit input from the wide range of stakeholders in the competition climbing community and work with the Board to synthesize that input into a strategic plan for the Board’s review and adoption in December.

The task force will have 12 members, at least one-third of whom must be athletes per the USA Climbing Bylaws. While not required, prior experience with strategic planning efforts at other organizations—particularly those that are non-profit and/or sport-focused—is desired. Task force members should expect to contribute between five and ten hours per month to this effort.

USA Climbing encourages all to participate. As with all USAC committees and task forces, members of the Strategic Planning Task Force will be selected without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Open discussion and the presentation of a diversity of views will be encouraged.

If you are interested in serving on the task force, click here to complete our short application by Sunday, April 7. Questions may be directed to strategic@usaclimbing.org. The Board of Directors is expected to approve the task force members at its April 17 meeting, and the task force will begin its work in early May.

Apply for the Task Force

CBJ press releases are written by the sponsor and do not represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.

Maine Gym Expands Into New Hampshire, Repurposes Former Donut Shop

Climbing Business Journal

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March 27, 2024

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Climbing at Salt Pump Portsmouth — Last month, Maine-based Salt Pump completed its first expansion project—The Donut Factory, a full-service climbing gym located in a former donut shop in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. (All photos courtesy of Salt Pump)

Salt Pump Climbing Co. opened its new Portsmouth, New Hampshire location on February 23rd, located 47 miles south of Salt Pump’s original Scarborough, Maine location that opened in 2015. Also known as “The Donut Factory,” due to being built in a former donut shop, the Portsmouth facility is a 14,700-foot climbing gym with a bouldering focus and 20-foot top-roping walls.

In addition to training, fitness and yoga amenities, Salt Pump Portsmouth features a child and family-friendly climbing area. Also offered at the gym are classes focused on movement and technique as well as dance options and various youth programs, such as after-school programs, climbing teams and camps.

According to a recent press release sent to CBJ, Salt Pump managing partner Taki Miyamoto says, “The community has been enthusiastically following the construction progress…Also, while bouldering can be done alone, the gym’s layout encourages climbers to interact and support each other.” The press release also noted that memberships and punch cards can be used across the two Salt Pump facilities.

More photos of the new Portsmouth gym prior to its grand opening can be found here.

Location Announced for USA Climbing 2024 Youth Nationals

Press Release

CBJ Press Release Service

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March 25, 2024

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The Youth National Championships return for 2024 and will be hosted at USA Climbing’s very own National Training Center in Salt Lake City, UT, July 6-14!

Twenty-four national champions will be crowned as young athletes compete in bouldering, lead, and speed over the nine-day Youth National Championships.

Competitor Registration Windows

Normal Registration Period
Normal Registration Begins: Tuesday, June 18 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) MT
Normal Registration Deadline: Friday, June 21 at 11:59 p.m. MT
Registration Fee: $175 + $55 per discipline

Extended Registration Period
Extended Registration Begins: Saturday, June 22
Extended Registration Deadline: Wednesday, June 26 at 11:59 p.m. MT
Registration Fee: $225 + $55 per discipline

Late Registration Period
Late Registration Begins: Thursday, June 27
Late Registration Deadline: Friday, July 5 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) MT
Registration Fee: $425 + $55 per discipline

Spectator Information

Competitors will receive a plus one ticket for each round of competition they participate in. Spectator tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, June 18 in line with the competitor registration opening. Ample tickets will be available for purchase.

HB 257 Information

USA Climbing recognizes that the recent passing of HB 257 affects trans and non-binary members. USA Climbing does not support this legislation and remains committed to fostering an environment where all climbers feel welcome and can strive for success. The USA Climbing Training Center is a privately owned space that is not required to comply with HB 257. Moreover, the facility will have gender-neutral bathroom options for participants. For those who are traveling to Utah and would like more information about HB 257, check out the HB 257 FAQs provided to us by the ACLU of Utah and Equality Utah. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions.

Learn More

CBJ press releases are written by the sponsor and do not represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.

Seeking Hosts & Sponsors for CLIMB Fundraiser

Press Release

CBJ Press Release Service

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March 22, 2024

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Seeking Hosts & Sponsors for CLIMB Fundraiser

CLIMB For Kids 2024

For the month of May, join climbers, gyms, and sponsors in a campaign against childhood trauma. Join us as a sponsor!

Sponsor the event today!

Kids who are struggling with a parent or caregiver’s cancer diagnosis may feel helpless and alone. The Children’s Treehouse Foundation is here, and we’ve got the beta on emotional support. You don’t have to look far to find someone who has been touched by cancer.

Among the most vulnerable are the children affected by a parent or caregivers diagnosis. The pressure that cancer treatment places on a family and the fears and uncertainties that children feel can leave emotional scars that last a lifetime. The Children’s Treehouse Foundation and its support program CLIMB® (Children’s Lives Include Moments of Bravery) are on a mission to ensure that no child or teen feels helpless or alone in the face of a parent or caregivers’ cancer.

Gym owners, operators and managers, you can help us hit our goals! Addressing a global issue of this scale takes social awareness and money.

Hanging up a poster and educating your staff about the campaign can help us introduce CLIMB® to a new audience. You never know who will feel inspired to help, or sho may know someone in need.

Donors and community partners share our hope for a better future. You can help us reach our fundraising goals in a variety of ways. Here are some great suggestions.

A Pledge
Your gym can pledge to match donations made by members and patrons. You can select a pledge amount that you are comfortable with and then match the total contributions made by your community up to that amount. If your community raises more than your pledge, awesome, but it doesn’t affect your pledge amount unless you choose to raise it. A pledge is a great way to help get the ball rolling.

A Collection
Your gym simply helps collect donations. This can be done through a “round-up” campaign if your point-of-sale system allows it, or even just a big jar of cash.

A Raffle
Your gym can sell raffle tickets that go toward things such as gym gift certificates or other prizes you can provide. You can set the price of the raffle tickets according to the value of the prizes. You can arrange multiple raffles with their own corresponding tickets, or have one ticket that enters members into a chance to win one (or more) different prizes.

Campaign kicks off on May 1st!

Ready to get involved?

Become a sponsor

CBJ press releases are written by the sponsor and do not represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.

Kilter News: IFSC Catalogue S24

CBJ Press Release Service

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March 22, 2024

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Kilter News: IFSC Catalogue S24

Here is a close up of some of the many holds produced at Composite X that were selected for the IFSC S24 Catalogue. Are you intrigued? These can be yours!

Buy the full Comp X Qualifier pack!