By Noah Rezentes
While the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed things down, there has a been a plethora of fresh holds, volumes, and macros released, as well as new brands and shapers joining the scene since the beginning of this year. In case you missed some of these, here’s your Grip Report Winter 2020.
New Releases
- Euro Holds released their new Blowjugs series, a small line of Fontainebleau-inspired slopers and jugs, ranging from mini-jugs to full-size fiberglass macros. The holds are designed by Russian master shaper Sergei Timchenko.
- Kilter Grips entered the world of fiberglass with four new sets of macros produced by Walltopia.
- Menagerie debuted fiberglass macro additions to their Torso line by owner and head shaper Andy Raether through their partnership with Blocz.
- Jason Kehl created a jug expansion for So iLL’s Fungus family as well as new sloper-pinches and edges for the Chunks.
- Nature Climbing’s Granite Woodies, hardwood edges with a stone grip surface, arrived in the US and Canada thanks to Premium Holds and Volumes.
- eGrips brought a dual tex iteration of Ryan Spence’s new Pure Power holds to their lineup.
Newcomers
- Elevation Volumes, a new fiberglass-exclusive company, debuted their initial lineup of macros with three sets shaped by Joey Jansen (Metolius Climbing). They also teased an upcoming series from Ty Foose (eGrips). Elevation’s macros are produced by Tack Composites, manufacturer of Thrive Climbing’s PolyFiber technology (polyurethane-coated fiberglass).
- In Australia, Rubber Holds launched with two complete hold families to be poured by Composite-X. On board are shapers Cory Cook and Will Watkins (of Unleashed Climbing).
- Portuguese newcomers Upah Holds showed off their first few shapes in January, including slopers, huecos, and edges.
- Ben Hanna recently joined the hold shaping game with Sugarhouse Holds, a relatively new project by Kegan Minock based around real rock shapes found in the areas surrounding Salt Lake City, Utah.
Noah Rezentes is a self-proclaimed fanatic when it comes to holds and volumes. He discovered the climbing community in late 2015 and now lives and works in Sacramento, California, as a gym manager, youth coach and overall climbing nerd. He also runs a small climbing hold news operation called Gripgeek.
