One of the charts from the CWA reopening survey, with about 21 percent of respondents answering that they do not feel they are in danger of eventually going out of business. All images courtesy of the Climbing Wall Association
The Climbing Wall Association (CWA) recently released the results of a June survey that tracked various aspects related to reopening. The survey came on the heels of industry-wide facility closures and subsequent reopenings around the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. More than 80 percent of the responses to the CWA survey came from operators of climbing gyms, with other participants including operators of college rec facilities, community centers and health clubs. Most questions in the survey received answers from 105 participating facilities in total, nearly all of which operate in North America.
In the results, about 39 percent of respondents to the question indicated that they felt the current COVID-19 policies and restrictions (such as limiting attendance/participation, etc.) put them in danger of eventually going out of business. However, less than five percent of participating facilities have actually had any positive COVID-19 cases reported by staff or customers.
In terms of occupancy restrictions, over 60 percent of participating facilities are requiring scheduled climbing blocks. An accompanying note in the survey results indicated that climbing gyms are operating at 35% of their full occupancy limit on average. More than half of the respondents are continuing to admit day pass users or have no restrictions on which customer types can access the facility.
69 percent of participating facilities are including a contact tracing process in their reopening plan, in addition to other safety measures.
Another noteworthy question of the survey was related to updated chalk policies. Approximately 34 percent of participating facilities responded that liquid chalk is recommended; about 21 percent of facilities are only allowing liquid chalk. The vast majority of respondents are also requiring staff and customers to wear masks, and 48 percent are applying health screenings and/or temperature checks on customers (79 percent for staff).
Other questions—and the full results of the CWA survey—can be viewed here. In May, the CWA released a comprehensive guide called the “Roadmap to Reopening” for climbing gyms following temporary pandemic-related closures.
By Noah Rezentes, John Burgman and Joe Robinson
From an economic standpoint, this year has been perhaps the most challenging in the history of the industry. As COVID-19 swept across the globe, the ongoing pandemic prompted the temporary closures of hundreds of climbing gyms—a phenomenon unlike anything ever experienced in the climbing world, and a challenge that gyms continue to grapple with amid their respective reopenings. And since the sales of most climbing hold companies are made up of primarily climbing gym orders, hold brands were hit equally hard by the COVID-19 crisis.
However, one result of climbers being cooped up indoors for months on end in self-isolation mitigation efforts was a veritable boom in homewall construction, beginning around March. In response, many hold companies shifted their business models to accommodate homewall orders; CBJ even unveiled a Homewall of the Week featurette to profile specific DIY structures.
There are reasons to believe there is light at the end of the tunnel—for the industry at large and hold brands specifically. For example, several new gyms have opened since the COVID-19 crisis began, and a number of other projects from organizations like 1Climb are proceeding on schedule as well.
So how has CBJ’s annual Grip List adapted to the current climate?
In short, we decided to hand out more awards than ever. For the first time, we are holding the Favorite Homewall Holds and Volumes awards, in addition to the classic Setter’s Choice awards—Favorite Holds, All-Time Favorite, Favorite Wood Volumes—and People’s Choice award. On top of surveying professional routesetters of climbing gyms and competitions for the main vote, we gathered the preferences of homewall routesetters as well. Altogether, this year’s Grip List Survey saw the highest voter turnout ever, and more than twice as many routesetters responded as last year. Additionally, hangboards have been flying off the wall right now, and like Fiberglass Macros are now staples of gyms around the world—so we added extra awards for these votes too.
After tallying the results, familiar names kept a tight grip on the Setter’s Choice – Favorite Holds, but there are new feats and surprises beneath the tip of the iceberg:
One powerhouse became the first hold company to don double-digit awards since the Grip List began in 2014.
A popular German brand blocked the winning streak of a mainstay in wood volumes.
Fiberglass macros from Europe are flattening any lingering doubts across the pond.
At least one hold company is energized from the recent homewall boom.
A resurging brand nearly enticed enough votes to break up the Big Five.
And one hangboard maker is setting a new standard for beast mode.
Blockus Dots from Rock Candy, which extended its Setter’s Choice streak to five this year. Photo courtesy of Rock CandyRock Candy of Akron, Ohio, has grown significantly in popularity since its launch in 2006. In fact, only one other climbing hold brand has earned more Favorite Holds awards over the years than Rock Candy (6). With the inception of its Support Your Local Routesetter initiative in 2016 and the launch of a hold borrowing program, the American-born company has continued to provide exposure to setters and gyms across the nation. Rock Candy also offers free setting clinics at Rock Mill Climbing, its home base.
That place among the top five favorite hold companies of professional routesetters has diminished slightly though. After placing 3rd in 2018, Rock Candy dropped to 4th in 2019 and 5th in 2020. Since last year, their percentage share of the vote was cut in half (4.8%). But earning a Setter’s Choice award for five years straight makes a lower finish going forward hard to imagine.
Rock Candy fans consistently vote the brand towards the top of the main vote for multiple reasons. Eli Johnson, Head Routesetter at University of Colorado Boulder’s climbing gym, summed up a few of them: “Rock Candy creates flexible and comfortable holds. They do a great job of making holds directional, allowing us to use the same holds for both easy and hard climbs, which is very important for a gym with a limited budget.” The functional Dots extension this year to the beloved Blockus line fit that description, as well as the comfy Champs released last year, Bucket jugs, classic Dents, and varied Brachiopods. Rock Candy also launched Downclimb Rings before the pandemic hit.
Besides being directional and multi-functional, another feature of Rock Candy’s hold business remarked by setters year after year is appreciated off the wall. One voter put it plainly: “really great shapes, turnaround time and customer service.” That practical benefit could explain in part the slight drop in Rock Candy’s share of the vote this year, with hold orders taking longer to ship due to COVID-19-related delays. Right now, the Rock Candy website reads: “All holds are made to order and are estimated to ship within 3-5 weeks of the order date,” which is longer than the ten business days it took for some holds to ship out in February.
We reached out to Rock Candy to get the inside scoop on what’s in store for the future: “We’ve just tried to adapt and take things in stride,” says Nick Muffet, Director of Marketing at Rock Candy. “Climbers are a resourceful bunch and seeing the surge in homewall construction has been inspiring. We’ve done what we can to make sure holds are shipping out so people can keep climbing.”
#4 Teknik (3rd year running in top 5)
Holds in the Skyline series from Teknik, described by voters as clean, classy and elegant. Photo courtesy of Teknik
A consistent contender in both the main and All-Time Favorite votes, Canadian hold company Teknik Handholds has stood the test of time. With eight Setter’s Choice awards— five Favorite Holds and three All-Time Favorite—Teknik is the second-most decorated hold company from North America. That popularity has only increased since last year, as Teknik rose from 5th to 4th place in the main vote and increased its share by 3 percentage points (8.8%), despite dropping in the All-Time Favorite vote (11.6%).
Well into its 21st year of operation, Teknik is famous for serving minimalistic styles and “bread-and-butter” shapes for indoor climbers to enjoy. As Tony Brengosz, Director of Routesetting at Adventure Rock Climbing Gym, said: “Great line of simple yet dynamic shapes, and a good selection of holds of every type and difficulty.” Comments also included words like “clean,” “classy” and “elegant,” and the footholds were not overlooked by the professional routesetters. “The Loafers might be the best all-around foothold ever shaped,” said Aaron Davis, Head Routesetter at Rockoon Climbing.
Teknik also placed second in the Favorite Homewall Holds voting, which exemplifies the ability of Teknik holds―which range from pinches to pockets, slopers to screw-ons―to excel across multiple skill levels and climbing environments. The brand new Ridgelines, Skylines, Horizon Line and Finite Line debuted at USAC Bouldering Nationals in January, and it’s hard to think of more stylish jugs than the Cobras.
Seth and Zoë Johnston, owners and shapers of Teknik, plan to keep it up: “We [have] four new sets of huge screw-on shapes that we haven’t had the chance to put up on our website yet; they will be added shortly. We actually had released them earlier this year at USAC bouldering Nationals and the Japan Cup, but haven’t really put them out to public yet. We also have a whole bunch of shapes sitting here ready to go for molding. We’re quite excited about these and they should be released later this year.”
They also thanked climbers for ordering holds even through the COVID-19 lockdown: “We are humbled by the number of climbers who love our shapes through their experience with them at the gyms and have chosen to order Teknik for their own wall. All of these homewall orders have absolutely helped Teknik through this challenging time and we couldn’t be more grateful! We are now starting to see the gyms opening again and we hope for the very best!”
#3 Cheeta (2nd year running in top 5)
One of the fiberglass Taji pinches from Cheeta, among the favorites of Premium Holds Director Canon Huse. Photo courtesy of Cheeta
Although French-based climbing hold maker Cheeta Holds has been around for nearly eight years, last year was the first time we saw them grab a Setter’s Choice award. After a giant leap from outside the top five to 2nd place last year, Cheeta’s share of the main vote (10%) dropped marginally this year. But the staple on IFSC World Cup circuit walls still finished among the top three brands that routesetters consider to be their favorite, was runner-up in the new Fiberglass Macros vote, and took 4th in the All-Time Favorite vote.
Backed by world-class routesetter and shaper Laurent Laporte, the company has continued to make a splash at both commercial and competition levels. Their catalog includes holds for all-use cases, including tiny and sometimes heinous Kalymno Flowers jibs, unique applications of dual texture like on the Planet macros and wooden Boomerangs, stackable Sky Ball volumes, and their famous sectional geometric crack volumes. Distributed in the U.S. by the Premium Holds group, at the end of 2019 Premium Holds announced Cheeta USA, which will manufacture its own wooden volumes in house.
“All of the new Fiberglass from Cheeta has been really amazing,” said Premium Holds Director Canon Huse, when asked about his favorites from Cheeta. “Taji Pinches, Waves, and new versions of the Taji and Taji Bubble have really diversified the Cheeta fiberglass range.”
Laporte’s shapes will be under an even bigger spotlight soon. Before the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were postponed to next year, the IFSC T20 Catalogue was released which lists the official holds, macros and volumes for sport climbing’s first Olympic Games at the adult level. Cheeta is the only brand to have all three varieties (holds, macros and volumes) listed in the catalogue. Some of the holds set to appear on the Bouldering and Lead walls in Tokyo include the famous dual-tex Craters and Boomerangs, the beefy Taji macros, and the wooden Ball volumes (not to be confused with the Sky Balls). So why do all-star athletes and gym-goers alike love these holds?
“A great variety of shapes with some very unique designs (see: Boomerangs). Great texture that holds up to abuse and power washing. The dual-tex is some of the best in the industry―very slick, achieves what it’s intended to do. And while the holds are comfortable and ergonomic, they’re also artfully crafted and pleasing to the eye,” summarized Travis Kaney of Focus Climbing Center in Mesa, Arizona.
#2: Flathold (4th year running in top 5)
~Favorite Fiberglass Macros~
One of the new Lucha Libre holds from Flathold, with dual-tex ranging from smooth to “elephant skin texture,” reads the Flathold website. Photo courtesy of Flathold
Since the North American release of their Tokyo 2020 series and steady involvement in climbing competitions in a number of countries, Flathold—based in Moutier, Switzerland—has been warmly welcomed into the American indoor climbing sphere. 3rd last year in the main vote, Flathold returned to the number two spot it secured in 2018, with a large share of the vote (13%). Also of note is that Flathold is now making a strong showing in the All-Time Favorite vote and tied for second place this year (11.6%).
Flathold’s progression indicates that the brand’s continued efforts in the North American market are resulting in a broader awareness of their offerings by the American hold-buying public, which first gained access to the holds and volumes in 2015. But arguably most indicative of that conclusion is Flathold’s finish in the Fiberglass Macro vote. Flathold gained a whopping 34.9% of the fiberglass macro vote in its premier, more than 20 percentage points above the trailing brands.
The company has made 33 macros and 22 hold families available in North America so far, and many of them are set to appear at the Tokyo Olympics as well. The Creature of Comfort line which began in late 2018 and smooth dual-tex Damage Control holds are among the shapes listed in the IFSC T20 Catalogue, as well as an extensive range of memorable Flathold fiberglass macros. A few names on the list include the Borderline and Golden Leaves, which were introduced at Halls & Walls at the end of last year and became available in February, and the Tsunami series launched in 2018.
Most of Flathold’s voters expressed admiration of the holds’ power to create movement, adaptability, directionality and striking design. “I love the variety and versatility of their holds. You can set technical, burly, or easy climbs…simple or really complex movement with the same hold,” stated one reviewer.
Golden Leaves, initially shaped by Manu Hassler’s partner Maya and finished by Manu. Photo courtesy of Flathold
During the COVID-19 period, Flathold’s co-owners Manu Hassler and Mathieu Achermann have been able to work on their upcoming projects, including the dual-tex Lucha Libre series which also previewed at Halls & Walls last year and became available in June. This new hold family introduces the idea of “imperfect” dual-tex to the Flathold line.
“Since we worked a lot during the past months, we should be able to present a lot of different new shapes for the end of this year. We hope to be able to present a second part of the Damage Control range by the end of 2020. Around 100 new shapes with different types of grip will complete the range with more variety,” Hassler told CBJ.
#1: Kilter (5th year running in 1st place)
~All-Time Favorite~
Members of the Granite Complex series from Kilter, shaped by Kilter Founder Ian Powell. Photo courtesy of Kilter
When Boulder, Colorado-based Kilter released their first holds in 2013, they were a stand-out brand right off the bat, only offering a handful of hold sets. Ian Powell, the renowned shaper behind the brand, made the decision early on to focus on keeping a high bar of quality. He has even retired some of the earliest Kilter holds that no longer meet their standard of ergonomics. The brand is constantly evolving under the leadership of co-owners Powell and routesetting expert Jackie Hueftle, and aided by a team that includes Griffin Whiteside, U.S. sales representative Kiel Mahar, Canadian sales rep Kaleb Thomas, and jack of all trades Anders Rasker, each of whom has set routes at multiple facilities.
This evolution has contributed to Kilter earning the title of favorite climbing hold brand for five years running. No company has more top-five finishes in the main vote (7), and Kilter is the only brand to don double-digit Grip List awards over the years (10). For the third year in a row, commercial routesetters of gyms and competitions voted Kilter their All-Time Favorite brand too. Even with all the chaos of COVID-19, the company’s share of the main vote (16.5%) and All-Time Favorite vote (19.4%) increased slightly from last year.
The love for Kilter is not only felt behind the wrench either. Both setters and climbers have been showing their appreciation in the Grip List survey. In the two years the People’s Choice award has been in existence, Kilter finished in second place both times―despite the shift this year from an on-site to online vote due to the cancellation of the CWA Summit 2020 and accompanying Shape Gallery at Wooden Mountain.
In the past seven years, Kilter has developed a reputation for making some of the best holds around. Commonly cited by voters were Kilter’s constant innovations, ever-growing catalog, and uncompromising design. From the minimalistic Winter series to rock-realistic Granite and Sandstone families, their shapes are praised time and again for their elegance and simplicity. According to Liam Shea of Summit Climbing, “Ian’s rock textures could give Mother Nature a run for her money.”
Kilter is also known for the vigilant attention to detail that comes with having an all-star cast of shapers. Powell’s expertise was again cited by voters, and the company’s Haptic sub-line is developed alongside other well-known shapers Peter Juhl of Urban Plastix, experienced routesetting director Jeremy Ho, and professional climber Jimmy Webb, among others. And with the evolution of 3D scanning and printing technology, Kilter is now bringing Nick Diederich’s High Alert hold―one of the crux holds from Circadian Rhythm (V13) in Colorado―to indoor climbers.
John Marlatt, Wall Manager at Colorado State University’s Rec program, had this to say: “Kilter is one of the few companies to really hit almost every selling point in the hold market. Whether you’re looking for a smooth, modern shape for competition, a finely sculpted realistic texture for aesthetics, or anything in between, Kilter has you covered. Their holds also manage to look at home anywhere, from the largest commercial gyms to the smallest university wall. Their attention to detail and consistent release of new shapes make it my go-to for any order.” Another one of those new releases since the 2019 Grip List was a Downclimb Jug for gyms.
Holds in the Sandstone Complex series from Kilter, shaped by Powell. Photo courtesy of Kilter
A testament to the value of Kilter holds, from everyday use at gyms to high-level competitions, is that they are the sole North American-bred hold brand in the IFSC T20 Catalogue for the Tokyo Olympics next year. In addition to the Granite and Sandstone holds, the unforgettable Teagan Stalactites―among the Kilter holds used for The Project competition in Stockholm―modular Smooth Tufas and Geo Complex are also in their Olympic T20 holds selection.
Kilter’s take on the blocking-and-stacking concept, titled Complex, continues to expand, with geometric, sandstone and even granite styles. The idea has become increasingly popular thanks to the possibilities the holds provide for routesetters. “Instead of just thinking about shaping holds, what’s interesting to me is shaping holds that fit into sets, sets that fit into styles, and styles that fit into systems,” said Powell.
Favorite Wood Volumes: Blocz
Hexatite volumes from Blocz, which also produces Triangles, Squares, Rectangles, Diamonds and Pentagons. Photo courtesy of Blocz
Chemnitz, Germany-based manufacturer Blocz has been producing volumes since 2013. In Europe their rise to fame was swift, but the brand faced significant competition in North America. Last year Blocz missed out by less than one percentage point on overtaking Dimension Volumes of Canada, which had extended its winning streak to three consecutive years. This year though, for the first time since the inception of the Favorite Volume award, Blocz secured the honor with 23.5 percent of the vote. That was about the same share Blocz earned last year, but Dimension’s share fell by eight percentage points.
Many voters praised Blocz’s volumes for their durable-but-semi-fine texture and diverse color selection; voters also liked Blocz’s broad catalog. To date, the company has been expanding their catalog to nearly 100 plywood shapes as well as ramping up production of fiberglass macros and polyurethane holds.
Juliane and Kyle McCoy, who lead Blocz distribution in North America and distribute a number of other European brands, said, “Our favorite series of volumes that we’ve released in the past year are the Bigboards and Megaboards. They are super low-profile, technical, comp-style volumes. Together with the Miniboards, Microboards, and Spears, they form a big family of unique volumes that you can use together.”
Though Dimension fell to second place this year, they continued to maintain a large percentage of the votes (18%). Cheeta, another European volume maker with a global presence, earned third place this year (7%). And it’s worth noting that previous year’s Grip List awards in this vote did not differentiate between wood and fiberglass.
Favorite Hangboards: Beastmaker
The popular two hangboards sold by Beastmaker: the 1000 and 2000 series. Photo courtesy of Beastmaker
Climbing holds and volumes aren’t the only things climbers are gripping in climbing gyms. Hangboards have been used by climbers for decades, and in April we noted that the pandemic and the surge in popularity of homewalls was also creating an uptick in hangboard usage and home training in general. “Amid such uncertainty, it is understandable that homewalls…and necessities such as…hangboards are being seen by many climbers as more certain—and now long-term—alternatives,” we reported.
Other publications became cognizant of hangboarding’s newfound at-home popularity around this time too. Rock and Ice released a guide to hangboard training, and Climbing magazine released a tutorial titled, “How to Make Hangboarding Easier or Harder.” Orbiting around such a profusion of training advice were some interesting happenings related to hangboard production and design that CBJ reported on earlier this month.
It all meant that there was enough verve and momentum in the niche of hangboarding to give hangboards their own Grip List award this year. For its first foray in the annual survey, we wanted to start by hearing from the professional routesetters choosing them for their climbing gyms as well. Voters indicated a wide range of hangboard brand partialities—but it was clear that UK-based Beastmaker was the preference of commercial routesetters.
In fact, Beastmaker earned nearly half of the vote (48.4%), with many voters commenting on the comfortable feel and training advantages of its two classic all-wood hangboards for beginners and elite climbers. “All you need is a 1000 Series and 2000 Series and the facility is all set for hangboards. Wooden hangboards are essential for long sessions on a hangboard and the variety of holds offered by Beastmaker makes it the industry standard,” said Marco Santos, Head Routesetter at Threshold Climbing + Fitness.
Beastmaker also produces wooden handholds and chrome footholds for training boards and homewalls. All the wood used for Beastmaker’s products is certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council, to ensure it comes from forests managed in an “environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable manner,” reads the company’s website.
Tension, Trango, Metolius and So iLL all received solid votes. Tension, in particular, earned almost a quarter of the hangboard vote (25.6%). Another interesting note about the voting was a three-way tie for sixth place between Escape, GripMonkeys and Eva Lopez. The presence of all these brands and others means that this vote could become even more competitive in years to come.
Favorite Homewall Holds: Atomik
~People’s Choice~
A 75-pack of Facets from Atomik, which saw a boost from the homewall boom. Photo courtesy of Atomik
The inclusion of homewall data in this year’s Grip List gave us an abundance of information related to which brand “people”—meaning non-occupational routesetters—preferred. Other brands—Kilter, So iLL, Teknik, eGrips and Rock Candy―earned a lot of votes, but it was Atomik Climbing Holds that was the runaway winner for two categories: Favorite Homewall Holds (23.8%) and People’s Choice (16.5%). Homewall routesetters also enjoyed Atomik’s mini volumes and larger volumes which propelled Atomik to 3rd place―alongside homemade wood volumes—in the Favorite Homewall Volumes vote (11.5%).
In fact, Atomik has been a staple for routesetters and homewallers alike since its inception approximately 18 years ago. The company produces its popular holds―such as the Golfus and Facet sets, Scoops and Yaniro Pockets―in-house in Provo, Utah. Additionally, the company’s Down Climb Jugs & Rings have long been common sights on the walls at a number of gyms around North America.
Atomik experienced high demand from homewall users during the pandemic, no doubt due in part to the company’s service and prices. Atomik continuously updated their website and social media with shipping information and guided buyers on which items could be shipped the fastest. Cost-effective “Deals of the Day” kept garages, guest rooms and backyards around the country stocked with affordable yet varied and durable holds. “Lightning fast turnaround and great pricing,” summed up Andy Raether, Head Routesetter at Origin Climbing and Fitness.
Atomik’s owner, Kenny Matys, told CBJ that the new Golfus holds―which are shaped by Randyl Nielson―are his personal favorite. “The texture is amazing,” he said. “The design forces the climber on to the Golfus divots. I love it when a design style is what you grab onto.” Matys also hinted that “Water Clear” holds are in the works. A clear polyurethane option would make for a total of 39 available colors, another aspect voters loved about Atomik.
Favorite Homewall Volumes: Stoked
A set of Logg volumes from Stoked, which also offers DIY and rental volumes for homewallers. Photo courtesy of StokedStoked is run by married couple Travis and Kimberly Williams, who hand-make their products. They operate out of Marceline, Missouri, a town of around 2,000 people, and only employ two other locals to help with volume production. Such homegrown roots belie the reality that the company is a national powerhouse, producing mostly large-scale gym orders. In addition to producing climbing volumes and holds, Stoked makes clothing and handmade chalk bags and sponsors prominent athletes—including American competition star Maya Madere.
But it was the company’s volumes that resonated most with our homewall voters for this year’s Grip List; nearly 15 percent of voters chose Stoked as their go-to volume producer for their home setups. Part of that is likely due to Stoked’s popular “Daily Deal” on its website, which offers discounted volumes. The popularity of Stoked volumes among homewallers is also likely because the company offers “DIY Volumes” that are essentially plywood and hardware kits—“great for the budget homewall.” And the basic geometric shapes of volumes such as the Nose and the Wedge―which come in all sizes, from extra-large down to extra-small―are versatile for the wide array of sizes, styles and angles of homewalls.
Speaking to CBJ, Travis Williams voiced his dreams for the future of his company, including possible forays into more climbing hold production and even overseas distribution. However, he also emphasized his love for small business operations. “I came from somewhat of a corporate world where I didn’t like how things had to get done…I don’t like the big-business side of things,” Williams said.
Williams expressed his appreciation for the homewall community and those who voted for Stoked, saying, “It just shows that we’re doing what we want to do—which is just to get people stoked. Even just that they were thinking of us…that’s pretty cool.”
Stoked also offers homewall hold and volume rental programs―in addition to its commercial rental programs for gyms―that range in price, charged by the month. In other words, it’s clear that Stoked is also one of the leading companies when it comes to altering production and sales to fit the homewall boom; the proof is in the voting.
Honorable Mentions
Rollie Stumps from Decoy (upper left), a starter kit from So iLL (upper right), a starter kit from eGrips (lower left), and a limited edition set from Pusher (lower right). All photos courtesy of the respective brands
Even some of the brands that did not make the Setter’s Choice or win other awards deserve mention. For instance, Missouri-based So iLL and Colorado-based eGrips have been among the most consistent companies in the history of the Grip List, populating the top ten for multiple years. Utah-based Pusher garnered enough votes in 2018 to finish in 4th place; however, the brand fell to 6th place last year and finished in 8th place this year. Still, Pusher placed 5th in the All-Time Favorite vote, and its famous Boss hold was recently cited as a favorite by Eddie Morillas, Director of Routesetting at The Front Climbing Club.
Started in 2015, Decoy Holds has experienced a resurgence of late, almost enticing enough votes to break up the Big Five. While also keeping a solid showing in the All-Time Favorite and Homewall Holds categories, Decoy just missed out on a Setter’s Choice award this year by a razor-thin margin of 0.18 percentage points. Head shaper Dan Yagmin introduced nearly 80 new holds in 2020, powering Decoy to a very good finish in the main vote (6th place).
Finally, while Flathold was the clear favorite in the Fiberglass Macro vote, the Premium Holds group still made a strong showing. When combining three of the brands that the company distributes (Cheeta, Squadra, 360 Holds), Flathold’s lead reduces to 6.6 percentage points. Blue Pill and XCult, also based in Europe, performed well in this vote too—the new rainbow-colored Fiber Impressions from Blue Pill (produced by Blocz), for instance, have certainly made an impression. Altogether, these six European brands accounted for 82.7% of the fiberglass macro vote.
This year’s Grip List Survey was far and away the largest vote we have ever held. The total number of votes was more than double our previous high, and the number of “professional routesetters” (more on that below) who responded was also an all-time high. Our deep thanks goes out to everyone who took the time to vote! The turnout gave 2020 the strongest results ever, and the winning brands should be proud of their reputation.
This year a number of new categories were introduced, as well as votes from home climbing wall owners. Below is a flowchart to explain the methodology we used to determine this year’s awards, as well as the geographic distribution of the votes and the complete results of all brands who earned at least 1% of the vote.
The homewall votes were handled plainly, every vote counted as one, and the sum determined Favorite Homewall Holds and Favorite Homewall Volumes.
The main vote had more preparation and handling. First, the field was split based on the answers to two questions about where the respondent sets, and whether they get paid to set. This is actually the same methodology Grip List has always used. Since its inception, this has been a survey of “professional routesetters”. In the past those who didn’t qualify for this designation were not included in the vote count; however, with Grip List 2019 the “People’s Choice” category was added through a partnership with Wooden Mountain‘s Shape Gallery during the CWA Summit. With the Summit cancelled in 2020 and with the addition of homewall categories, we thought it would be appropriate to honor those “non pro setter” votes and count them as this year’s People’s Choice. In fact it provided a much more robust People’s Choice vote with far wider reach.
The end result gives us three categories this year: Setter’s Choice, People’s Choice and Homewall. One further nuance was how the first, second and third favorite hold brands were treated in the count. Again, we used the same methodology as in 2019 when we added the ability to vote for top three brands, and it originated from veteran shaper Ty Foose. Very simply, a vote for first favorite earned the brand 5 points, second got 4 points and third got 3 points, with the sum of all the points becoming the total vote.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2020 Grip List Awards! Be sure to read the full recap of the winning brands here.
Behind the Wrench… is an ongoing series that interviews the “rock stars” of the climbing industry, the routesetters at the gyms. This time CBJ ventures to The Front Climbing Club, one of the most legendary gyms in the U.S., to talk behind the wrench with Eddie Morillas, the Director of Routesetting, about how the pandemic is impacting routesetting, whether a postponed national championship might still take place, and what exactly separates good and bad routes.
Morillas arrived at The Front after growing up and attending school in California. Being a routesetter at The Front is a job he loves, and he does not see himself ever leaving Utah. Photo courtesy of The FrontName: Eddie Morillas
Title: Director of Routesetting
Home Gym:The Front Climbing ClubLocation: Salt Lake City, Utah
CBJ: Let’s start with the pandemic because The Front was in a unique situation; a new facility was scheduled to open, and USA Climbing’s Sport & Speed Nats were scheduled to take place there. Can you walk me through the timeline for The Front?
Morillas: It was a unique situation, indeed. This was mid-March so the situation seemed to be changing by the hour, but up until about three days from the [USA Climbing] event we were feeling confident that we could host it safely with some modification. The Sport and Speed routesetting crew had been working all week and had set almost the entire comp, so it was a pretty brutal gut-punch when we heard the event was going to be postponed. A few days later we made the decision to close the gyms.
It was a pretty strange vibe around the gym immediately after the closure because so many of us had been redlining to put the finishing touches on the facility—then suddenly everything stalled and we were staring down an indefinite shutdown. Thankfully, the owner [Dustin Buckthal] was adamant about keeping everyone employed and our community really stepped up, which allowed us to get the gym set and ready to open—as well as tackle some big renovation projects at the other facilities. We were fortunate that COVID case counts remained fairly low in Salt Lake, but even so, we were completely closed for two months. Starting mid-May, we began a phased reopening and on June 15th we finally reopened completely to guests and new members (with strict distancing and hygiene guidelines in place, of course).
We’re still working closely with USA Climbing and intend to hold the event as soon as we can do so safely. The goal is to use the routes that were set in March and bring the same setting crew back out to finish the job…and watch the competition take place on the field they worked so hard to create. Unfortunately, like everything these days, when that might be is still very much up in the air.
CBJ: How were you personally impacted by the first pandemic wave?
Morillas: Since climbing areas are such a shared resource, it seemed best to steer clear of the crags, which was definitely a bummer because spring climbing season in Utah this year was pretty prime. But it allowed me to spend some time on the other activities I enjoy. I was able to catch the tail end of the backcountry ski season, and then I hopped on the mountain bike.
Once the new facility was all ready to go, we jumped on a big renovation project on the walls in our original bouldering gym. After 20-some years of use the walls were looking pretty beat up, so we went through—with the help of Vertical Solutions—and threw up a fresh layer of birch and some beautiful hardwood to liven the place up. Of course, the angles in that gym are legendary, so we didn’t make any changes to the actual climbing terrain. There were definitely some long, dusty days; but our crew really stepped up and the end result is amazing.
“Many aspects of the gym experience [at The Front] have changed due to the pandemic, so we really wanted the experience on the wall to be familiar,” says Morillas. Photo courtesy of The Front
CBJ: Are you originally from the Salt Lake City area?
Morillas: I’m originally from Southern California. I grew up in a small city called Agoura Hills that’s 40 or so miles north of Los Angeles. I discovered climbing in 2010 when one of my buddies took me to the local gym and I pretty much immediately started working there so I could have a free membership. Maybe a year or so after that I was given the opportunity to try routesetting and I’ve been doing that ever since.
In 2012, I moved to Santa Cruz to go to college. During that time, I started climbing a ton around Tahoe and the Eastern Sierra. When I finished school in 2014, I packed up the truck with the intention of doing the dirtbag thing for as long as I could before I had to go back to work. When the time came, I decided the cost of living in California just wasn’t worth it to me any more, so I started looking at new places with lots of rock, an established gym culture, and easy access to the mountains. Salt Lake fit the bill and I honestly don’t think I’ll ever leave. I’ve been setting at The Front since I moved to Salt Lake in 2014 and took over the Director of Routesetting role in September of last year.
CBJ: Is there anyone in the industry—routesetter or otherwise—who you consider to be a mentor?
Morillas: He’ll probably give me a hard time for saying this, but Mike Bockino is definitely the person who has had the most influence on my progression as a routesetter and my routesetting career overall. He was the Front’s Director of Routesetting for many years before starting Level Climbing, and he was the one who initially gave me the opportunity to come work at the gym. He introduced me to competition setting and encouraged and enabled me to take the steps to advance through USA Climbing’s setting program.
Working with him over the years, I definitely picked up the work ethic that’s required to be a successful competition setter, as well as the ability to check my ego at the door and cater the product to the end user and not the routesetter. Perhaps most valuable of all, I picked up the subtle art of friendly trash talking and probably built up some thicker skin because of him.
The Front closed during the pandemic, but has reopened with various mitigation protocols. Photo courtesy of The Front
CBJ: There’s a lot of routesetting history in the Salt Lake City area. I suppose we could go way back and reference the first Snowbird comp that took place in 1988, but then there were also the legendary Professional Climbers Association [PCA] comps at The Front in the early 2000s. Is there an awareness among the setting community there that they are working in a region with so much heritage?
Morillas: For sure. That history of competition setting and climbing is definitely a big part of the Front’s culture and we try to do what we can to continue to provide a venue for youth and adult athletes to develop through competition—as well as introduce new members of the community to that aspect of the sport. Whenever we host comps we like to make sure there’s at least one “PCA style” finals boulder, and I think we might have the largest collection of old-school resin Bosses in the world. I think it’s worth throwing the Di’namik comp series in there too because if the measure of a successful Front comp is the volume of the crowd and the size of the party, then those were some of the best!
CBJ: The flipside to history would be the future. How do you see the craft and career of routesetting evolving in the future?
Morillas: That’s a great question. On the commercial side of things, I think there’s a lot of potential with some of the apps that are being developed currently to bridge the gap in communication between gym members and the routesetters. If we can tighten up that feedback loop, we’ll be able to be really deliberate in catering the product to what all members want, not just the most vocal ones.
I’m really excited to see how the Olympics (whenever it can happen again) affects the future of competition setting. It seems like countries are beginning to invest more heavily in building their national teams, and as the level of the competitors increases, I think we’ll start seeing some super exciting rounds of competition.
As far as routesetting as a career goes, I think that as the industry continues to grow up and we become more professional, you’ll start seeing more and more gyms transition to a two-rope system the same way they switched from using Grigris to Rigs. Routesetter safety will really become a priority as more and more people with less experience begin to work at height.
Morillas says his love of outdoor climbing and his appreciation for outdoor rock influences his setting style. Photo by Jon Thompson Photography
CBJ: Can you tell me a little bit about your own setting style, and what you think are some factors that separate good routes from bad routes?
Morillas: I think, like most setters, my style is pretty heavily influenced by the style of climbing that I like and am good at outside. Having spent the early part of my climbing career in the Sierra Nevada, I really love climbing on granite. To me, it feels like granite usually rewards the good climber, not necessarily the strong climber, and I like when boulders inside create that same dynamic. I enjoy setting climbs that test climbers’ balance, flexibility, and footwork rather than simply their brute strength. Presenting these skills to climbers in the gym also creates a good foundation that puts them a step ahead when and if they decide to make the transition to climbing outside…especially given the nature of most of the local climbing around Salt Lake.
As time goes on, I try to remove my own opinions about routes from the feedback I give to my setters. I think it’s more important to learn what the specific community you’re setting for likes and dislikes and what they’re looking to get out of a gym session. At The Front, most people use the gym as a tool to train for outdoor objectives, so we set a higher proportion of rock climbing-style climbs than competition-style climbs. Our community tends to think climbs are bad when they have very defined cruxes (especially near the top of the bouldering wall), unnecessarily uncomfortable holds or grip positions, and size inequity.
I will say the one biggest thing that will ruin a climb for me personally is constantly having to match feet.
CBJ: Does the pandemic change routesetting at all?
Morillas: You know, for us, so far it really hasn’t changed much. We’re aware of maintaining distance, we wear masks (except during forerunning), and we make sure to keep a bottle of sanitizer close all the time. But other than that, our process is pretty much the same as it has always been. We tossed around the idea of using the routesetting to try to space people out, but we decided to go a different direction to control for that. Many aspects of the gym experience have changed due to the pandemic, so we really wanted the experience on the wall to be familiar and something that people are comfortable with.
Share your story
Are you leading a climbing gym or brand through this unprecedented period? Or, do you work in the industry and have a story that others could benefit from hearing? If so, please contact us and tell us about it.
As the climbing gym industry continues to adjust to ongoing changes and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is all the more important to be familiar with the numerous organizations, agencies and health institutions that provide guidance and protocols (and, in some instances, requirements). Indeed, while many of these entities have overlapping objectives related to keeping the population safe and healthy, they often offer unique—and in some cases complementary—services and advice, applicable in different ways to any given gym right now.
CBJ Legal Analyst and author of the popular Ask a Lawyer column, Jason Pill, says it is critical for climbing gyms to stay current on all local and federal COVID guidelines for many reasons. “First, and perhaps most important, some of the guidelines are requirements that must be followed to allow your gym to reopen (and stay open),” says Pill. “Second, your employees and climbers will expect you to follow all applicable guidelines to ensure their health and safety. Third, if someone claims they contracted COVID from your gym and seeks to bring a legal action against the gym, one of the gym’s strongest defenses will be establishing its (hopefully) robust safety protocols and adherence to all applicable guidelines.”
Pill is an attorney with the law firm Phelps Dunbar and resident of its Tampa office in Florida. He also previously managed a climbing gym. The firm recently posted a report authored by Pill that specifies how and why the guidelines of different agencies—including OSHA, the CDC and others—are applicable to a gym in this COVID period.
For example, OSHA has not issued gym-specific recommendations, but has released “retail guidelines” that could be easily applied to a gym setting and seem to be the most applicable. The CDC has released comprehensive cleaning and disinfecting guidance that is intended to be applied to public spaces, workplaces, businesses, schools and homes. And still many states, counties and local municipalities have released their own protocols related to gyms, so you’ll need to follow those authorities as well―in addition to keeping abreast of CWA recommendations.
Click here to read Pill’s full report, and stay tuned to CBJ for more coverage related to legalities around COVID. Additional climbing gym resources during the pandemic can be found here.
Note: This column offers general advice and is not intended to be used as direct legal counsel. Gym owners should consult a lawyer for their facility’s specific legal matters. Pill can be contacted directly here.
This week’s Home Wall of the Week is another Covid build, with another bright and fun paint job. This one lives in a backyard in La Mesa, California. It’s owner Thomas C.’s second homewall, he seems to be getting the hang of it!
When did you build your wall?
I started this build around mid April after realizing that it would be a while before I could return to my home gym.
How long did it take you to build?
This build took me about two weeks to complete. I enjoyed taking my time on the entire build.
Not including holds and padding, how much did it cost you to build?
This build cost me between 350-400 dollars.
Did anything in particular inspire your wall design?
This would be my second homewall build. My first was done in the garage of my previous residence. After moving to where I live now I was lucky enough to have a backyard that offered more space to truly express my interest in building a bigger and better homewall.
This wall design was most definitely inspired by a Facebook group designated towards homewall builds. After months of looking at all the different builds that were going up, I knew I had to build a new wall for myself.
What was the most difficult aspect of the design and build?
The most difficult aspect of building this wall had to be deciding if it was going to be a freestanding wall or a permanent climbing wall. In the end, I decided to go with a permanent structure and I couldn’t be happier!
What would you do differently?
If I were to do anything differently I would have made the wall adjustable to different degrees of overhang.
What is your favorite aspect?
My favorite aspect of this wall has to be the paint job. I wasn’t quite set on any particular design. One day I decided to just start taping the plywood and paint, it worked out great!
Any words of wisdom to aspiring homewallers?
If you are inspired, GO FOR IT! You won’t regret it.
Want us to consider your woodie for a future Homewall of the Week? Submit your homewall here to be considered. If yours is chosen you’ll win a prize pack like this (varied prizes each week):
Both the Youth and Collegiate series had new lines drawn for the 2020-2021 competition season. The Youth series, shown here, will increase from 16 to 18 regions and 8 to 9 divisions. All photos courtesy of USA Climbing
USA Climbing’s (USAC) Board of Directors has confirmed the realignment of the regions and divisions for its Youth and Collegiate competition series. The approved recommendations came from USAC’s Realignment Task Force (RTF), which was formed in 2018 to review the organizations’ geographic structure for better “inclusiveness, athlete well-being, growth, and international success,” according to USAC’s press release. The changes will take effect in October for the 2020-2021 season and will be in place for four years.
“A big thank you to the RTF who spent considerable time gathering feedback from numerous constituents including significant input from our Regional Coordinators. The RTF conducted a thorough review of climbing gyms capabilities to host events and member geographic locations in an effort to balance competitor numbers across regions and address growing participation numbers,” said Marc Norman, CEO of USAC. “Again, I can’t thank the RTF enough for their tremendous work in ensuring our sport is well-positioned for future growth.”
Leveling the Playing Field
The Youth and Collegiate realignment documents of the RTF identified several reasons for the changes. Mainly, the regions and divisions were believed to be becoming too imbalanced. The redrawn lines were designed to spread out the average number of competitors per division, as well as even out the estimated strength of the fields. Another consideration was keeping travel burdens on competitors and their families at a minimum, both to promote economic inclusion and acknowledge ongoing COVID-19 challenges.
“As our sport continues to grow, one of the challenges our Regions face is the large and uneven growth of competitive members on an annual basis”, said John Muse, Vice President of Sport at USAC. “The goal every four years is to redraw the regional boundaries to maintain a fair and balanced competitive structure and we support and believe the RTF recommendations will do just that.”
The new realignment of the Collegiate series, which consolidated from 13 to 7 divisions.
Divisions Expand for Youth, Consolidate at Collegiate Level
In the Youth series, notable changes included the expansion from 16 to 18 regions and 8 to 9 divisions. Regionally, Colorado will be divided North to South instead of East to West (with Denver split along I70), the Desert region was divided into two, and an entirely new region was added between the Midwest and Southeast areas. In terms of divisions, major changes occurred in the West, with the Mountain West joining Northern California, Southern California pairing with Arizona, and the majority of Texas combining with the new region previously mentioned.
At the Collegiate level, 13 regions consolidated to 7 divisions: West Coast, Rockies, South Central, Heartland, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. In addition to balancing the distribution of athletes, the shift to 7 divisions was also done to increase the number of potential host sites for National Qualifying Events and local competitions. Now, all but one division are expected to have over 200 athletes competing, instead of only four regions before.
Last year CBJ reported that climbing is thriving at the Collegiate level—a fact that was bolstered by the hiring of Rachel Owens in October to work towards climbing’s NCAA sanctioning. Stay tuned to CBJ for more news about USA Climbing’s efforts at the Youth and Collegiate levels.
Dr. Constance “Connie” Lightner will join USA Climbing’s Board of Directors in September. All images courtesy of USA Climbing
USA Climbing recently announced that Dr. Constance “Connie” Lightner will join its Board of Directors. Lightner, the mother of decorated American competitor Kai Lightner, will begin her term on September 1 following current and longtime member Patti Rube’s completion of term.
Dr. Lightner is a professor in the department of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship at Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She has previously been part of various USA Climbing endeavors and initiatives, including the development of the 2024 Strategic Plan. Dr. Lightner is also a member of USA Climbing’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force.
A brief biography of Dr. Lightner on USA Climbing’s website noted, “Connie Lightner played an instrumental role in guiding her son’s success domestically and internationally; she possesses a unique understanding of the opportunities and challenges presented to climbing families.”
Patti Rube, who is the current President of the Board of Directors, said, “As a university professor and faculty department chair with expertise in statistics, management science, operations management, and quality control, Dr. Lightner brings business management and leadership skills to our Board, and as a parent of an elite climber she also brings a deep knowledge of our sport. We are thrilled to welcome Connie and look forward to her continuing contributions for years to come.”
Other current members of USA Climbing’s Board of Directors (in addition to Rube) are: Bruce Mitchell (Vice President), Matthew Roberts (Treasurer), Kate Felsen Di Pietro, Avery Cook, Brett Rogers, Joel Litvin, Dustin Skinner, and athletes Kyra Condie and Jesse Grupper. The full press release about Dr. Lightner’s joining of the Board of Directors can be found here.
Welcome to the second “monthly wrap” in cooperation with Climbing Hold News Reviews where we will bring you the latest in climbing holds, macros and volumes. We hope you love this as much as we do!
It’s been a challenging month here in America with social change and important issues occurring everywhere. As Covid-19 appears to be here to stay, commercial climbing gyms grapple with adopting protective standards and coming up with ways to keep climbers safe. Nevertheless, climbers are returning to the gyms in droves with even a few new gyms poised to open up with brand news holds, macros and volumes. Here’s hoping we can continue this forward momentum in gyms and the return of an increase in new releases. There’s some hot stuff in the pipeline and can’t wait to keep sharing it with you.
// NEW DEVELOPMENTS //
Menagerie
Menagerie Climbing’s website was updated this month with a preview of things to come including their sister company Formik Climbing as well as the release of the German-made Blocz Torso and Voidbringer fiberglass macros. The Torso macros are high-profile stalactites, while the Voidbringer macros are more subtle, sloping and bulbous. menagerieclimb.com
Thrillseeker
Thrillseeker has released the Titans which are dual texture competition holds shaped by Dario Stefanou of Ibex. They are a natural progression from the debut Obsidian line which are also dual texture. These dual texture holds feature angular pinches, edges and are a combination of small to titan sized bolt on and screw on holds. They are poured by Composite-X in Dannomond polyurethane and distributed by Mark Bradley through Compass Climbing in the U.S. and Canada. thrillseekerholds.com
Flathold
Flathold has officially released their new unique Lucha Libre line which is a dual texture line representing “holds with a thousand masks.” This was the brainchild of shaper Manuel Hassler in pursuing new expressions of dual texture after collaborating in 2018 with Laurent Laporte of Cheeta Holds. The result is a combination of seemingly simple shapes with texture that will keep you paying attention. Flathold has also released the Golden Leaves and Borderline macros and describes them respectively as “the duality between two shapers” which has created half egg shapes and “simple and fundamentally functional” ledges respectively. Check out the newly redesigned website to see all the shapes. flathold.com
Bluepill
Bluepill Climbing is releasing a set of 8 huge wooden multi-plane volumes which have a left and right mirror image of one another. They are named the Good Wings and the Bad Wings and their namesake comes from the Good set having more positive angles and the Bad set less positive angles for grabbing. Bluepill Climbing macros and volumes are distributed exclusively by Blocz Distribution in the U.S. bluepill-climbing.com
Rock City
Rock City is based out of the UK but has recently begun distribution through Blocz in the U.S. Rock City is also an official supplier of climbing holds, macros and volumes for IFSC Climbing as well as the postponed Tokyo Olympics. Recently they have announced the Basic series which include the Basic Edge Pairs shown above. These are holds which can be used to block or create seams with shiny dual texture on the outside surface. rockcity.co.uk/climbing-holds
Ibex
Ibex has released several sets of new Composite-X polyurethane crack-like holds which are expansions of their new Alpha range shaped by Dario Stefanou. The Alpha Crack Positive is a set of 4 screw-on jugs and the Alpha Crack Negative is a series of 4 puzzle-piece bolt-on blockers, and they are designed to fit together. Ibex Climbing Holds is distributed Mark Bradley through Compass Climbing in the U.S. and Canada. ibexholds.com
Satellite
Satellite, based out of Japan, recently confirmed North American distribution by Enrico Baistrocchi’s new Solostile Climbing Lab. They have just released an expansion to the Toron line which features jugs, pinches, dishes, slopers and huecos. satelliteclimbing.com
Atomik
Atomik recently released the individual, 3-pack or 5-pack Leaves which are jugs designed for kid and feature the following leaves – Maple, Oak, Poplar, Birch and Aspen. They also released the 10-pack Rounders, which are rounded crimps, as well as an arrow-shaped down climb jug. atomikclimbingholds.com
Robinhood
Robinhood is a newer company based out of Ohio which has released 3 new sets. The Waves (shown in black) are a series of plate-like positive ridged edges which feature 10 small and 10 medium size shapes by Heywood BD (formerly of Pur Climbing). Jugs for Jugs is a set of 5 varied round jugs and a ribbon hold which were shaped by Andy Nelson, owner of Method Grips. The profits of this set are will be donated initially to a family in need and then after 6 months to the Susan G. Komen foundation. robinhoodclimbing.com
Endure
Endure, a small batch hold company based out of Richmond, VA, has released an expansion to the Meddler series, bringing the line to 32 holds. The series now includes new jugs and edges shaped by Stephen Chafee. climbendure.com
Capital
Capital just popped out the new screw-on Swoops, shaped by owner Christopher Neal, which are sloping jibs. capitalclimbing.com
Post Holds
Post Holds, a Canadian company distributed by Hold Emporium, has released many new screw-on sets shaped by professional climbing coach Matt Chapman and Ethan Salvo. These include the Block Heads blocking edges, the Credit Crimps thin smooth crimps, the Real Rocks thin crimps with rock-like texture, and the Hatchlings jibs. holdemporium.com
Holdz
Holdz is a UK-based company that has been around for 20 years and are shaped by Steve Goodair. They are releasing 300 new shapes poured by Composite-X in Dannomond. holdz.co.uk
Bleaustone
Bleaustone recently redesigned their Fontainebleau Nano Jugs to fit in the hand more comfortably and also include setscrew holes. climb-holds.com
Max Holds
Max Holds, based in Iran, recently expanded their dual texture Stumps Family into a larger size. maxholds.coCheck out climbingholdnewsreviews.com to check out the Weekly Wraps for even more updates and new releases on a weekly basis. You can also read last month’s May Wrap here.
Behind the Desk… is an ongoing series that profiles people influencing and advancing the industry in gyms around North America. But this time, CBJ decided to head south—way south—to talk about how gyms in South America are adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic and what the gym scene is like in Argentina.
Fernando Cicconi giving an instructional class at Realization Escalada in Argentina. All photos courtesy of Realization EscaladaName: Fernando Cicconi
Title: Chief Routesetter, Realization EscaladaGym Instagram: @realizationescalada
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
CBJ: Tell me a little bit about your gym, Realization Escalada, and how it has been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis?
Cicconi: Realization was started in 1999 by original owners Ariel Martorello and Andrés Puertas. It was rather small, but it enlarged over time even though there wasn’t much information available here about artificial climbing walls. The climbing holds were mostly self-made. In 2016, Ariel Martorello went to live in Bariloche, which left Andrés Puertas as the sole owner.
We tried to improve the facility, as well as the quality of the attention to the climbers, and improve the routesetting with weekly route turnover. I started to work as chief routesetter together with another routesetter named Daniel Fontan, and eventually we invited other routesetters to work with us. We organized climbing festivals at the gym. And in the year 2015 we moved to a new location that provided greater comfort and more of a commercial profile—which generated a greater influx of climbers. Then, in 2019, we started to work with some European companies like Euroholds and Entre-Prises. We even organized the first commercial setting courses in Argentina. And we continue to work on improving training and are always coming up with new ideas.
The pandemic—and temporary closure—forced us to focus on income from merchandise sales and donations. We are still closed, but we have implemented an app for booking two-hour shifts (with half-hour time slots allotted for disinfection between shifts). Currently in the city of Buenos Aires, climbing gyms have not been allowed to reopen, but we have repainted our walls and established some mitigation protocols.
Cicconi and the crew at Realization Escalada have been hard at work during the gym’s temporary closure—repainting, routesetting, and getting ready to implement various mitigation protocols.
CBJ: This pandemic has actually brought the climbing industry in the United States and Canada together in a lot of ways. Many gyms have all been forthcoming in sharing information and strategies. Are you seeing the same sort of climbing industry camaraderie in Argentina and South America?
Cicconi: Great question, but not so easy to answer. In South America there is not a developed climbing industry like there is in the United States or Europe—mostly because of the costs, and in many cases because of a lack of organization. But yes, there is a lot of initiative to improve the sport and many concrete initiatives here.
There are some great climbing gyms in Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Argentina, and those have high standards in terms of infrastructure—but they are not the majority. Most climbing gyms are small and need to embrace more commercial strategies in order to grow. But it is still difficult to introduce any commercial vision to climbing gyms, at least in Argentina; yet a good commercial structure—in terms of management—is what will eventually lead climbing gyms in South America to greater profitability and growth. In that respect, I believe that initiatives such as commercial routesetting courses can contribute to gradually changing things.
The positive side is that the pandemic has generated an opening of information. It has encouraged an acceleration of the modernization processes for many climbing gyms. The negative side is that some gyms have suffered the consequences of the quarantine—and have not been able to survive, partly because of the lack of economic income and lack of commercial vision for their business, in my opinion.
Luckily, in some places in our country, since the beginning of June, some of the restrictions have been lifted and little by little climbing gyms have been able to start working again. The gyms with the most innovative commercial vision have found new commercial outlets. These outlets have allowed them to sustain some income while closed and encouraged them to invest in commercial alternatives. This includes, like I said, the incorporation of merchandising as an alternative source of income or, say, the manufacture of climbing holds.
What has also happened is that, as a consequence of the pandemic, some climbers have started building climbing walls in their homes. In terms of communication between gyms in Argentina, there are several climbing associations that have suggested post-COVID-19 protocols, but there is no joint effort between gyms, in terms of strategies. The management has been rather individual for each gym, and I do not see that as a positive. If we look at this more broadly, in terms of South American gyms, there is no structure on the whole. I think channels of communication should be established in this regard, but they do not yet exist.
Realization Escalada is planning to reopen and utilize a reservation system in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CBJ: When you say that there is less of a structure connecting South American gyms—can you explain to me a bit about the history of climbing gyms in Argentina and South America?
Cicconi: As in other places in the world, climbing gyms here emerged due to a need for training, to take rock climbing to a higher level. Gyms were a means to an end. But as time went on, climbing gyms attracted climbers who not only used them as a means to train, but also climbers who were interested in urban climbing—in other words, there were climbers who were only climbing in gyms. This development began to take place in Argentina in the 1990s, when the first artificial climbing gyms were built here. But the first entrée into sport climbing in Argentina was perhaps an artificial concrete and stone climbing wall—which still exists today—in an area of the National Secretariat of Sports. It was built by the Centro Andino Buenos Aires in 1982.
In that same place, in 1993, the first artificial climbing gym was built and a climbing clinic was given by Jean Pierre Fourniol and Alain Renaud from France. This was also the year of the first “artificial climbing” championship in Argentina.
But I think a turning point in the history of artificial wall climbing in Argentina was when several other parts of the country constructed their own climbing gyms; facilities were built in Pacheco and late El Rocodromo La Plata, a Buenos Aires province, in Cordoba (Polideportivo de Cordoba), in Mendoza, and later in San Juan. A concrete climbing wall was also built in General Alvear (in Mendoza province), in Bariloche, at the Club Andino Bariloche, and at Río Negro Province. It was these initiatives that led to the first national championships for Difficulty and gave rise to the first sport climbers in Argentina.
That was a starting point, and years later bouldering gyms appeared in several cities and in people’s houses. Stylistically, these gyms were very old-school, as the builders would frequently cut costs or be very DIY. Things began to change around 2010, when climbing gyms began to be thought of more as elaborate sports centers—for example, there is an Olympic wall in Buenos Aires. There have been some very good gym projects lately, but as I said before, between the pandemic and the economic reality, we will see what happens in the future.
Realization Escalada was founded in 1999, but a move in 2015 gave the gym more space and ultimately led to more customers.
CBJ: You mentioned importing some equipment from Europe. But are there some good companies in Argentina that make climbing holds and climbing walls?
Cicconi: Although there are many manufacturers of climbing holds in Argentina and South America, there is not much of an industry, per se—partly because of the high costs of creating and producing climbing holds at an industry level (high cost of materials, etc.) Depending on the country, it is often more convenient to just buy holds from abroad, in terms of a price/quality ratio. In the case of Argentina, it also depends on the import laws of our country—which vary due to fluctuating government policies.
However, what has grown here a great deal is the market of more artisanal holds—which have boomed during the pandemic. There are some really creative shapers making wooden holds by hand. There has also been a lot of progress regarding volumes made of wood. And there are climbing hold manufacturers who are working with resin and fiberglass; they have improved a lot, but there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of design. The best gyms therefore usually buy holds from the United States and Europe.
Cicconi sees opportunities for the Argentina gym scene to continue to grow—and adopt a similar kind of standardization in place at many gyms in North America and Europe.
CBJ: You are the chief routesetter at your gym. What is the routesetting scene like in Bueno Aires and Argentina?
Cicconi: I’m a chief routesetter certified by the F.A.S.A. (Federación Argentina de Ski y Andinismo), the institution that governs climbing in Argentina. I’m a national-certified routesetter, and nationally certified to instruct routesetters too. I also taught the first three courses on commercial routesetting in Argentina, although those did not have any official certification. But I hope such courses will soon be made available with the federation’s certification. Since 2016, the federation has been openly promoting routesetting courses.
In Buenos Aires, climbing has grown a lot recently, and therefore the gyms have had to adapt to the demand. I believe that this trend will increase exponentially as the quality of the gyms increases along with the professionalization of certified instructors (there are currently around 150 in Argentina), the investment in climbing holds, the development of more infrastructure, etc.
I’m an optimist. For example, I remember one graph from Vertical-Life that indicated an incredible increase in the number of climbers in Brazil in the last seven or eight years. I believe that this trend will be replicated in Argentina and the rest of South America. Currently, the federation here is planning some new routesetter education programs. We are working both on the level of routesetting in competitions and on the level of commercial/gym routesetting (which is particularly what interests me most for the greater diffusion of the craft). We are already working with some youth teams for a Dakar 2022 [Summer Youth Olympics] program, along with coaches and national routesetters with the support of the E.N.A.R.D. (Ente Nacional de Alto Rendimiento Deportivo) in coordination with the F.A.S.A.
In addition to the daily work of routesetting, I try to participate in all the online routesetting forums and discussions on social media. I read information as much as possible from other places around the world. I think that there are some very good routesetters, many of whom have set at the national, continental, and Pan-American championship level.
I believe that routesetter training is fundamental to being able to provide greater quality in all the gyms, so routesetters here need training at an international level. Sometimes it is very difficult, though, because of the economic costs. However, there have been some exceptional training activities done by IFSC-level routesetters like Tonde Katiyo in the Master of Chile 2019. That type of knowledge has been very valuable to us.
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By Noah Rezentes, John Burgman and Joe Robinson
From an economic standpoint, this year has been perhaps the most challenging in the history of the industry. As COVID-19 swept across the globe, the ongoing pandemic prompted the temporary closures of hundreds of climbing gyms—a phenomenon unlike anything ever experienced in the climbing world, and a challenge that gyms continue to grapple with amid their respective reopenings. And since the sales of most climbing hold companies are made up of primarily climbing gym orders, hold brands were hit equally hard by the COVID-19 crisis.
However, one result of climbers being cooped up indoors for months on end in self-isolation mitigation efforts was a veritable boom in homewall construction, beginning around March. In response, many hold companies shifted their business models to accommodate homewall orders; CBJ even unveiled a Homewall of the Week featurette to profile specific DIY structures.
There are reasons to believe there is light at the end of the tunnel—for the industry at large and hold brands specifically. For example, several new gyms have opened since the COVID-19 crisis began, and a number of other projects from organizations like 1Climb are proceeding on schedule as well.
So how has CBJ’s annual Grip List adapted to the current climate?
The homewall votes were handled plainly, every vote counted as one, and the sum determined Favorite Homewall Holds and Favorite Homewall Volumes.
The main vote had more preparation and handling. First, the field was split based on the answers to two questions about where the respondent sets, and whether they get paid to set. This is actually the same methodology Grip List has always used. Since its inception, this has been a survey of “professional routesetters”. In the past those who didn’t qualify for this designation were not included in the vote count; however, with Grip List 2019 the “People’s Choice” category was added through a partnership with Wooden Mountain‘s Shape Gallery during the CWA Summit. With the Summit cancelled in 2020 and with the addition of homewall categories, we thought it would be appropriate to honor those “non pro setter” votes and count them as this year’s People’s Choice. In fact it provided a much more robust People’s Choice vote with far wider reach.
The end result gives us three categories this year: Setter’s Choice, People’s Choice and Homewall. One further nuance was how the first, second and third favorite hold brands were treated in the count. Again, we used the same methodology as in 2019 when we added the ability to vote for top three brands, and it originated from veteran shaper Ty Foose. Very simply, a vote for first favorite earned the brand 5 points, second got 4 points and third got 3 points, with the sum of all the points becoming the total vote.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2020 Grip List Awards! Be sure to read the full recap of the winning brands here.
As the climbing gym industry continues to adjust to ongoing changes and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is all the more important to be familiar with the numerous organizations, agencies and health institutions that provide guidance and protocols (and, in some instances, requirements). Indeed, while many of these entities have overlapping objectives related to keeping the population safe and healthy, they often offer unique—and in some cases complementary—services and advice, applicable in different ways to any given gym right now.
CBJ Legal Analyst and author of the popular Ask a Lawyer column, Jason Pill, says it is critical for climbing gyms to stay current on all local and federal COVID guidelines for many reasons. “First, and perhaps most important, some of the guidelines are requirements that must be followed to allow your gym to reopen (and stay open),” says Pill. “Second, your employees and climbers will expect you to follow all applicable guidelines to ensure their health and safety. Third, if someone claims they contracted COVID from your gym and seeks to bring a legal action against the gym, one of the gym’s strongest defenses will be establishing its (hopefully) robust safety protocols and adherence to all applicable guidelines.”
Welcome to the second “monthly wrap” in cooperation with Climbing Hold News Reviews where we will bring you the latest in climbing holds, macros and volumes. We hope you love this as much as we do!
It’s been a challenging month here in America with social change and important issues occurring everywhere. As Covid-19 appears to be here to stay, commercial climbing gyms grapple with adopting protective standards and coming up with ways to keep climbers safe. Nevertheless, climbers are returning to the gyms in droves with even a few new gyms poised to open up with brand news holds, macros and volumes. Here’s hoping we can continue this forward momentum in gyms and the return of an increase in new releases. There’s some hot stuff in the pipeline and can’t wait to keep sharing it with you.
