Behind the Closures…is a series that interviews people who are part of the climbing industry during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis—and looks at how the situation is impacting gyms and companies around North America.
For this installment, CBJ ventures north—virtually, of course—to talk with the founder of a popular gym in Canada about the pandemic, reopening protocols, and someday returning to introducing new people to the “amazing sport” of climbing.
Jordan Mackay with his children, Ella (left) and Paul (right). All photos courtesy of Jordan Mackay / Regina Climbing CentreName: Jordan Mackay
Title: Chief Climbing Officer, Regina Climbing CentreLocation: Regina, Saskatchewan
CBJ: Tell me about your background and the creation of Regina Climbing Centre.
MACKAY: I started Climbing on Mount Yamnuska [in Alberta, Canada] in 1986 at the Rocky Mountain YMCA. I love being outdoors in the mountains, and I try to spend as much time there as possible in all seasons. I later started to climb indoors at Stronghold in Calgary when it opened, and I still really like climbing there. I moved away from Calgary to pursue education and start our family in 2001. Regina is in the middle of the Canadian prairies, a ten-hour drive from the nearest mountains. In the 19 years in Regina, I finished my degree in finance and went through a couple of careers—one in pharmaceutical sales and one in risk management. I sold two products that nobody wanted to buy, insurance and pharmaceuticals, and now I sell a product that everyone loves.
Although successful, I really didn’t enjoy the work and I knew if I didn’t change I would not have my health. I grew up in a small business family and was always told that if you do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life. Finding that elusive opportunity proved harder than it seems. After a couple of years of searching, we went on a ski vacation to Kimberley [British Columbia] and went climbing at ARQ in Cranbrook, British Columbia. It is an amazing gym in a similar market size to Regina. I remember wondering to my wife Josie why nobody had built one in Regina…the rest is history.
A passion is born on Mackay’s first day of climbing in 1986.
CBJ: To a degree, all climbing gyms are in the same boat with this pandemic—forced closures, reopenings aligned with governmental regulations. But is there anything that makes Regina Climbing Centre’s situation unique?
MACKAY: We started the gym two years ago. It is a family business. My wife, Josie Ricci Mackay, and I are the owners and our kids, Ella and Paul, work at the gym. The climbing community was quite small and, I believe, was struggling to keep up the energy. We really didn’t know how many climbers were in Regina but it wasn’t very many. It was a leap of faith that we would have people that wanted to climb. A group had built a small bouldering wall in a two-car garage—and I think you needed a secret handshake to climb. Seriously though, I connected with the ownership of the garage gym and they were more than excited to have a commercial gym.
COVID puts a unique challenge on our community and membership as it is so young and developing. It might be easy for many to just have the sport disappear as they just started climbing and could easily go back to whatever else they were doing. I imagine in more mature communities the climbers will support the gym through thick and thin. We had just introduced many of our members to climbing, so to ask them to continue paying us for no service did not seem wise. We have frozen all memberships during the lockdown in an effort to bring everyone back when we reopen. We didn’t want to lose a single member. I feel like a custodian of the community and this crisis has only deepened this responsibility.
CBJ: How has this impacted Regina Climbing Centre’s staff?
MACKAY: Our doors have been closed since March 16th. We had to lay off our entire staff. This is the most horrible thing I think I have ever had to do. It broke my heart and I hope we can rehire them all.
CBJ: There was a social media post from Regina—“stress relief COVID style.” What has been the most stressful part of this whole pandemic?
MACKAY: When you own a business, it is a constant learning curve. I have learned a lot of lessons that I didn’t know I needed to learn. Having to let go your entire staff of people that you really like is brutal. I was a complete mess and the first few phone calls were ridiculous. Most of my staff are students and not having work will significantly impact their lives. I even had to lay off my own kids.
Regina Climbing Centre hopes to reopen in accordance with government regulations and recommendations.
CBJ: Your gym has not reopened yet. But at this point, what does reopening look like for Regina Climbing Centre, in terms of potential guidelines for members and staff?
MACKAY: I am not really sure when—or what—the requirements will be if allowed to reopen. We are kind of grasping at whatever information is available in our province and other areas. We are trying to prepare for whatever regulation hits us, but also learning as much as we can so we can offer the safest environment possible. As information comes, we will be sharing climbing specific information with our regulators to make sure they understand climbing. Having said that, I don’t think we are out of the woods yet. I am hopeful but realistic that without a cure or vaccine nothing—with the exception of travel and a crash course in social distancing—has changed.
I believe that the scientists, doctors and administrators in charge of COVID in Canada and Saskatchewan are amazing people and will give us prudent guidance. Nobody wants to get people sick, so we will do what we need to when we are allowed to do it. Our priority when we do reopen will be to reengage with and focus on our existing community. They need to feel safe to return. Once we have better control on COVID then hopefully we return to growth and introducing more people to this amazing sport.
Share your story
Are you leading a climbing gym or brand through this unprecedented period of gym closures? Or, do you work for a gym or company that is now closed and have a story that others could benefit from hearing? If so, please contact us and tell us about it.
Logo of USA Climbing
[UPDATE August 3, 2020: USA Climbing announced on July 30 the cancellation of the postponed 2020 Open Sport and Speed National Championships.]
By John Burgman
USA Climbing recently announced that it is cancelling the 2020 Youth Sport and Speed National Championships, which were originally scheduled to take place at Reach Climbing in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, from July 9–12. In the announcement, USA Climbing also affirmed the cancellations of its 2020 Collegiate National Championships (originally scheduled to take place at Earth Treks in Englewood, Colorado) and its 2020 Paraclimbing National Championships (originally scheduled to take place at Mesa Rim in San Diego).
The reason cited for the cancellations was the “ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.” A press release signed by both USA Climbing’s CEO, Marc Norman, and USA Climbing’s President of the Board of Directors, Patti Rube, stated: “While most states have begun to ease restrictions, it is clear that hosting these National Championship events, even with significant modifications, is simply not feasible given the current status of the pandemic and varying travel and safety guidelines across the country.”
The announcement of cancellations left open the possibility of regional youth events taking place in mid-August. These events would not see youth competitors advancing to events beyond the regional circuit, and would not result in national team selection. However, these youth events would still “allow…youth competitors to reclaim the joy of competition climbing this year.”
Of note is that USA Climbing did not include the 2020 Open Sport and Speed National Championships in the announced cancellations. That event was originally scheduled to take place in March at the Front South Main in Millcreek, Utah, but it remains postponed.
USA Climbing also noted that it is still planning for the Olympic Games, which have been postponed until the summer of 2021. The American climbers who have qualified for the Olympics are Brooke Raboutou, Kyra Condie, Nathaniel Coleman and Colin Duffy.
This week’s CBJ Homewall of the Week is a sweet little condo coronavirus build in Salt Lake City, Utah. Owner Kyra Condie really needed to stay strong, after all she’s qualified for the Olympics and hopefully will be representing Team USA in 2021. See past homewalls here.
How long did it take you to build?
This wall actually only took maybe a total of 2.5 hours from cutting the wood, to bringing it to my condo (up the stairs, that was the hardest part), and attaching everything to the wall. It was easier that most walls because I was attaching it to a wall that was already angled!
Not including holds and padding, how much did it cost you to build?
It actually was free, I was able to get the wood from USA Climbing and they wanted to support me being able to train at home.
Did anything in particular inspire your wall design?
The wall was already there and angled! So it was really my only option. The room was also super small so I had to keep the wall small – it’s only 8ft X 8ft.
What was the most difficult aspect of the design and build?
Not gonna lie, this was maybe the simplest wall to possibly build.
What would you do differently?
I’m actually really happy with how it came out, it ended up being far more functional than I thought it would. It’s actually sick, I’m definitely keeping it, even after quarantine.
What is your favorite aspect?
The wall is super steep and a totally flat angle with no changes, 55 degrees, which is an angle you don’t really find at most gyms. It’s a good supplement to normal gyms because it’s pretty different.
Can you tell me a little bit about how you’ve engaged your followers with your homewall? Sounds like a cool way to make climbing communal again during this time.
I had the idea to post a photo of my wall and have people set me some climbs! I was posting my favorite ones from each session and tagging the person who “set” it. People really seemed to enjoy it. I also was sending everyone a video back of me trying their boulder. I got in a bit over my head though, because I think I got over 400 climbs submitted.
Any words of wisdom to aspiring homewallers?
Do it! It’s really fun and totally worth it, especially right now. It feels really good to actually climb, even if the wall is small, rather than just hang board.
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):
All images by the Climbing Wall AssociationBy John Burgman
The Climbing Wall Association (CWA) recently released a comprehensive online packet with information and strategies for climbing gym reopenings in the midst of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The new guide from the Boulder, Colorado-based association, packaged as the “Roadmap to Reopening,” comes as more gyms around the country reopen with various mitigation strategies intended to reduce the risk and spread of the virus. CBJ first reported an initial wave of gym reopenings around the first week of May.
Much of the information in the CWA’s new guide aligns with mitigation efforts that many reopened gyms have already implemented. “First, identify the authorities relevant to your location or locations,” advises the CWA. “Follow rules from every level of government, city to national, and examine the sources of their rules and recommendations; distinguish what is required from what is optional.”
Hierarchy of Controls
The guide begins by explaining a broad “Hierarchy of Controls” that relates to operating a business amid any hazard. The levels of the hierarchy include various strategies such as completely removing the hazard (“elimination”), replacing the hazard with something less hazardous (“substitution”), changing workplace practices to protect people from the hazard (“administrative controls”), and other methods of control.
Hygiene
More specific to climbing gym operations is the section of the guide titled, “Fundamental Strategies,” wherein the CWA lists various possible protocols—and in some cases states what gyms should or should not do. For example, under the category of Hygiene, the guide notes that face masks may be used in a gym and also advocates that customers should not touch their face while climbing. Other recommendations include: Customers should limit the number of partners that they climb with to either household members or a select few partners, and customers should not go to the gym if they have recently been in contact with an individual at high-risk for COVID-19.
Physical Distancing
In the section about Physical Distancing, the CWA urges occupancy limits. “There are many ways to regulate the number of people in your gym at any given time,” states the guide. “Before choosing a method consider how it will affect your business model, your community’s perception of your gym, and your future operations.” The CWA also advises gyms to consider lowering areas, fall zones and walkways when planning and setting routes and encouraging social distancing.
Cleaning
Under the Cleaning section, the CWA acknowledges that “holds and walls cannot be cleaned between ascents or daily in a manner that eliminates transmission risk” in its totality. However, the CWA guide does provide recommendations such as the wearing of masks, gloves and eye protection by routesetters when stripping walls and storing holds.
Communication
In the Communication section, the CWA offers strategies when developing a communication plan, since “staff and customers need to know what is expected from them and what they can expect from you.” In addition to Customer and Staff Communication, this section also includes strategies for Facility-Level Communication―like waiver agreements and signage―and Public Communication. The latter encompasses local health authorities, and it is encouraged to “maintain a constant dialogue of best practices and current conditions” with them.
Regional Differences
The guide is not intended to be applied uniformly to all gyms. The CWA acknowledges that “each of us will face unique situations and no recommendations will encompass all the challenges you will face.” CBJ encourages gym operators to read the CWA’s guide to reopening in full, which can be found here.
Wip Climbing in Courtenay, British Columbia. All photos courtesy of Walltopia
As the climbing industry evolves each year, so do the target clientele of the climbing gyms and the climbing wall design styles. With the highly advanced production technologies of today, it has never been easier to have more colors, patterns or custom prints on walls. It is in your hands to experiment with new ideas and explore unconquered territories. The possibilities are almost endless.
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) downtime can be used to dream up and start designing your new facility. Walltopia even offers the option to invest in the design only, without further commitment, and see your gym come to life virtually.
To help you get inspired, Walltopia explored some of the current trends in interior design and their reflection in the climbing industry. Not surprisingly, they witnessed a strong overlap between the big interior trends of today and the styles of beloved climbing gyms that recently opened.
Below are Walltopia’s top 6 interior design trends to consider for your climbing gym project.
1. Natural wood
Natural wood has always been around in interior design, with dips and soars in popularity over the years. People enjoy having it in their homes because it adds a cozy feel to the living area. At the same time, quality wood elements bring elegance and sophistication to the interior.
When it comes to climbing walls, natural wood was the standard more than 15 years ago. The coating techniques of today were underdeveloped and that was all the industry was capable of then. When technology enabled the making of bright, colorful walls with improved texture, the wood look was abandoned, living on only as a nostalgic memory of the past.
However, in recent times the wood look has been making a return and becoming hugely popular in climbing gyms again. Whether used by itself or as a signature element of a multi-color design, it continues to make climbers feel at home.
Hangar 4, A Coruña, SpainIdrottshuset, Vaxjo, SwedenHangar 4 in A Coruña, Spain
2. High contrast
In interior design, high contrast is fresh, simple and timeless. It gives an extra-edgy feel to an interior space. And in the opinion of experts, it’s about to make a major comeback.
In climbing gyms, high contrast walls are awe-inspiring canvases, especially when combined with bright-colored holds. It’s a style that keeps looking modern, even ten years after installing a wall.
Central Rock Gym, Randolph, MA, USAWIP Climbing, Courtenay, BC, CANCentral Rock Gym in Randolph, Massachusetts
3. Bold details
In recent years both interior and fashion designers have enthusiastically played with textures, shapes and colors. It takes excellent design skills to get the balance right when dealing with so many elements.
With climbing walls, bold details always seem to go a long way since they give the opportunity to proudly stand out. In fact, they feature in some of the most impressive and adored gyms around the world.
First Ascent Humboldt Park, Chicago, IL, USAFirst Ascent Humboldt Park in Chicago, Illinois
4. Teal as a signature accent
Teal is everywhere lately, both in fashion and interior design. And it’s not just another whim of the day. Teal is a preferred signature color because it creates a calm, refreshing atmosphere wherever it is used, especially when combined with neutrals and wood.
Teal is currently one of the trendiest colors in climbing gyms, and Walltopia hopes it stays that way for a long time.
HangOn, Lanzarotte, Canary IslandsTouchstone Cliffs of Id, Culver City, CA, USATouchstone Cliffs of Id in Culver City, California
5. Soft colors as the new neutral
For many years interior design focused on neutrals, with just a hint of bright color here and there for a change. But prevalent soft colors are coming back and making a statement. Combining a few pastels in a thoughtful manner can make a design stand out like no other.
In the past there weren’t many gyms that embraced soft colors, but today that number is on the rise. After all, bright colors sure do capture the eye; however, they’re not the only way to win a climber’s heart. Soft colors provide a canvas for routesetters to unleash their creativity and play with the active colors of holds and volumes.
Sharma Climbing, Madrid, SpainIris Boulders, Canning Vale, Australia
In interior design, consumers are shifting away from the so-called “fast-furniture”: furniture that is cheap and just comfortable enough to have around. The reason is because it’s so overused that it loses a sense of individuality. People are willing to invest in higher quality furniture that reflects their personality and story.
The same is true for climbing gyms. The ones climbers can’t get enough of don’t have a standard design, and they don’t just follow the same old trends. Their designs are narratives in and of themselves, stories that make climbers feel like they belong.
Sender One Playa Vista, Los Angeles, CA, USAIndoorwall Leganes, Madrid, Spain
It’s natural to want to postpone big commitments and investments at this time. But you can start with smaller steps, like imagining what your gym could look like.
Walltopia offers the option to invest in the climbing gym design only, without further commitments on the business end. You can visualize your future gym, see it take shape, and go for a virtual walk (now everything’s virtual, right). At a later time, when this period passes and you feel safe enough to dive in, you can take it further by signing a production contract with them, or you can just leave it there if you change your mind.
Follow the link here to fill out Walltopia’s form. They will get back to you with an estimation for the design only. If the budget suits you, Walltopia can start working on making your ideas come to life.
This story was paid for and produced by the sponsor and does not necessarily represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.
Behind the Closures…is a series that interviews professionals in the climbing industry during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis—and looks at how the situation is impacting gyms, companies and communities in various regions.
For this installment, CBJ talks with the CEO of Friction Labs about how the pandemic is affecting chalk production. [Note: For additional information on the topic of liquid chalk and the Coronavirus, check out a recent Gym Climber article on the topic here.]
Kevin Brown (right) with Keah Kalantari (left). The two founded Friction Labs approximately eight years ago. Photo courtesy of Paul Dusatko / Friction LabsName: Kevin Brown
Title: Co-Founder and CEO, Friction LabsLocation: Denver, Colorado
CBJ: Every business has been negatively impacted, but within that there are polarities…gyms have been totally walloped and closed, whereas some home wall companies are managing to weather the storm. Where does Friction Labs fit into that?
BROWN: We’re doing a small fraction of the sales that we were doing prior to the shutdown. It’s greatly diminished. We’ve kept our whole team on—10 people total. We’re not what the Governor of Colorado deemed an essential business, meaning that we are allowed to perform minimum business operations as long as we practice safe social distancing and have a safe work environment. For example, if we get online orders, we’re allowed to ship them. One person will go in and do the shipping so that nobody else has to deal with that stuff. And everyone else we’ve set up as remote workers. If they didn’t have a computer, we got them a computer.
We took our production team—obviously there’s no reason to produce more right now—so I trained them up as sales people. We did virtual training on how to be sales reps. Then we started reaching out to CrossFit and chalk-using businesses (aside from climbing gyms), sort of an affiliate model where they can recommend our product and make a small commission if someone uses a coupon code, which helps them earn a little bit of income even while their gyms are closed. We haven’t laid off anyone or furloughed anyone, so what we’re doing right now isn’t sustainable, but fortunately we were in a good position going into this. We’ve always been financially conservative and tried to put money away for a rainy day, so we can weather the storm—hopefully.
The majority of our sales happen at climbing gyms. It’s like selling golf balls. Golf Galaxy sells some golf balls, but the majority of sales take place at golf course pro shops because when someone goes golfing they need to get their golf balls. Same thing for us. So when gyms close, that pretty much tanks our business.
CBJ: In terms of turning to CrossFit and whatnot, it sounds like you have just branched out a little bit and looked to new avenues out of necessity, is that fair to say?
BROWN: Yeah, and I think the big thing out of necessity is that we’ve created a new product: the world’s first Hygienic Chalk. We’ve taken our Secret Stuff, our alcohol-based liquid chalk, and we’ve developed a formula that has 80-percent ethyl-alcohol. And right now we’re working with gyms to take pre-orders so that we can ship in May. The new liquid chalk meets the CDC, WHO and FDA recommendations for the amount of alcohol to be hygienic. It’s not a hand sanitizer. We can’t say it’s a hand sanitizer—it is legally not—because we add an inactive ingredient, which is chalk. But for all intents and purposes, we’re hoping it can serve like a combination of chalk and hand sanitizer. We just can’t say it’s a hand sanitizer. But it will be the most hygienic chalk you can get.
The original blend Secret Stuff, a 45% alcohol based liquid chalk, alongside the alcohol free variety. Now, Friction Labs is coming out with an 80% alcohol based liquid chalk during the COVID-19 crisis.
CBJ: I’m glad you bring that up because I’ve read a lot online about whether liquid chalk, which is alcohol-based, might kill germs.
BROWN: Far and away, most of the liquid chalk that is currently available on the market would not. Most liquid chalk out there is below 40-percent alcohol. Our Secret Stuff right now is, like, 45-percent. So it’s OK but it’s not good enough [to kill germs] based on the recommendations that are out there.
CBJ: And what will this new Friction Labs liquid chalk with more alcohol be called?
BROWN: Right now it’s just Secret Stuff 80. And honestly, I don’t envision this being a forever-product. We started working with some of our climbing gym partners, and even before the shutdown we had gyms reaching out asking if there was anything we could do to help them. So we gave some discounts on our liquid chalk, we gave credit for future orders so that gyms could hand out liquid chalk to members. It was less about being hygienic and more about giving gyms some sort of proactive tactic—so they could show their customers that they were doing something to try and provide a safe place.
That’s the same spirit with this new Secret Stuff 80. We haven’t had it FDA-tested. We are not making any claims about what it can or cannot do. I know that there are die-hard climbers who would jump through hoops to climb right now, but there’s the overwhelming majority of people who aren’t necessarily convinced that climbing gyms will be safe places. So hopefully this product will be just one of many tactics that gyms can use to invest in hygiene and persuade their customers to come back in and start spending money at the gym—so that gyms can continue to stay in business and people can start climbing again.
CBJ: I think that psychological barrier that many people will have is going to be a huge hurdle for gyms.
BROWN: Think about it—everything in a gym is shared: ropes are shared; there are rental harnesses, rental shoes, rental chalk; everyone’s climbing on the same holds. If you’re climbing on a lead rope, people are putting that rope in their mouth. That all presents a really unique challenge for climbing gyms compared to traditional fitness gyms. Take, for example, a CrossFit box. You could wipe down that box, and you could wipe down all of the kettlebells and barbells in between classes and it wouldn’t be that big of a challenge. You can’t do that with climbing.
Also think about how many materials in climbing you can’t even subject to cleaning products like bleach or any of the hardcore disinfectants. If you put bleach on a climbing rope, I can’t imagine that thing will continue to be sound. And think about normal gyms—people come in, they get their workout. Maybe they get chatty in the locker room or something like that. But at a climbing gym, people are communicating the whole time. It’s as social as it is physical.
CBJ: I think we have all done the rundown of gym-related questions at some point over the past few weeks, and it can get frustrating because there just aren’t any answers.
BROWN: Yes, and we’re starting to hear about states opening up or at least talking about opening up, and I haven’t seen one state that has any clear guidance on how gyms should open. You and I know the difference between a fitness gym, a trampoline gym, a CrossFit gym and a climbing gym, but do legislators?
CBJ: Friction Labs has a pretty big social media presence and a fair amount of sponsored athletes and influencers. What has been your company’s strategy with social media amid all these closures?
BROWN: We haven’t posted any new or current outdoor climbing content. We do a lot of athlete takeovers on our Instagram profile. So, when athletes do a takeover, we say, “Talk about your current situation and let’s celebrate one of your last trips so we can keep people excited about climbing and give them some inspirational images.” But usually in the words for the captions underneath, it is very clear that the trip was before the COVID shutdown.
You see some big brands out there that make a few social media posts urging people to stay home, but 90 percent of their content is urging people to buy their product—in order to go climbing. But nobody is supposed to be climbing right now. So I feel like that’s really irresponsible because brands have such a big platform to reach so many people and reinforce the larger message.
At Friction Labs, we’ve posted, “Stay home.” We’ve worked with Alex Puccio and Robin O’Leary to create a “How to Train at Home” workout program. We paid them—and then provided the content for free. We’ve provided hangboard workouts. We’ve done anything we can to help celebrate what everyone is going through right now because we are climbers and we are going through it too. I’ve got my fingerboard and I do my home workouts, and I haven’t touched plastic or gone to rocks in a long time. I told everyone in my company, “You’re not going out—because you represent the company and I don’t want to deal with a PR issue because you decided you want to go out and get a burn on your project.”
Friction Labs is going to support our gym partners, and we’re going to all try to get through this together.
Share your story
Are you leading a climbing gym or brand through this unprecedented period of gym closures? Or, do you work for a gym or company that is now closed and have a story that others could benefit from hearing? If so, please contact us and tell us about it.
Photo: USA ClimbingBy John Burgman
USA Climbing recently announced a number of open volunteer positions within the organization. “As you all know, our sport has been sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic,” a press release stated. “Meanwhile, our staff and dedicated volunteers have been hard at work planning for the days when we can resume climbing events. Great things can happen through this creative and determined work.”
The open positions include a seat on USA Climbing’s Board of Directors; three elected roles that are part of USA Climbing’s Athletes’ Advisory Committee; various positions—for athletes and non-athletes—within the Hearing Panel Pool; and 13 positions within the organization’s Medical Committee, among others.
Also noteworthy in the announcement are 10 open positions on USA Climbing’s NCAA Development Task Force. In October 2019, the organization hired Rachel Owens to be the Collegiate and Paraclimbing Series Manager, and one of Owens’ ongoing long-term goals since joining USA Climbing has been getting climbing recognized as a sanctioned NCAA sport. Also, just last month USA Climbing announced the recipients of the 2020 Collegiate Climbing Ambassador Scholarships.
USA Climbing is asking anyone interested in being considered for the volunteer positions to submit a Letter of Interest and a resume to the chair of USA Climbing’s Nominating and Governance Committee, Charles Lamb. The deadline for applications is May 31. More information about the open positions can be found here.
A look at some protocols and strategies being rolled out by gyms that are allowing customers to climb again as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues.Onsight in Knoxville has begun a phased reopening and is utilizing a reservation system. The gym is also operating with extended hours to allow customers to climb at more spread out increments. Photo courtesy of Onsight ClimbingBy John Burgman
A few weeks ago, most of the news in the industry was about gym closures, particularly as self-isolation orders and mandates that limited operations at non-essential businesses became the norm in the United States and Canada. However, in the past week or so, the focus has largely shifted from climbing gyms’ prolonged closures to their active reopenings. There are a number of reasons for this collective change in industry dialogue, including a three-phase federal plan for American businesses that was announced last month; the reopening of a handful of climbing gyms at the beginning of this month; and increasing segments of the population getting fed up with the idea of remaining sequestered and isolated for much longer.
Whatever one cites as the reasons for this thematic shift—and regardless of whether one deems climbing gyms reopening as wise or dangerous—the reality is that a number of gyms are opening, customers are climbing, and practically every facility is having to revamp various policies to mitigate ongoing risks related to the Coronavirus.
Of course, risk management is not a foreign concept to climbing gyms. This is evidenced by waivers, belay checks, floor padding, and many other operational guidelines that are considered standard at this point. In many ways, the industry already has the discipline and tools to minimize dangers and implement new policies in the face of this virus.
Some gyms that have reopened—such as Adrenaline Climbing in Suwanee, Georgia, and Onsight Climbing in Knoxville, Tennessee—are currently requiring face masks be worn by anyone who enters the building (“If you cannot or refuse to climb in a mask you will not be allowed to climb”). Other gyms are requiring that everyone wash their hands upon entering the facility. Adrenaline is even making mandatory the removal of street shoes before entering. For all gyms and all climbers, this is an adjustment period with new specifications and stipulations.
Here’s a closer look at some changes that gyms are making to various aspects of their operations—and how those changes might impact the customer experience.
Encouraging Social Distancing
One of the first gyms in the country to reopen was Treadstone Climbing in Columbus, Georgia. To prepare for the reopening, in a notice on its website Treadstone announced that it’s facility would start with a “soft opening” limited to just 20 customers climbing in the facility at any one time. Although the plan all along was to increase that number to 50 people in the days that followed, the initial announcement nonetheless indicated that Treadstone would be keeping close track of—and limiting—the total number of customers going forward.
Since that soft reopening, the routesetting at Treadstone has been done in a way that encourages social distancing too, with routes and boulders separated by significant blank wall space. Several other recently-reopened gyms have also set routes farther apart as a mitigation strategy.
This image was taken at Treadstone prior to the pandemic. In the future, social distancing will likely be a key aim for all gyms that reopen. Photo courtesy of Treadstone Climbing
Onsight Climbing in Tennessee began a phased reopening on May 1, which coincided with “Phase 1 requirements” of that city. Upon reopening, the gym advised climbers to maintain a six-foot radial zone of personal space (aside from necessary proximity to one’s climbing partner) at all times. To better control customer numbers in general, Onsight only opened to members and punch-card users (i.e. no guest pass patrons allowed) and limited its capacity to 50 customers at any given time. Onsight’s website currently features a reservation system, whereby customers can purchase two-hour slots of climbing time in accordance with the occupancy limit. It is worth noting that parents and legal guardians of minors still count toward that gym’s customer numbers, even if those parents or legal guardians choose not to climb.
“The reservation system makes it super easy for folks to check how many people may be in during a specific time,” says Mackenzie Wilder, Program Manager and Marketing Director at Onsight. “The reservation slots have also been super helpful for scheduling staffing as we can schedule based on the more popular times.” So far the gym has not had to actively “enforce” the two-hour time slots, according to Wilder, because people typically either climb less or leave early; if any climbers want to stay beyond the two-hour slot, they must check with the front desk to make sure the facility has available slots.
Climb Tulsa and Threshold Climbing in Oklahoma, Clarksville Climbing and The Crag in Tennessee, and Escalade in Kennesaw, Georgia, are among other recently reopened gyms that are utilizing a reservation system. Escalade’s reservation system is separated to include family-only time slots, adult-only time slots, and general weekend time slots. Team practice time slots will likely appear in the future too.
Maintaining Facility Cleanliness
The sharing of routes at any gym will pose some risks that cannot be entirely eliminated. However, many gyms that have reopened have taken an indirect approach: Handholds, footholds and ropes will be cleaner because customers’ hands and feet will be cleaner.
To that point, some gyms that have reopened have made hand sanitizer readily available. Beyond that, for instance, Treadstone’s guidelines for reopening note, “All will be required to blot the soles of their street shoes in bleach water at check in.” Treadstone has also been bleaching its mats a number of times throughout the day since reopening.
Marc Heileman, the Owner of Treadstone, feels that there is not any way to completely disinfect holds while they are on the wall—or ropes, for that matter. Heileman says that screening participants, enforcing hand washing, and encouraging social distancing will be more effective than any attempts to disinfect shared fricative surfaces like holds.
Treadstone’s staff makes a point to remind people about washing hands after a climb and before touching their face. “We are helping folks maintain an awareness of how to direct a sneeze or a cough or a forceful exhale,” Heileman says. “I think everyone already has an awareness of this too, more so than ever before. I think people with symptoms or high risk profiles are staying home.”
Onsight has so far not taken any specific “extreme” mitigation measures to clean holds or ropes, according to Wilder. But that gym is retailing face masks and requiring all who enter the building to complete a set of screening questions related to symptoms. Additionally, some gyms that have reopened are discouraging members from shaking hands, high-fiving, and doing hands-on belay buddy checks. Onsight is recommending that customers climb with just one partner throughout the day, as a way of limiting direct contact with multiple climbers.
Social distancing is a key part of Onsight Climbing’s reopening. Customers are asked to maintain a six-foot radius of open space, and respect the same measures made by others. Photo courtesy of Onsight Climbing
Discouraging Gear Rental
Closely related to the potential spread of the virus on holds, ropes and mats is the virus’ potential spread via rental equipment. To combat this, some gyms that are currently open will not allow rental equipment to be distributed or used at all.
One of the most logical ways for a gym to smoothly prohibit gear rental without ruining anyone’s climbing plans is to open solely to members, as longtime members are the customers who are most likely to already own gear.
“Regarding rental gear, we are initially opening up exclusively to members, so we anticipate a low usage on rental gear,” affirms Newton Dominey, Owner of The Crag in Franklin, Tennessee. (Note: The Crag also has a facility in Nashville, but the Nashville location remains closed because it is in a different county with different regulations). “That said, we will be disinfecting shoes, and rotating harnesses in and out of service with 24 hours between rental, based on what we’ve seen about the virus’ ‘longevity’ on soft goods,” notes Dominey.
Mackenzie Wilder at Onsight in Knoxville says the facility being accessible to members only for the time being has been beneficial, on the whole: “The members are all super respectful of everyone’s space, time climbing, wearing masks, etc,” Wilder notes.
Clarksville Climbing, as another example, is open but not currently allowing chalk bag rentals—but is still renting shoes and spraying them with disinfectant after every use.
As more facilities reopen in the coming weeks, many will likely be scrupulous in making sure their front desks and gear shops are well-stocked with chalk bags, shoes and harnesses as a way of encouraging people to purchase items instead of renting. Threshold Climbing in Oklahoma City has already opened its gear shop, but with a requirement that any patron wear a mask when arriving at the gym.
Regina Climbing Centre is not open yet, but the Canadian facility is considering a multi-phase reopening in June. Photo courtesy of Regina Climbing
Keeping a Regional Focus
The extent and impacts of this pandemic have varied across localities from day one. This has made it challenging for governments and trade groups to come up with any “one size fits all” guidance. As such, any decisions about reopening climbing gyms, and also specific mitigation efforts for climbing gyms, has largely been—and will likely continue to be—similarly focused on happenings at the local and regional level.
At the risk of editorializing, we at CBJ encourage every climbing gym operator to―in addition to staying up to date on the latest industry resources and guidelines―reach out to other gym operators nearby. Thus far in Colorado and Utah, such inter-gym communication has generally been embraced positively. While gyms will likely not agree on all measures, those within a given region can find strength in banding together with a basic level of coordination.
CBJ will continue to provide updates related to gym reopenings as they happen around North America.
This week’s CBJ Homewall of the Week may have the most beautiful scenery we’ve ever seen for a homewall, although it’s a pretty simple build. Despite living in the climbing mecca of Bishop, Carlos Tkacz finds a homewall has still been a great investment for that uber-convenient sesh. See past homewalls here.
How long did the wall take you to build?
The wall took somewhere between 8-12 hours to build over the course of two days. I added a kickboard later, on the third day. The wall has been a lifesaver, especially since they closed the local gym and the climbing areas. Having the wall has made quarantine a fair bit easier to handle.
Not including holds and padding, how much did it cost you to build?
For lumber and screws, I spent around $250.
Did anything in particular inspire your wall design?
I learned to climb in Bakersfield, CA, which does not have a decent modern gym. Back then, my dad helped me build a freestanding training wall in the back yard (he is a carpenter). I used that same design to build this wall.
What was the most difficult aspect of the design and build?
At first, I built the whole thing without a kickboard and then decided that I wanted one. Figuring out how to add one on, without taking away from the length of the board, was the hardest part for me.
What would you do differently?
If had a chance to do it over, I would have planned the kickboard from the beginning. Adding it later was such a pain.
What is your favorite aspect?
I think my favorite aspects are the angle – we set ours at 45 degrees, and its a great angle to train – and the accessibility. It’s nice being able to just walk into our front yard and get after it. Also, the view isn’t bad, and it’s never crowded!
Any words of wisdom to aspiring homewallers?
If I had any words of wisdom, I would say just go for it! It isn’t as hard nor as expensive as most people think. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people you see online with a design you like and ask for design specs. Also, having a Moon, Tension, or Kilter board is awesome, but don’t be discouraged if those are too expensive. A lot of hold companies are offering discounts right now, and, in times like these, having any wall is better than no wall!
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):
Behind the Closures…is a series that interviews people who are part of the climbing industry during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. It takes a close look at how the situation is impacting facilities, companies and communities around North America.
For this installment, CBJ chatted with Andy Nelson (@andy.nelson739), the President of Method Grips (@methodgrips), about how this pandemic is impacting the handhold sector of the industry. Like all of us, Nelson has been missing those gym sessions lately, so the interview also delved into the topic of home walls and how to keep the stoke alive amid the ongoing stay-at-home orders.
Andy Nelson has been climbing for 20 years—and shaping holds for 10 of those years. He is also enthusiastic about DIY hold making and climbing with his wife, Janell, and his two sons, Clyde and Gavin. All photos courtesy of Andy Nelson / Method GripsName: Andy Nelson
Title: President, Method GripsLocation: Shakopee, Minnesota
CBJ: Can you explain where Method Grips was at prior to this whole pandemic and where things are at now?
NELSON: My wife and I just took over ownership of Method at the beginning of the year…just before the craziness hit. I would say that the brand was moderately successful prior to the virus; we were making enough money to maintain steady growth. Like most hold companies, our business plan focused on providing holds to the gym market. I would estimate that 80-90-percent of all our hold sales are to gyms or distributors selling in gyms in other countries. As soon as the gyms were closed that entire market disappeared.
CBJ: So what are the day-to-day operations at Method Grips like right now?
NELSON: Our day-to-day operations have not changed much at all. Like many hold companies we outsource our manufacturing. All our holds are produced at Aragon Elastomers. I still do the day-to-day things like responding to emails and communicating with Aragon. My wife and co-owner Janell keeps an eye on the finances, and our partner Kevin handles social media. We don’t really have employees and most things are done from the kitchen table. Pretty much everything else has changed though. Aragon is operating at a limited capacity, so despite seeing fewer orders, lead times have remained the same. They, like so many other companies, are trying to figure out what the new normal is and how to adapt to it. One thing is for sure: the industry will never be the same.
CBJ: At CBJ, we’ve reported that this pandemic has brought to the forefront the industry tier of home walls. That’s not a sector that many hold companies have traditionally marketed to in a substantial way. Do you think that will change now?
NELSON: The explosion of the home wall market has been the most interesting thing about the pandemic business wise. Home walls were such a niche area of the market previously. Those people who had them—or were building them—understood the existing market and worked within it to get the holds and hardware they needed. That has now completely changed.
Climbing gyms have developed very specific needs when it comes to climbing hold purchases: They demand the highest quality plastic and shapes; they see the value of high-end materials and professional shapes and are therefore willing to pay more for them. Color matches are also extremely important. When ordering they want specific shapes in specific colors to meet their needs. Because of this, most holds are made-to-order. Gyms tend to be OK waiting on production in order to get exactly what they need. Hold companies have recognized this and built their businesses around the needs of gyms. This is most certainly true for Method. Unfortunately, that comes with a higher price tag. A price tag that home wall owners so far have not been willing to pay.
Method Grips’ Slick Willie holds, well known because of their unique shape.
This new crop of home wall owners wants much different things than the gyms. They want the cheapest holds they can find—and they want them now. The value of the best materials and shapes is not as recognized. This may be because of a lack of hold knowledge or budget constraints. I don’t think a lot of new home wall builders realize how expensive building one would be. Convincing them that more expensive holds are that way because they are better quality—and therefore a better value—is difficult. It can be hard to get over the sticker shock of hold prices.
So, right now we are in the middle of this interesting contrast. People want our holds but don’t see the value in what we are offering. They only see the price tag. But without any revenue coming from gyms, home wall owners are the only source of income for hold companies. The question becomes: How do we educate hold buyers on the value of what we offer, reduce sticker shock, and provide more of what they are looking for?
CBJ: You said the industry will never be the same. How exactly do you see the industry evolving?
NELSON: Hold companies are being faced with some hard questions right now. For Method the biggest question is, “How do we survive?” Demand for our holds by home wallers is nonexistent due to our long lead times and high price point. We could look at pouring a cheaper, lower-quality plastic, but changing over would cost money—and to be completely honest, offering a lower-quality product is something we are unwilling to do. Our only option is to lower our prices as far as we can.
Climbing hold company margins have always been incredibly thin. No one in the industry is getting rich making and selling climbing holds. Companies slashing the prices of their holds have serious consequences. Not to dive too deeply into the economics of the climbing hold world, but we factor our margins over the production cost of the holds. That margin needs to cover everything else it takes to keep a hold company alive…everything from molding new shapes to sales commission, insurance, website fees, etc., are covered by that margin. When holds are sold for 30-, 40-, or even 50-percent off, most of the money to keep the business going goes away.
Method is currently offering 40-percent off all holds. That is pretty much our entire margin. We, like many other companies, have decided that making next-to-nothing on our holds with discounts like this is our only option. Our only hope is to obtain enough sales to stay alive. Any aspirations of growing our line or making any profit whatsoever went away when the virus arrived.
Don’t feel bad for us though. The situation is dire for a lot of people in a lot of industries. Now is the time for all of us to come together and lift each other up. I hear from gyms selling off their holds in order to make payroll and it breaks my heart. It’s our goal to help these gyms as best we can. Once they are reopened and back on their feet, we pledge to do everything we can to help them restock their gyms with fresh new holds. If a gym is doing everything they can to take care of their people, Method will be there to take care of them when the time comes.
As far as the industry evolving, I see it going two ways. Those of us focused on the gym market and outsourcing our manufacturing have to stay the course and wait for the gyms to reopen and get back on their feet. We simply are not agile enough to meet the demands of the home wall customer fast enough. Without money coming in, growth is going to slow way down—if not stop entirely. We will probably see some new shapes in the near future because many companies had committed to molding new shapes for the now-cancelled Climbing Wall Association (CWA) Summit before the virus hit. Method, for example, has two full series that were supposed to debut at CWA. After that I don’t see companies being able to release new shapes for a long time.
On the other end of the spectrum is the segment of companies that are more focused on the home wall market. The market is booming for them right now. Often these are the ones producing their own holds. This allows them to adapt more quickly to meet the demands of a home wall customer. There are also the brands selling a lower quality material at a lower price point. These companies can excel in the current market by providing cheap holds quickly. They will continue to boom as long as new home walls are being built at this insane rate. There is a finite number of climbers with both the resources and space to build a home wall though. My fear with this is the market will max out and the bubble will burst. What is going to happen to all these home walls once the gyms reopen?
Nelson’s advanced home wall setup, decked out with professional holds and padding underneath.
CBJ: I’ve talked to a lot of climbers around the country who are wondering how gyms might handle the matter of hygiene once they reopen. I want to get your specific take since your world is handholds. How do you envision the future for gyms while the virus is still around?
NELSON: To be honest, I don’t really know. I don’t think anyone really knows yet. The thought of cleaning and sanitizing all the holds in a gym sounds miserable and unobtainable if it needs to be done on a regular basis. I think the only thing that can be done is have individual accountability: washing hands before and after climbing, not touching your face, not going to the gym sick—all the common sense stuff that we should’ve been doing all along.
As long as the virus is around there will be a certain amount of risk, but that goes for doing anything, not just going to the gym.
CBJ: Let’s talk about your home wall a bit. Tell me a little bit about the setup you built…and is there any wall wisdom you could pass along for would-be home wall builders?
NELSON: Alright, something less depressing! This is actually home wall number two. Our first wall was in this tiny room in the basement of our old house. It was terrible. Tiny, barely any holds, and outdoor crash pads for flooring.
Our current wall was built almost six years ago in the three-stall garage of our house. The garage is 10 feet tall. The wall is 600-something square feet and just shy of 5,500 t-nuts. The main walls are a 12-foot-wide, 45 degree wall, and a 12-foot-wide, 30 degree wall…12-foot and 10-foot climbable length, respectively. We set these walls monochromatically with a reset roughly every three months. Behind those walls is a smaller spray wall that is 55 degrees to 20 degrees at the top. There is also a 6-foot-tall vertical kids wall, a small campus board, and a hangboard station. For flooring we went with Asana drag pads (12 of them) with Velcro seems.
Currently we have more than 2000 holds and around 100 volumes. Possibly the best benefit of being a shaper is not paying for holds. Part of my payment for designing is production copies of my shapes. Despite that, we still have bought plenty of holds over the years. All together we have spent somewhere around $10,000 for our setup—not counting holds.
Nelson is not totally against the idea of people shaping their own holds, but he has some strong precautions.
As far as wisdom goes, I could go on for days but here are a few things:
You will spend more than you think. Everything adds up quickly.
Don’t use cheap materials. You will get out of your wall what you put in.
Screw in T-nuts! Just buy them, trust me.
Flooring. Professionally-made, designed-for-climbing-walls flooring. Not outdoor crash pads, not gymnastics pads, not rubber mats. No, mattresses are not the “best” solution. People will tell you these options are fine. No, no they are not. I know it’s expensive, but you know what will be more expensive? Hospital bills from a broken ankle or blown-out knee…or worse. Plus, with injury comes extended periods of no climbing. If you are going to train hard on your wall, chances are you are going to fall hard too. Why risk it?
Holds are expensive. Good holds even more so. Remember, you get what you pay for. Also, prepare to get addicted. You’ll always want to add more.
Facebook experts are not experts. Just because they did it and it’s “fine” doesn’t mean it’s the right solution for you. No one online wants to admit that what they did wasn’t the best or smartest option. When in doubt contact an actual expert. Have hardware questions? Reach out to a hardware supplier. Holds? A manufacturer. They will gladly answer your questions and give you recommendations.
CBJ: Related to the above question, I think it’s natural for some folks to start shaping their own holds after they build their own wall…it is a continuation of the same DIY ethos. Is that a good idea in your opinion?
NELSON: I have a love/hate relationship with DIYers. Because of the nature of our industry and the fact that no one with intentions of making money will share their trade secrets, everyone starts out making holds at some DIY level. All your favorite hold companies started out in a garage, basement or front porch.
There is still a level of DIY in the way established hold companies operate. I do all my hold shaping in a 10-foot-by-12-foot shop in my basement. Chances are, your favorite hold was shaped in a garage at 2:00 am with a beer in hand. What separates a hobbyist from a professional is experience and quality of materials used. If you want to get serious about hold shaping or pouring, it will take some serious time and money sourcing and testing high-quality materials. For example, I tested at least a dozen types of foam before I settled on the one I am currently using.
Nelson’s tools of the trade for hold shaping.
The thing that frustrates me about some DIYers is the mentality that they can make holds cheaper. I guess, depending on how you look at it, it can be. But as I have talked about before, you have to consider value. I would argue that while you may be saving 20- or 30-percent by pouring your own holds, the value of what you get doesn’t make up for the savings.
A while back I did the math to see whether it would be worth self-pouring some holds myself. What I discovered is: For roughly the same amount of money I could get 40 high-quality, professionally-made unique shapes or pour 55-60 homemade cheap holds. The kicker was that of those 55 holds there would only be 10ish unique shapes. I’d end up with more than five copies of each shape. Now add in the fact that as a new shaper your holds will suck and it becomes a no-brainer. Don’t take offense to me telling you that your shapes will suck. Every shaper sucks at first. I was terrible when I first started. Some will argue that I still am.
I’m not trying to discourage people from trying the DIY thing; however, I do think you need to do it for love or interest in the process, not because you can get cheaper holds. It is also important to note that pouring your own holds is a messy, dirty, hazardous process. Polyurethane is really bad for you—polyester resin even more so. You need to be wearing the proper PPE when working with this stuff. Respirators, eye-pro and rubber gloves are a must. And for the love of god, do not pour holds with children in the room!
One really good option to explore DIY hold making is using wood. The entry cost is pretty low. Most tools needed are pretty common and relatively cheap. The best part is every hold you make can be unique.
Finally, a word of warning. There is a lot of info on the internet about hold making. Most of it is bad. Just because someone speaks as if they are an expert doesn’t mean they are. The processes of individuals may or may not be the smartest, safest or most cost-effective. Take everything with a grain of salt. One thing I will tell you for sure is using hardware store tube silicone is not a good way to make molds. Also, I don’t care how many people tell you different, hobby store floral foam is not good enough.
Share your story
Are you leading a climbing gym or brand through this unprecedented period of gym closures? Or, do you work for a gym or company that is now closed and have a story that others could benefit from hearing? If so, please contact us and tell us about it.
