New Logo for Touchstone

The new Touchstone logo.
The new Touchstone logo.
Touchstone Climbing, the largest gym operator in the US is getting a new logo. They made the announcement in a blog post late last week. “The new Touchstone Climbing logo comes to us from our friends at Design is Play, who have helped to create the identities behind The Studio, MetalMark Climbing + Fitness, Mission Cliffs, Hollywood Boulders, Cliffs of Id, LA Boulders, Sacramento Pipeworks, Dogpatch Boulders and Touchstone Brewing Company.”

How to Build a Successful Comp Team

Climbers getting ready for Sport Youth Nationals in Atlanta, GA.  Photo: USA Climbing
Climbers getting ready for Sport Youth Nationals in Atlanta, GA. Photo: USA Climbing
By Amanda Ashley Youth competitive climbing has exploded in the US, and nowhere is that growth more apparent than in the growth of USA Climbing memberships. Since the beginning of the 2007-2008 season, there has been a 150%, overall increase in youth memberships, with a notable increase of 165% in the female categories. “Over the last 5 years, USA Climbing has experienced significant growth in almost every relevant metric. Although I would normally hesitate to make any specific predictions or projections about the future of USA Climbing, I don’t see our growth rates slowing down any time soon,” said Kynan Waggoner, CEO of USA Climbing. With continued growth expected in the future, competitive youth climbing teams are becoming standard practice at indoor climbing gyms, and have become important tools for building a companies brand and increasing revenue.
‘Youth competitive climbing is on an exponential curve of growth and change. I’ve been involved since the beginning, and the leadership of USA Climbing has taken us to a whole new level, year after year. We are going to the Olympics in the not too distant, future and when it’s there, it’s not going to look anything like it looks today.’ Coach Kyle Team Texas
So what does the modern climbing team look like? CBJ sits down with Momentum, Earth Treks, Mesa Rim Climbing Center and Team Texas to learn the benefits, logistics, costs and ROI of having a competitive team.

Does it Fit Your Business Model

To have a successful team, one of the most basic questions that needs to be answered is: What is your vision for your brand? When Momentum started their youth competition team in 2008, they knew the program was in line with their mission and their branding image, says Momentum CEO Jeff Pedersen. “As a gym operator, if having a comp youth team is important, do your research and tour facilities that have comp programs. Learn the ins and outs of this part of the business because integrating the comp team with the daily use members is extremely challenging,” he said. This sentiment and drive to create a well-rounded business around core values is also what drives team development at Mesa Rim. Co-owner, Bob Kain told CBJ, “We want to create new climbers at a young age, while helping aspiring competitive climbers achieve their goals.” This integrated approach to developing new business that is supported by your mission, builds strong climbing ambassadors in your community and can lead to changes in your business.
A climber at the recent Adaptive Sport National Championship.  Photo: USA Climbing.
A climber at the recent Adaptive Sport National Championship. Photo: USA Climbing.

Youth Programs Come First

More often than not, teams are developed out of existing youth recreation and club teams. But it will quickly become apparent that there are youth climbers in your gym that want to take their climbing to a competitive level. However, it is important to note the difference between a recreation program and a competitive climbing program. Head Coach Rosie Bates of Mesa Rims, sums it up: “The focus of intro programs is to introduce climbers to the sport. Most intro climbers need to be eased into climbing and the failing/falling dynamic that comes along with it. The focus of these programs is to make the climber feel success in any capacity. For the team that is almost the opposite. It is important to put emphasis on putting them in uncomfortable situations so they can learn how to improve,” she said. Understanding this difference and building a successful youth program prior to developing a team is crucial to the success of both. Jeff Pedersen of Momentum leanred this lesson through experience when Momentum opened their Sandy, Utah location in the spring of 2007. “In the early days we weren’t focused on building the team, because simultaneously, we were starting to develop our youth recreational programs and spent our time developing the comp program the right way for us,” he recalls.
Coach Kyle Clinkscales of Team Texas, Shares his top three tips for building a successful team:
  • Have junior programs, rec programs, kids club, all in place before building a team.
  • Find a passionate, skilled coach before you recruit team members.
  • Make sure everyone in the gym is committed and on board….if the gym wants to have a comp team, everyone has to support the team and support USA climbing.
  • Building and Retaining the Support Team

    Not only do team members pay a monthly fee, when they travel to compete, there will be additional expenses for families and many parents may have expectations about training, performance and communication. Determining who should be coaching and who shouldn’t, can be challenging. Currently for coaches to become USA Climbing Certified, they must pass a background check, signed the Coaches Code of Conduct and be certified in basic first-aid and CPR. However, you’ll quickly realize that coaches need climbing specific experience, training know-how, and most importantly, they must be able to coach kids. Choosing the right coach is only half the battle, once you have the right staff in place you then need to develop the coach and work towards retaining staff. Earth Treks chose a proactive approach by making a commitment to the coaches with full-time positions at the gym. By combining coaching with other responsibilities such as route setting, instructing at the Outdoor School, and first level management positions in the gym, Earth Treks improved retention and consequently professional development for coaches. Coach Kyle links the professionalism of the coaching staff with team growth. “By developing qualified and passionate coaches I’ve seen participation in comp teams grow,” he said. As indoor competitive climbing continues to grow, coaching needs to be viewed as a career. The development of coaching as a career has lagged behind the incredible growth in indoor climbing overall,” he said.
    “Our leap of faith was knowing if it’s been done, Momentum could also do it. The key was finding the right people, the right organizers in addition to coaches. Creating the infrastructure was a big step for us and hiring the right talent to administrate multiple programs made all the difference.” –Jeff Pedersen, CEO, Momentum

    Exponential Growth

    Reflective of the growth at USA Climbing, the youth programs at Momentum have doubled in size every year since 2013, which pipelines a large population of kids that have the potential to be on the comp team. Pedersen has found that team development pays off exponentially over time. “This year we have qualified our highest number of kids to travel to the USA Climbing Sport and Speed National Championships,” he said. “It has taken so much more work and was so much more difficult than I initially thought it would be. The steady revenue increase has allowed us to hire better coaches, club and team managers. All of this is starting to show now on the competitive team output.” Momentum isn’t alone in their growth, Mesa Rim started the 2012 season with one coach and 3 athletes, started 2014 Bouldering season with 4 coaches and 28 athletes and ended 2016 sport/speed season with 9 coaches and 98 athletes. Meanwhile Earth Treks, with 4 gyms in Maryland and Colorado, has a team with 3 levels and 36 team members per level at each gym.

    Making it Work

    While smaller teams are easier to manage from a coaching perspective, one of the struggles initially is having an awkward size program where you are starting to grow, but you are too small to justify splitting youth athletes into categories based on age and ability, with coaches for each category. On average, gyms keep a 1:6 coach to team member ratio, which allows coaches adequate time to develop relationships with the athletes and to build individual skills. It is hard to balance the needs of the different abilities of climbers when you aren’t at a place to have separate programs. “You don’t want athletes to feel frustrated by being in the wrong group. As soon as we were able to place kids into appropriately focused groups, that’s when the program exploded. Having kids with the right peer groups made it more fun for the kids too,’ says Jeff Pedersen. Coach Kyle agrees, “It’s easier with less kids, to build individual skills, the real problem is that when you are successful you will be overrun.”

    What are the Business Impacts

    When you add a comp team you’ll find additional expenses, and revenues as the team grows. How you handle each one will largely be defined by how well you plan and prepare. Initial expenses can be limited to labor with coaches and support staff, as your team grows and your gym becomes more involved in competitive climbing you may host comps which will lead to expenses with setting and closing the gym for events. When team members go to comps, so do coaches, and you’ll need to cover travel expenses and wages. Teams can provide job opportunities and professional development for staff in the gym which can help reduce turnover and improve retention. When teams are successful, gyms discover they need to change their facilities to meet the needs of competitive climbers and trends in competition. As teams continue to grow and gyms grow their brand around the team, the next step, according to Pedersen is designing spaces that can work being closed off to the rest of the gym at various times.

    ROI

    Relative to revenue from day members, a successful comp team doesn’t always have a heavy impact on the P&L, especially when you start with a handful of youth climbers. But, comp team fees that range from $200 to $350 per month add up, especially when you build a large team. Large teams are a material contributor to revenue as team members pay more each year than regular members, due to the increased personal coaching. In addition to the team fee, increases in membership revenue from families and retail sales have a material impact, both of which support and enhance core business strategies. The ROI that doesn’t show up in the books, is one that can have an impact on building and expanding your brand. At Momentum, Pedersen recognizes these revenue offsets as grassroots word of mouth and media exposure, when their athletes perform on a national and world stage. And it is worth asking, what is that word of mouth and media worth for your brand? For Pedersen it’s become part of a greater branding effort. “We’ve had a youth athlete take a podium at World Cup, and we can tie that story back to Momentum, about how they learned to climb here and worked their way up through the ranks,” he said. “It builds legitimacy for the youth program in general, even for kids and families who aren’t looking for a competitive program. As Momentum expands its brand, this PR can be incredibly valuable for us; it’s a way for us to establish a presence in new markets.”

    Rick Vance Leaves Petzl for Black Diamond

    Rick Vance.  Photo: Petzl
    Rick Vance. Photo: Petzl
    SALT LAKE CITY, July 27, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Black Diamond Equipment, a global innovator in climbing, skiing, mountain sports equipment and apparel, and a subsidiary of Black Diamond, Inc. (NASDAQ:BDE) (the “Company”), has appointed Rick Vance as director of quality, effective August 1, 2016. Vance will oversee all aspects of Black Diamond Equipment’s quality policy, controls and processes. This includes controls and practices within Black Diamond Equipment’s Salt Lake manufacturing operations and the integration of the quality department into product design and development. Vance will serve on Black Diamond Equipment’s management team and participate in executive-level management of the company. “As Black Diamond Equipment’s U.S. manufacturing capacity grows alongside the demand for our products, it is critical that we maintain the integrity of our supply chain and the quality of our products,” said Mark Ritchie, president of Black Diamond Equipment. “In joining our executive team, not only does Rick fulfill a key role, but he also brings a wealth of working knowledge capable of refining operations across our business and developing the next generation of our global supply chain.” Vance previously worked at Petzl America, where he was responsible for product quality control and managed the Petzl Technical Institute as their technical director. He was also a member of Petzl’s global management team and reported directly to the company’s chairman and CEO. Prior to Petzl, Vance served as a senior research engineer for Harold K. Dunn M.D. Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, managing contracts specific to experimental design, testing and reporting of novel prototype orthopedic implant and surgical techniques. In that role, his responsibilities ranged from design of custom automated electro-mechanical testing apparatuses, to control and data acquisition software, to statistical validation and delivery of results to customers. Earlier, Vance worked for the Naval Surface Warfare Center as a mechanical engineer, performing prototype design and testing of automated electro-mechanical, magnetostrictive and hydraulic systems to ensure the U.S. Navy’s compliance with MARPOL Annex V legislation to prevent pollution from ships. “I’m thrilled to be joining the Black Diamond team,” said Vance. “Black Diamond is anchored in a rich heritage serving the core climbing and backcountry ski communities with innovative and beautifully designed products, driven by its core values and ethics. As an industry veteran, I’m very appreciative of the authenticity it lends to our products.” Vance received his Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Widener University. His experience in the outdoors industry includes more than two decades of rock, alpine, ice, mountaineering experience and backcountry skiing. Notably, he was a 2015 and 2016 alpine grant recipient of the Mugs Stump Award. Vance serves as secretary of the board of directors for the Climbing Wall Association (CWA) and on the Fall Protection Committee for American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

    New Branding for UK Climbing Federation

    The new logo for the Climb Britain.
    The new logo for the Climb Britain.
    The British climbing federation is changing its name after nearly 72 years as the British Mountaineering Council. The new name, Climb Britain is in response to the changing demographics of the members. Dave Turnbull, chief executive officer at the BMC (Climb Britain) wrote on the organization’s website, “Hill walking, climbing and mountaineering have evolved since the BMC was first established in 1944, and the name ‘Mountaineering Council’ doesn’t quite cut it these days.” The BMC is the sports federation which organizes the UK climbing team at international climbing events like the World Cups. But unlike its US counterpart, USA Climbing, the BMC also “promote[s] the interests and protect[s] the freedoms” of hill walkers, ice climbers and mountaineers. Chris Bonington, an 81-year-old BMC Patron and former BMC President, said: “When I started climbing in 1951 there weren’t many climbers, there were just a few clubs, and probably only around five or six specialist retail shops in the country, if that. It was a small community. “But now, of course, the number of participants has increased hugely and we enjoy our ‘climbing’ in a whole variety of ways. The ‘British Mountaineering Council’ name reflects what the BMC was 50 years ago. It feels heavy and, to a degree, old-fashioned and we are responding accordingly.” “The spirit of ‘Climb Britain’ is this – go out, climb whatever you enjoy climbing, and enjoy the outdoors in the UK.” BMC’s new brand will be phased in over the next year, with official launch events at the Kendal Mountain Festival and on December 2nd – the organizations 72nd birthday.

    Navigating Intellectual Property Law

    ip_feature By Jason Stearns, Attorney with Phelps Dunbar, LLP The climbing industry is extremely competitive. After all, this is an industry comprised of people that seek out obstacles for the sheer purpose of overcoming them. It should come as no surprise to learn that the climbing hold manufacturing industry is just as competitive. Whether the goal is to climb the ranks of CBJ’sGrip List™ or to come out with routesetters’ favorite new line of holds, new and established hold manufacturers alike are vying for a spot at the top. The million dollar question that every climbing hold company should be asking is what can be done to protect its intellectual property and maintain a competitive advantage in the industry? Is it the unique texture of the hold? Is it the quality and durability of the hold? Is it a particular design, shape, or color of the hold? Or is it the name recognition attached to a particular brand that propels a climbing hold manufacturer to the top? The reality is that all of these things matter. This article should serve as a checklist to help you navigate the treacherous intellectual property terrain that even the most fearless rock climbers dare not go alone — or, at least without some reliable “legal beta.” The primary focus of this article will be on establishing and protecting a company’s brand through the use of trademark law. Although the article focuses on the climbing hold industry, these legal issues impact all types of companies in the climbing industry — from gear manufacturers to shoe designers, and, of course, climbing gyms. In addition to trademark law, this article will also touch briefly on some other, more technical, applications of patent and trade secret law that companies should consider to protect their innovative technology and confidential information.

    Protect your reputation

    A trademark is a brand. Use of trademarks in commerce dates back to Roman merchants stamping their products with a symbol of the manufacturer to identify the source of the products. Put simply, a trademark (or “mark”) is nothing more than a word, group of words, or a symbol that distinguishes a good or service in commerce to assist consumers in making decisions about what to purchase and is an indicator of the known quality of goods or services. David Filkins, President of Element Climbing®, understands the value of the Element Climbing® brand and he explained why his company takes the time to invest in registering its trademarks with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (“USPTO”). “The Element Climbing name is everything to us—our customers know that they are going to get a great product every time, they know they’re going to get it quickly, and they know we’re available to answer any questions they have,” said Filkins. Although he recognized the importance of the brand, Filkins acknowledged that the trademark registration process was not as easy to navigate as he hoped it would be. Now, as a purely legal matter, trademark rights arise from use of a mark in a geographical territory in which it is used. Despite what many believe, there is no need to register the mark with the USPTO to acquire common law rights, which are the laws that were created by the courts, without government legislation. For example, if XYZ Company begins selling the XYZ climbing hold in commerce, the date of its first use of the mark (or brand name) will establish the date of its rights to use that brand. It’s that simple. A company wishing to put others on notice of its common law trademark rights should use the ™ symbol to market its goods and services. There are advantages, however, to registering the trademark with the USPTO. A federal registration with the USPTO will provide the following benefits: (1) constructive use (meaning that you might get credit for using the mark in the entire United States as of the date of the application), (2) constructive notice (meaning you get credit for putting other competitors on notice of your rights simply by using the ® symbol with your goods or services), (3) nationwide protection (meaning you get credit for selling the climbing hold in the entire United States), (4) incontestable status (meaning that the mark is immune from certain legal challenges), (5) recovery of additional money damages in a lawsuit against infringers, and (6) a presumption of validity of mark.

    Trademarks in Three Easy Steps

    So, how does a climbing hold manufacturer (or any climbing company for that matter) go about registering a trademark with the USPTO? If you aren’t going to hire a lawyer, as with almost everything—including climbing—the Internet is an excellent source of self-help guides. In the event you decide to traverse the DIY path, the best guide is the USPTO itself, which publishes a step-by-step process on how to register a trademark. See Trademark Process, United State Patent and Trademark Office. Here are some additional tips to at least get you on the right path. First, search the Internet (and any other climbing hold publication) for other uses of the mark you intend to register. After all, this is going to be your brand. Imagine investing thousands of dollars and months (or even years) of your time building your reputation and marketing your brand, only to find out that another company is selling a climbing hold using the same or similar brand name. The legal fees and costs alone could destroy your business. Another great resource is the USPTO Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS). Second, pick a strong mark that will be enforceable in the marketplace. Even if no one is using the mark, it doesn’t mean it is a good choice. Just as the nature and placement of the climbing holds in a route make some routes better than others, the distinctive nature of the words or symbols in a trademark make some marks superior to others. If the mark is not distinctive, either inherently or through the acquisition of secondary meaning in the marketplace (meaning that consumers begin attributing a particular phrase with a particular source of a product), then the mark will not be susceptible to the legal status of a trademark. For example, “generic marks” (the common term for a good or service) are, as a matter of policy, free for all to use and no one is to be given a monopoly on a generic name of a product. The law doesn’t allow generic marks to be trademarked for the simple reason that it would prevent competitors from describing their products. So, for example, a hold manufacturer should avoid choosing the mark “The Climbing Hold Company” to brand its company. On the other hand, “fanciful marks” (a combination of words or letters that have no meaning) are afforded the broadest possible protection and are an excellent choice for branding from a legal perspective. A hold manufacturer would be well-suited, from a trademark strength perspective, to choose the mark “EFG, Inc.” to brand its holds. Of course, EFG says nothing to consumers about the product so maybe it’s not a great choice for a new hold manufacturer looking to “make one’s mark” (this idiom refers to the time when artisans marked their wares with a symbol to identify the source). In between these two bookends of “generic” and “fanciful” marks, are what’s known as a “descriptive mark” (describes the good or services) and a “suggestive mark” (suggests the nature of the goods or services). The line between them is blurry, but examples of descriptive or suggestive marks in the climbing industry would be brands that use words like “climbing,” “hold,” “shoe,” “rope,” or any other term that describes the product. Descriptive and suggestive marks are not as distinctive and are far more susceptible to legal challenges. Just as it is unwise to start a climb without first checking your gear, a climbing hold manufacturer would be wise to consult a lawyer before investing in a trademark that may not be distinctive. Third, be sure to identify the correct goods and services to which the mark applies. There is an additional, albeit slight, cost for registering a trademark is multiple classes of goods, i.e., sporting goods, clothing, advertising. The USPTO website provides a link to the ID Manual for acceptable identification of goods and services, so be sure to check all that apply (e.g., Class 28 covers sporting goods, Class 25 covers clothing). Finally, know the date the mark was first used in commerce. Remember, the common law right to use XYZ on a climbing hold is born the date XYZ Company first uses XYZ to identify the particular climbing hold in the marketplace. That date remains important for—and is required to be provided in—the USPTO application.

    Protect your technology

    The climbing hold is far more intricate device that one—even an avid climber—might think. In just over 30 years, the climbing hold industry has evolved from pedestrian clay holds to more comfortable, elaborately shaped, and colorful polyurethane holds. According to Filkins, the goal of the modern day hold manufacturer is to make a hold “that balances durability with comfort in a way that allows climbers to spend more time in the gym without too high a replacement cost on the gym owners.” Placement and functionality of the holds are also of paramount concern. Climbers are seeking out more challenging and varied climbing routes, and gym owners and route setters try to keep pace with cost-efficient ways to vary the location and rotation of the holds. Success in the marketplace is tethered to innovation, and the hold company with the product that best serves the needs of both the climber and the gym owner will rise to the top. Perhaps most importantly, industry professionals want to know how to prevent others from copying the design of their holds. That question, unfortunately, remains entirely untested in the industry. Some might suggest using ‘trade dress’ (an offshoot from trademark law) to protect the size, shape, color, and texture of a climbing hold from unabashed competitors who have no problem ripping off someone else’s work. But trade dress must be primarily nonfunctional to be enforceable. This is not to suggest a dead end, but there may be a better route. Patent law, for example, exists to provide a limited monopoly to make, distribute or sell any inventive processes, machines, manufactured items, or composition of matter. For any invention to be patentable, it must, at its most basic core, be useful (meaning that it is operable), novel (meaning that it is new) and non-obvious (meaning that the invention would not have been obvious to another climbing hold manufacturer at the time of the invention). Patents have issued for quick connect climbing holds, artificial footholds for climbing practice, and even floating rock climbing walls. The only way to be sure whether a particular invention is patentable is to ask the question. Apart from patentable inventions, a climbing hold manufacturer, along with virtually every company in the climbing industry, will undoubtedly have trade secrets (or confidential business information) that it will want protected from disclosure. Trade secrets can be special formulas or other methods of manufacture, but they can also include customer lists, historical sales data, pricing, key contact persons, financial results, and marketing plans and strategies. Historically, trade secret law has been a matter of state law, but just this year the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 became federal law. Under both state and federal law, however, there are some basic steps a company can take to protect its trade secrets. The first thing any company should do is evaluate and inventory its trade secrets (see list above). Once identified, the company should take affirmative steps to safeguard the confidentiality of its trade secrets. Generally speaking, a trade secret loses its value when it becomes no longer a secret. For example, XYZ Company’s customer list that includes names, contact information, purchase and pricing history should not be printed on a piece of paper and posted in the breakroom. XYZ Company may also consider entering into non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with its hold manufacturers or other outsourcers if it has a proprietary formula or manufacturing process. XYZ Company might also consider entering into employment agreements with restrictive covenants (meaning restrictions on the employees’ conduct during and after employment) to the extent permissible under the applicable state’s law. Whether it’s a small garage start-up, rapidly expanding operation, or established business, the protection of trade secrets is critical in securing a company’s valuable, intangible assets, and should not be overlooked when assessing a company’s legal needs. At the end of the day, navigating the intellectual property terrain is not a simple task. Hopefully, this article sparks an interest in a continued dialogue about the various applications of intellectual property law to the climbing industry—and not just for climbing hold manufacturers, but gym owners and other climbing professionals alike. Jason Stearns is an attorney with Phelps Dunbar, LLP in Tampa, Florida. Jason practices in the area of complex commercial and intellectual property litigation and has litigated several patent, copyright and trademark infringement claims in federal courts throughout the country. In addition, Mr. Stearns often represents clients in various industries with regard to contract, antitrust, fraud, trade secret and other business disputes. If you have questions for Mr. Stearns contact him here. The content of this article is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. The reading of or reliance on this article or the Climbing Business Journal’s website does not create an attorney-client relationship between the author or the Climbing Business Journal and the user or reader.

    Parking Garage to Climbing Wall in Palm Beach

    The side of a parking garage in Palm Beach, Florida could become a climbing wall. That’s if business partners Sean Scott, Jerris Gay and Tyler Henneman get their way. The team created The Alley Climbing and hope to convince the city to allow them to build a 50 foot tall, 100 feet wide climbing wall on the outside of a parking garage. palm_beach “It’s another outside element that I feel like the city needs,” Scott told My Palm Beach Post. “We have sun, it’s warm, we under-utilize that element of our environment. As a business generator, a community spot, it’ll be a great synergistic business with the coffee shop and the alley.” The partners’ company, Palm Beach Climbing, LLC, will pay the city rent starting at $14,000 a year for use of the side of the garage. He estimated the removable panel wall will cost $300,000 to fabricate and install. They hope to be open in spring of 2017.

    FrictionLabs Expands to Europe

    PRESS RELEASE DENVER, Colorado (July 12, 2016) ­­ Today, FrictionLabs announced the launch of seven websites that allow European climbers to purchase its products online with fulfillment directly from Europe. For the first time, climbers the U.K. and Europe will be able to purchase FrictionLabs chalk online with drastically reduced shipping and import costs and enhanced delivery reliability. “Our mission is peak performance for every athlete who benefits from better grip, and climbers in Europe are a huge part of that constituency,” said Keah Kalantari, co­founder of FrictionLabs. “After months of effort and coordination with our European partners, we finally have a way to get our chalk on the hands of U.K. and EU climbers affordably and reliably.” FrictionLabs will launch e­commerce websites in seven countries: Austria: www.frictionlabs.at France: www.frictionlabs.fr Germany: www.frictionlabs.de Italy: www.frictionlabs.it Sweden: www.frictionlabs.se Spain: www.frictionlabs.es United Kingdom: www.frictionlabs.co.uk Climbers who live outside of these countries can also place orders on any of these websites. “Our chalk allows climbers to use less and do more,” said Kevin Brown, co­founder of FrictionLabs. “European climbers are among the most dedicated and discerning in the world and we’re thrilled to make the highest quality chalk available to them.” FrictionLabs was founded in 2014 by Kalantari and Brown, both rock climbers themselves. They worked with teams of scientists to research chalk and found that most chalk products come from Asian factories with no verification of the purity. Kalantari and Brown decided to form the first company to purify chalk in Denver, Colorado. Their clean chalk quickly won over professional climbers including Dave Graham, Daniel Woods, Rustam Gelmanov, Arnaud Petit, Magnus Midtbo, Paul Robinson, Megan Mascarenas, Joe Kinder, Rannveig Aamodt, Alex Puccio, and others. About FrictionLabs:​We make clean, efficient chalk for athletes who demand better grip. Chalk up less, perform at your best, and keep your hands healthy and strong. Use Less. Do More. To learn more about us, visit www.frictionlabs.com and follow us on Facebook(facebook.com/frictionlabs), Instagram (instagram.com/frictionlabs), and Twitter (twitter.com/frictionlabs).

    North Face Awards Grant to Adaptive Climbing Group

    Paradox Sports announced that The North Face has awarded a 2016 Explore Fund grant to support their adaptive climbing experiences in National Parks. The grant from The North Face Explore Fund will specifically support the organization’s commemorative 9/11 trip to Yosemite National Park and a new program coming spring 2017 to Joshua Tree National Park. “Our goal is to make climbing in our National Parks accessible for everyone and this grant makes it possible for Paradox Sports to not only improve our already popular Yosemite Experience, but to establish new empowering opportunities for people with disabilities in Joshua Tree next year,” said Mike Neustedter, Executive Director for Paradox Sports. To celebrate the National Park Service Centennial, Paradox Sports is activating a brand new program in the spring of 2017 in Joshua Tree National Park with the goal of bringing people to play, learn and serve in these spaces. This trip is a first of its kind program that teaches adaptive climbers the technical skills they need to increase their independence as climbers. The grant will also be supporting expansion of the annual Yosemite National Park Experience which brings veterans, as well as non-veterans with disabilities, together for a long weekend of climbing over 9/11 in one of the most iconic climbing destinations in the country. The North Face selected a total of 45 nonprofits that engage their participants in opportunities that inspire a lifelong love of the outdoors. Selected programs use outdoor exploration as a catalyst for positive personal or societal change, to encourage participants to try new outdoor activities, and promote environmental stewardship values. The Daily Camera reported that the grant was in the form of $15,000. “Encouraging people to experience and enjoy the outdoors has been our mission at The North Face since we were founded 50 years ago,” said Ann Krcik, senior director of Outdoor Exploration at The North Face. “We are proud to support these outstanding programs that expose participants to the beauty and joy of the outdoors. Through these Explore Fund grants, we are building a community of outdoor explorers and inspiring people to love and protect the places where we play.” Paradox Sports was established in 2007 to revolutionize lives through adaptive climbing opportunities that defy convention. Paradox Sports works to identify, foster and grow communities of adaptive climbing and mountaineering athletes across the country. In 2015, the program impacted over 450 people nationally through adaptive climbing experiences and the cutting edge adaptive climbing trainings in 16 different states. Paradox Sports doesn’t ask what you don’t have, we say “show us what you got!” As part of its mission to start a global movement of outdoor exploration, The North Face introduced Explore Fund (www.explorefund.org) in 2010 and the program has since provided more than $2.2 million in grants to organizations committed to inspiring people to explore the outdoors and care for the environment. To learn more about Paradox Sports and our commemorative 9/11 Yosemite Trip or the new Joshua Tree camp, please visit www.paradoxsports.org.