The New York City Department of Buildings has lifted an occupancy restriction they had placed on Brooklyn Boulders’ Brooklyn location. The DOB gave permission to allow up to 280 people inside at the same time, after capping entrants to 75 since April, according to gym and city officials.
Celebration as restriction is lifted. Photo: BKB.
For the last six months, BKB-Brooklyn had been forced to limit the number of persons inside the gym to only 75 including staff. This gym responded by setting up a reservation system that was loathed by members. The lifting of the restriction comes just as BKB celebrates its 7th anniversary this week. Owner Lance Pinn told DNAinfo, “Our parties tend to have more than 75 people and it would’ve been a lame party if we didn’t get that [approval].”
The May occupancy restriction came after city officials notified BKB of a code violation after a dialysis center moved in next door. The new neighbor forced the gym to separate the buildings fire sprinkler systems and until that happened the gym had to operate under a restricted occupancy.
The DNA Info article also mentions an inaccurate certificate of occupancy:
“The climbing gym opened in 2009 with a certificate of occupancy that listed it simply as a warehouse, according to DOB spokesman Alexander Schnell. It operated without an accurate certificate of occupancy for the next six years until gym staff amended its certificate last week, he added.”
The code violations did not pose any structural dangers and climbers inside would be safe as long as the gym ran at diminished capacity, DOB officials said at the time.
After hearing about the lifting of the ban Pinn said, “Everyone’s excited. I’m excited. You couldn’t find a happier team. If I could light off fireworks, I would,” the owner added.
The Boulderbox. Photo: Boulderbox
The idea for the Boulderbox was already on Terry Brochard’s mind for years but he never had a reason, time or money to actually build it. Then, with the impetus to create a little fun activity for the European Ultimate Frisbee tournament he organized, Brochard decided the Boulderbox would be exactly what he was looking for.
Brochard, a theater consultant and industrial product designer who lives in Amsterdam created The Boulderbox with two friends; one an experiential artist, and the other a design and development consultant. Together they created a 3D climbing game based on the classic game of Twister.
In addition to their careers, the friends also worked at a local escape room in Amsterdam. This diverse group, with far reaching interests and hobbies tackled the challenges of what the box should be made out of; what the dimensions should be; and the positions of the colors and holds. They then transformed their solutions into a working prototype. “We wanted the game to be a challenge, but not impossible,” Brochard told CBJ.
If you’ve played Twister (and who hasn’t) then you’ll understand how to play in the Boulderbox. Two to six players attempt to stay on the walls (and roof) of the box as hand and foot positions are called out. The difficulty of the game can be modified by switching out the size and type of the holds in each color.
At first the group just wanted to give the spectators of the Ultimate Frisbee a fun activity to do and didn’t think much beyond this first ______. The box turned out to be insanely popular and a video was posted to social media where it quickly garnered over a million views.
“OMG, where can I play this!”
“After reactions like these we knew we had something special on our hands,” Brochard said. After talking with climbing industry experts in Europe they protected their idea and set out to make a home for the Boulderbox. In America, the box would have easily ended up in county fairs, schools and kids summer camps. Instead, Brochard and his team wanted to take the box to the millennials and make it hip thing to do while sipping cocktails rather than just for kids.
The Boulderbox waiting for action at the TonTonClub in Amsterdam. Photo: Boulderbox
So after much searching, the first Boulderbox is now prominently placed and ready for action in an outdoor patio at the TonTonClub in Amsterdam. Could the Boulderbox replace cornhole as the backyard brewery game of choice? If it comes to America, it’s quite possible.
Until then however, the team is working on improving the design to be more accessible easier to transport. And though it’s currently only available in the Netherlands, Brochard is getting requests from people all over the world interested in playing, renting, or buying it. “The most awesome request so far has been for Burning Man Festival in Nevada, USA,” he said.
Taking the Boulderbox global is the next logical step for the group and the friends are looking for business partners that can help take this simple yet unique idea worldwide.
The largest climbing wall manufacturer in the world was fined 500,000 Pounds ($663,325) by a UK county Health and Safety inspector during construction of an adventure course. The company pleaded guilty to unsafe working practices after a passerby noticed work at height being carried out from a pallet on the forks of a telehandler (a large boom-type forklift). The workers were also accessing the roof by climbing from the basket of a boom lift.
Walltopia workers accessed the roof of the structure from a cherry picker, according to the HSE. Photo: Derby Telegraph.
The Derby Telegraph reported:
The individual reported the issue to Walltopia but – despite receiving assurances – the firm continued to carry out the work from an unsafe height. The member of the public then reported the matter to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which found that work was taking place on a section of roof 11 metres off the ground, without the use of any means to prevent two workers falling from the open edges.
Speaking after the case, HSE Inspector Lee Greatorex said: “Using a pallet on a telehandler for planned work at height is an unacceptable means of access. It appears that the company failed to put in place control measures after being alerted about this.”
Greatorex went on to say, “Walltopia failed to follow recognized industry standards during work at height and did not make effective changes to the control of their working methods following the matter being brought to its attention.”
Press Release:
Littleton, CO – The 2016 International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Cup Speed climbing finals started on July 11 under cloudy skies in Chamonix, France and something was noticeably missing. The ropes had fallen and in their place was the distinctive yellow, flat-webbing lanyard of the Perfect Descent model 220 auto belay.
In a change that further validates the global growth and expanding reach of competitive climbing, the IFSC recently announced changes to the Speed License Rules requiring the use of automatic belay systems in all Speed World Record events. A public bid was issued in early June seeking manufacturers that could provide the IFSC with an auto belay system capable of meeting the demands of high level Speed events. After careful review that included athletes as well as event organizers, the IFSC awarded C-3 Manufacturing, maker of Perfect Descent Climbing Systems, exclusive license to supply auto belays for World Record Speed events.
“The feedback from event organizers and competitors alike has been very positive. This a real game changer in the world of competition speed climbing,” says Andrew Miller, Vice President of Aerial Adventure Tech, the exclusive global distributor for Perfect Descent Climbing Systems. “Speed climbers move so quickly up the wall that ropes used in friction devices typically only last for one competition. Perfect Descent auto belays are a sustainable replacement for traditional rope belays eliminating fiber destroying friction that leave piles of spent ropes after every event.”
The difference between winning and losing can be a fraction of a second in a sport where top athletes can ascend a 15 meter wall in less than six seconds. Competitive Speed Climbing has seen some controversy over the years with challenges to results coming from accusations that a belay team, inadvertently or otherwise, aided a climber. Those challenges should be a thing of the past with the introduction of Perfect Descent auto belays.
Like the IFSC, climbing centers around the world are making Perfect Descent their top choice because of it’s quality construction, low cost of ownership, and the only lanyard retraction design fast enough to keep up with Speed climbers. Aerial Adventure Tech has been building a global network of Perfect Descent dealers and service centers over the last several years and expects to see continued growth of their dealer and support network in the lead up to the 2020 Olympic games.
You can see Perfect Descent auto belays in action at climbing centers around the world and when the top Speed climbers go head-to-head at the IFSC World Championships in Paris, this September 14-18. Find out more about IFSC competition climbing at www.ifsc-climbing.org and follow the IFSC on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Visit www.perfectdescent.com or check out the PD Facebook and Instagram to watch the world’s best speed climbers go head-to-head on the only auto belay that climbs as fast as they do.
Getting it done at the Yank-n-yard.
Press Release:
USA Climbing, the United States National Governing Body for the sport of competition climbing, announced 4 bouldering competitions across the country that are part of a nationwide series – culminating in our Bouldering
Open National Championships this year in Salt Lake City, UT. This series of 5 events (including the National
Championships) will make up the National Cup Series, and will award an overall total of $50,000.00 to competitive climbers over the course of the season.
Oct 14/15, 2016: Yank-N-Yard; Stone Age Climbing Gym; Albuquerque, New Mexico
Nov 12, 2016: Mesa Rim Training Center; San Diego, CA
Dec 17, 2016: High Point Climbing & Fitness; Birmingham, AL
Jan 20/21, 2017: Dark Horse Championship; Metrorock Climbing; Boston, Massachusetts
Feb 3/4, 2017: USA Climbing: Bouldering Open National Championships; Salt Lake City, Utah
“USA Climbing is thrilled to get this National Cup Series beyond the idea phase and into reality. We are excited
to both support the growth of, and to give back to adult competitors. With our partnership with these great host
facilities, we could not be more excited to announce the inaugural 2016-2017 season,” says Kynan Waggoner, USA Climbing’s CEO. “This series is a strategic way for USA Climbing to develop more opportunities for Open athletes and sponsors, offer exciting high level events for adult enthusiast competitors, and create a coherent “tour” of top tier bouldering competitions that will culminate in our National Championships.”
USA Climbing host partners include MetroRock Climbing Centers and Stone Age Climbing Gym, facilities with a great history of running major competition climbing events in the US, as well as newer gyms, Mesa Rim Climbing and High Point Climbing. Chris Danielson, the Technical Director of the National Cup Series, says the event planning and series structure has grown out of the past 15 years of competition development. “From the original ABS, the PCA, the UBC, and to the amazing events run each year independently across the country, there is a strong history in the US of innovating high level and exciting climbing competitions. With the National Cup Series, we wanted to create something that gives the most elite professional athletes, younger competitors just aging into the Open level, and those veteran adults competing in their own region, something to be a part of on the National scale.”
Each event of the National Cup Series will have a cash purse of $10,000 and USA Climbing will be awarding another $10,000 at the conclusion of the series. “One of our desires here was for standardization in format and prize purse… to start something we can build upon in years to come,” Waggoner says. “Top 8 will go to Finals in each event and we will have a season ranking updated after each competition. After Bouldering Open National Championships in SLC, we’ll see where the rankings stand and award our $10,000 Cup Series purse.”
USA Climbing will be posting more information about the National Cup Series on www.usaclimbing.org on September 1, 2016 – rules, format, FAQ, etc. With any questions about the National Cup Series please email
info@usaclimbing.org.
A rendering of a proposed gym in Battle Creek, MI. Photo: Battle Creek Enquirer.
A new climbing gym could be coming to downtown Battle Creek, Michigan if owners, Tim and Emily Bandeen and Charles and Nikki Elder get their way. Their company Cereal City Athletics recently closed a deal on a former JCPenney’s store for an undisclosed amount.
The team hopes to open Battle Creeks’s first commercial climbing facility which will be called Battle Rocks.
“We started Cereal City Athletics to bring more fun activities to our town,” Emily Bandeen was quoted as saying in the Battle Creek Inquirer. “We loved the idea of building a climbing gym, but thought it’d be a few years before we could make that happen. Our agreement with the land bank and the city of Battle Creek will allow us to get a jump start on that project, and we’re excited to be a part of Battle Creek’s downtown revitalization.”
Battle Creek is a city with a population of 51,848 and sits a half-hour from Kalamazoo which has one climbing gym, Climb Kalamazoo which opened in 1996.
