Adventure Rock
Wisconsin
Specs: The Adventure Rock legacy began in Brookfield, Wisconsin in 1998, following the success of a portable rock wall in an outdoor gear...
On this episode of The Impact Driver Podcast, host Holly Chen meets with Annabelle Spingler. Annabelle has been climbing and working in climbing gyms...
Routesetters, we’ve got you this week. A podcast, a webinar, some tips, some inspiration. And also – thank you setters, you voted and the results are in – Grip List Awards were just announced! A few new awards plus some year-after-year favorites. Beyond the setting stuff some interesting data and analysis from UK and France, a discussion of a new FTC rule, and a salute to the godfather of US crag access.See The Freshest Job Posts Here
CBJ hosts the most active job board for climbing businesses and organizations. Below are the latest posts from this past week…Coaching ManagerPortland Rock Gym
Portland, OR
“The Coaching Manager at PRG will play a pivotal role in driving the competitive success and growth of both youth and adult climbing teams. This position is responsible for providing exceptional customer service, engagement, and connection, as well as introducing individuals to climbing and supporting their lifelong competitive climbing journey in a healthy, sustainable, and enjoyable manner. Collaborating closely with the Programs Director and Programs Manager, setting team, and other coaching staff, the Coaching Manager will build and facilitate team programs and practices aimed at supporting climbers in their athletic development and competitive aspirations. This role is ideal for a coach who is passionate about cultivating top-tier talent, pushing athletes to reach their highest potential, and achieving outstanding results in competitive climbing.”
JOB SEEKER TIPS:
“How To Deal With an Angry Customer” Interview Question
By Indeed Editorial Team
“Considering how you might react to a frustrated customer can help you develop an accurate response. Authentically answering can help you display genuine emotion, which shows employers you’re passionate about helping others. It also lets you identify the unique value you bring to this scenario. For example, you might recognize your ability to diffuse tension by speaking concisely or maintaining confidence without being perceived as arrogance, helping you regulate the conversation.”Read the full article here
Slow news week. But so much happening behind the scenes here at CBJ. Our small team works hard to empower and inspire you, the professionals and entrepreneurs of the climbing industry. We have so many meaty projects that will be dropping in the coming weeks and months, it’s sometimes dizzying watching them all approach launch. Watch for the Grip List Awards any day, a compensation survey real soon, our new website before too much longer, an incredible new market analysis resource, an article on routesetting trends, and our annual Gyms & Trends that will publish in early 2025. All for you. We hope you enjoy the ride.See The Freshest Job Posts Here
CBJ hosts the most active job board for climbing businesses and organizations. Below are the latest posts from this past week…Head RoutesetterRichmond Olympic Oval
Richmond, BC
“As the Head Route Setter, you’ll be at the heart of shaping the climbing experience at the Oval! From crafting exciting and challenging routes to mentoring a team of passionate Route Setters, you’ll ensure the wall stays fresh, fun, and safe for everyone. Whether you’re designing routes that push athletes to new heights or ones that bring smiles to recreational climbers, your creativity and leadership will keep the climbing community energized and engaged. Plus, you’ll manage all the gear that keeps our wall top-notch and collaborate on making big decisions for future climbing projects. Safety, fun, and community will be in your hands!”
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9 Tips For Building Work Relationships (Plus Benefits)
By CareerBuilder
“Before you actively begin building relationships, know what you need from others in the workplace. Do you want to make friends you hang out with outside of work? Do you want more casual relationships where you have conversations around the water cooler and sit next to each other in meetings? Determine the types of relationships you want to build with your co-workers. At the same time, consider what you can bring to a new workplace relationship. Maybe you’re a great listener, or you might be good at making people laugh with lighthearted jokes. Evaluate your strengths so you know how you can support others.”Read the full article here
We’re excited to introduce the newest addition to the Asana family – the Crash Pad Couch! Ideal for gyms and retail shops for climbers and customers to hangout.
Pad made in the USA with premium Asana dual-density foam and a sturdy 13-ply birch frame, it’s built for comfort and adventure alike.
Customize your gym or retail space with your logo!
Available to purchase directly off asanaclimbing.com
Price: $314.95 for pad and frame with no customization. Includes free shipping.
Need more than one or want to customize? We have bulk pricing, logo customization and custom pad colors for bulk orders.
Contact our Retail Sales Director Steve Allday
steve@asanaclimbing.com
208.614.2800 x604
CBJ press releases are written by the sponsor and do not represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.
Intro by Naomi Stevens
You may recognize Jason Chang from his Instagram (@theshortbeta) as a prolific climbing competition photographer. But what you may not know is Jason formerly ran The Short Beta website, where he and contributors wrote and shared articles specifically for youth athletes, coaches and parents. Jason is also a father of three youth climbers and works in the field of enterprise software, so he eventually decided to close the website to have more time for his family, day job and photography. As journalists ourselves, we didn’t want to see his website’s valuable resources become lost to the past; so, we’re resharing a selection of them on CBJ, in the hopes that the information lives on and continues to benefit the youth programs at your gym.
If you’re a team coach, at first glance it may seem like some of the content in this series is not for you. At times you may find yourself thinking, “Wait a minute, these stories are written for climbers and parents, not coaches.” We know, and we hope you’ll still take the time to read them. As a coach, you are the person who interacts with youth climbers and parents the most, and they look to you for guidance on learning how to handle failure, push past puberty, survive isolation and excel at comps. So, we encourage you to print out these articles and share them with the climbers on your team and their parents, as well as your coaching colleagues.
The first article in this multi-part series was written for youth athletes who have just made the competitive climbing team. While resources for training for the physical side of climbing—different exercises, the best hangboard workouts, strength training for climbing, etc.—are readily available on a myriad of climbing media outlets in CBJ’s directory, resources for the non-physical side of climbing can be more difficult to find, especially for young senders. This article aims to fill some of that gap by focusing on the mental side of joining a competitive youth climbing team. It serves as a reminder for any youth competitor starting a new comp season—seasoned crushers too—to always try hard, have fun and embrace the process.
To echo Chang’s closing words: “Get ready to have a great comp season!”
So, You Made the Competitive Climbing Team…Now What?
Authored by Jason Chang[Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article was first published on The Short Beta website in 2019.]
So, you made it through tryouts and were awarded a spot on the competitive youth climbing team. Congratulations! Now, how can you make the most of this competition season?
The six tips below have helped my kids mentally prepare for a new comp season, and I hope they help you too. As with any tips, mine aren’t commandments but rather suggestions to thoughtfully consider. It’s up to YOU what advice you choose to put inside your training bag or leave behind.
1. Come to practice ready to learn.
You made the team because you’re skilled and strong. However, your coaches also expect you to work hard to grow as a climber. Be prepared for difficult training sessions that expose your weaknesses. Expect to confront your fears and to exercise your “anti-style.” It won’t always be comfortable, but it will make you a better climber.
2. Be prepared for difficult training sessions that expose your weaknesses.
Arrive at the gym with a positive attitude, ready to try hard. Trust that your coaches have reasons for each drill and exercise—and for the rules they enforce. Be humble and listen. Even if you think their advice won’t help, do your best to follow their directions and give it a try when it’s safe to do so. As the saying goes, “Trust the process.”
(That being said, coaches aren’t perfect—they’re human. We aren’t recommending blind trust. If you have a genuine concern regarding your training regimen, especially if it involves athlete safety and health, approach your coach respectfully and talk about it in a safe setting, where a teammate or parent is present. A good coach will appreciate thoughtful questions and feedback.)
Embrace the challenge of team training and get psyched to improve your climbing game!
3. Recognize that competitive climbing is a journey, with ups and downs.
Good days and bad days are part of training and competing. Some days will be awesome, with new grades topped, personal best comp placements, etc. Celebrate those achievements! But you will also have high-gravity days when you start out excited to climb and you don’t send at the level you expect of yourself. Remember, everyone—even the best pro climber—has days on the struggle bus, and that bumpy ride is part of the process of improvement.
4. Remember, everyone has days on the struggle bus, and that bumpy ride is part of the process of improvement.
Expect highs and lows, not just at practice but throughout the competition season. Even within a single competition, you will probably experience ups and downs. Developing the ability to recover from mistakes quickly and to regain a focused, positive attitude is essential to competitive climbing.
When your climbing performance doesn’t meet your expectations, it’s natural to feel sad or frustrated. That’s okay. However, don’t stay sad and frustrated. Your scores do not define who you are as a climber. Learn from your experiences, put a smile back on your face, and take those lessons into your next round of climbing.
Enjoy the journey, knowing that those hills and valleys are all part of your progress as a competitor and a climber.
5. Invest in your team community.
Everything is more fun with friends! Take the time to get to know the other climbers (and parents) on your team. Get acquainted with the larger, local climbing community in your area, as well. Practice sessions and competitions are more enjoyable when you are surrounded by familiar, friendly faces.
6. Be intentional about building a community of mutual respect, enthusiastic support and the shared joy of climbing.
Be a supportive teammate. Notice and appreciate the energy and effort that others are putting into their climbing. Celebrate their milestones, whether it be a new V-grade achievement or a podium placement. Use your words and your actions to encourage others and to cheer them up and on—never to put them down.
Friends will help you get through those tough training sessions and through hard days at competitions. When you are lacking motivation, your buddies can get you fired up and back on the wall. If you tend to be too hard on yourself, your teammates can help you reframe your perspective—climbing is supposed to be FUN, after all!
Be intentional about building a community of mutual respect, enthusiastic support and the shared joy of climbing.
Get ready to have a great comp season!
Congrats to Ava Volumes, winner of the CBJ Grip Showcase Salt Lake City 2024!
What a show! Twelve routesetters, fifteen brands, an abundance of the freshest shapes of indoor climbing…it was a sight to behold at The Front South Main in SLC last month!
It’s always hard to judge a Grip Showcase—all the holds are awesome! On a scale of 1 to 5, it’s easy to see how practically every brand got an average of 3 or higher.
But as the dust settled, Ava Volumes was the clear winner, with an average of 3.95. And it’s well deserved—their new no-tex volume panels up the ante on their 200 volume options. The panel and volume families are all designed to work together for a seemingly endless variety of stacking combinations.
SEE ALL PRIOR SHOWCASE WINNERS HERE
Special thanks to the ace team of routesetters:
Tyler Schleisman, Cooper Fankhauser, Noah Keithley, Alvin Garcia, Cayden Abshear, Matt Willis, Gus Meyers, Luke Skinner, Mariano Montanaro, Sebasttian Panimbosa, Russell Hitch and Chris Neal.
Comp season is never over. Yes, the World Cups have finished, US Nationals done, and our 2nd Olympic Games are in the rearview mirror. But local and youth comps are about to hit their stride, at least in the US. Props to the myriad setters, coaches, managers and volunteers who will be supporting local and youth comps this and many weekends to come over the fall and winter. The hustle is real for those on the guest setter circuit and working on their USAC levels – you got this! See The Freshest Job Posts Here
CBJ hosts the most active job board for climbing businesses and organizations. Below are the latest posts from this past week…Gym ManagerThe Front
Millcreek, UT
“The Gym Manager manages gym operations and gym staff to ensure a high level of customer service and membership retention. They ensure a positive and efficient work environment throughout the entire facility. This includes overseeing staff scheduling and daily duties, implementing onboarding and training, managing employee productivity, and processing disciplinary action. The Gym Managers will also provide coaching and training for the Assistant Gym Managers and the Gym Staff Shift Leads on the team. The Gym Manager will report to the General Manager of The Front.”
JOB SEEKER TIPS:
Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace (Information and Tips)
By Andrei Kurtuy
“In some cases, work can have a positive impact on employees struggling with mental health. The right workplace can provide a supportive environment, a way to stay engaged and connected, and a support network. The opposite, however, can also be true. A negative work environment can lead employees to struggle with their mental illnesses more severely and push others to experience mental health problems such as burnout, work-related stress, and severe anxiety for the first time. In turn, this causes problems for employees and employers alike, with lack of productivity, work impairment, and loss of profitability being only a few of them.”Read the full article here
We are excited to announce new, lower prices on our best-selling Trango Agility 9.8 rope!
Whether you’re logging mileage in the gym or tackling outdoor pitches, there’s an Agility 9.8 for you.
Shop Agility 9.8
With lengths from 40 to 70 meters, the Agility 9.8 is an ideal choice for gym and outdoor climbers of every level, from beginners to seasoned pros.
Our Agility 9.8 gives you long-lasting durability and effortless handling whether you’re on the sharp end or on belay.
CBJ press releases are written by the sponsor and do not represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.