ATOMIK Awards 2021
- 1st Place – Favorite Homewall Holds
Honorable Mentions 2021
- 4th Place – Favorite Homewall Volumes
- 4th Place – Favorite Homewall Board System
At a time when homewalls continue to be a significant and growing segment of the market, claiming the crown of Favorite Homewall Holds is no small feat. Atomik, which has been making high-quality shapes for nearly 20 years, won the hearts, minds and budgets of homewallers for the second year in a row, beating out other close competitors. Atomik also had strong showings in the other homewall categories and was the only brand to place in the top four in all three Favorite Homewall Holds, Volumes and Board System votes.
Homewallers are often highly focused on training, have limited space on their homewalls, and are operating on much smaller budgets than traditional gyms. Atomik has become a very appealing choice for this market, largely because of three key components: their fast turnaround time, their affordable price point, and their variety of training products.
Atomik runs a 7-day, in-house manufacturing operation, which allows them to adapt to the immediate needs of their customer base. “Because we continue to manufacture our brand, this allows us to pass the savings on to our customers,” says Kenny Matys, owner and shaper at Atomik.
And their products span far beyond climbing holds. Atomik’s range of offerings for homewallers includes hangboards, system boards, Ninja Warrior training tools, dry-tooling accessories, and a full suite of hardware and goods well suited to homewalls.
During the peaks of the pandemic stateside, Atomik closed many of its selling channels to maintain the fast turnaround they are known for. They increased production, with the owners often pouring shapes right alongside their team and, gradually, they were able to catch up and keep that ten-day turnaround time. In a year where production and distribution backlog has continued to be the norm, this set Atomik apart.
“Their holds are well-made, priced reasonably, and come in a variety of styles and difficulty levels,” says homewaller Brandon Pecoraro. “I couldn’t ask for anything more for homewall holds.” Homewaller Matthew Freake adds, “Many [Atomik holds] are multi-use, fit well for tight spray wall setting. Super well-made and reasonably priced.”
This year Atomik worked on an eye-catching Glow In The Dark mix, as well as their Water Clear holds, which are LED compatible. They are also continuing to work on their Golfus line, which currently has over 260 unique shapes and is scheduled to have over 600 when the line is completed. “The Golfus line will have every hold for every occasion for every angle of wall, from slab to roofs,” says Matys.
Atomik is shaped by Kenny Matys and Randyl Nielson. Kenny competed and set in over 100 competitions in the 90’s and early 2000’s, and he is highly focused on the function of his shapes for the end user. Randyl, an outdoor climber and photographer, has an unmatched attention to detail, which can be seen in the iconic Golfus line. Their shapes, and the customer service they pride themselves on, have kept them at the forefront of a highly competitive market.
What setters are saying about Atomik:
Jonathan has been climbing for ten years and routesetting for half as long. He is a former magazine editor, and his writing spans from marketing content and journalism to speculative fiction. When he’s not writing or bolting plastic to plywood, he’s probably outside somewhere, hiking, climbing, or surfing poorly. He’s been known, on occasion, to drop everything and travel the world for months at a time.
