TEKNIK Awards 2021
- 5th Place – Setter’s Choice Favorite Holds
Honorable Mentions 2021
- 5th Place – People’s Choice Favorite Holds
- 4th Place – Favorite Homewall Holds
- 4th Place – All-Time Favorite Holds
Teknik has been creating holds for over 20 years and continues to remain one of setters’ go-to choices for creating movement. This year they remained in the Top Five of the main Setter’s Choice vote for a fourth consecutive year. In fact, Teknik has won the second most total awards in the Grip List’s history and is one of only two companies to have earned ten or more awards.
Teknik is a Canadian company run by Seth and Zoë Johnston, who continue to be the only shapers. They are known for their clean, highly functional shapes. From classic edges like the Scarabs and delicate No Shadow Tip Toe screw-ons, to the Fatty Long Fat pinches and the surprising versatility of the juggy Supervillains, Teknik’s wide variety of holds are mainstays in setting closets around the world.
“Teknik has simple, comfortable, and highly functional shapes,” says Alex Lucier, Routesetter at G1 climbing in Colorado. Zachary Podschweit, Head routesetter at North Wall Rock Climbing Gym, adds, “The simplicity of the holds really allows them to be used in all sorts of unique ways. You can never go wrong with their classic shapes.”
While many of Teknik’s long-standing shapes continue to be popular, Seth and Zoe are still coming out with new designs. “We made some nice new edges: Trill, Alto, Coda and Forte, among a few others. We love them to bits. Gyms and home wall customers have been really enjoying them too.” Teknik’s longevity is represented by eight consecutive years of ranking in the top four of the All-Time Favorite vote.
Teknik is a USAC partner and continues to be featured in high-level USAC and IFSC competitions. It’s hard to deny the well roundedness of Teknik’s popularity (and their shapes) in the industry. As Bryce McCulloch, Routesetter at Progression Climbing, states, “In a time when it feels like more and more companies are selling massive holds with only a small usable surface, I know Teknik’s shapes are going to be versatile enough that they can be used time and time again without getting stale.”
What setters are saying about Teknik:
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.
