December is always a time to look back on the year that just rushed by, and today we’re revisiting the top CBJ podcast episode of 2025 for gym operators: host John Burgman’s conversation with climbing icon Obe Carrion.

If you’ve been around climbing a while, you’ve likely heard of Obe or seen him climbing in a film. But even if you haven’t, there’s plenty of content in this installment to appreciate: a tale of stumbling upon climbing and grinding it out to make a living from it; memories from climbing’s early days; reflections about mentorship, coaching, and passing it on to the next generation; words of wisdom on riding the highs and lows of our relationship to climbing; and more great stories for anyone psyched on climbing. Plus, it all came together on the 26^th anniversary of Obe and Chris Sharma’s road trip that fueled the Rampage film so many of us know and love.

So, whether you’re on your way to work at the gym or maybe doing some holiday shopping, we hope you take a moment to enjoy giving this instant classic another listen.

Once A Climber, Always A Climber – CBJ Podcast with Obe Carrion

Obe Carrion is the guest of this CBJ podcast episode, hosted by John Burgman. Obe has long been one of the biggest names in the game as a pro climber. Over the years, he has worked with multiple brands, and he’s been in multiple climbing films, including 1998’s Free Hueco! and 1999’s Rampage. He has been a coach, a mentor, and through all of the evolutions he has remained a force of nature in the climbing industry. John and Obe talk about Obe’s career and psych in climbing: how psych is never a constant, but how there can be value in it as an unknown, and in the way that motivation comes and goes and then comes back again eventually. Obe also reflects on climbing in the 1990s, the filming of that famous Rampage documentary—in which Chris Sharma stole the show at an X Games in San Francisco, 26 years ago—hanging with Sharma, coaching the next generation, and evolving with the times.