Nova Boulders
Burlingame, California
Specs: Nova Boulders, owned by Maggie Yeung and Nilo Batle, is expected to open in the coming weeks in Burlingame, a city in the San Francisco Peninsula. Yeung and Batle, both routesetters, started working in the industry over a decade ago and have “coached and worked almost every other job there is in a climbing gym,” Yeung told CBJ. “I think most routesetters, and even everyday climbers, dream about opening their own gym someday, but very few have the privilege and opportunity that we have right now.” The pair “felt that the Bay Area is underserved geographically, and this region could really benefit from having more climbing gyms,” Yeung explained, and, because she and Batle “were ready for a new challenge” and “wanted more ownership over the climbing experience,” they decided to open a gym. “Looking at the long-term picture, it felt inevitable for me to either take this step or move away from the climbing industry,” she added.
Burlingame was deemed a suitable location for Nova Boulders for several reasons. First, it is located between the two cities where Yeung and Batle were born and raised, “so we feel like we know the community here inside and out,” Yeung said. Additionally, they wanted to bring a climbing gym right in town, which is “in a densely populated area” where they’ve seen the climbing community growing. Lastly, she said it is difficult to find spaces in the region that meet their requirements—high ceilings, a convenient location and a reasonable rental rate—so, when they found a building that did, they moved forward with the project. “We’re in an exciting area that is pretty active without feeling chaotic,” Yeung said. “We’re right next to the airport (you can see the planes taking off), there’s a cute walking trail next to the water outside the building, and we’re also right off the freeway. All the great food nearby is a plus too.”
Nova Boulders will be a bouldering-focused gym with commercial climbing and training amenities in the 12,000-square-foot space. There will be a Tension Board 2, Kilter Board, “macro-heavy spraywall” and rotating Nectar Climbing Omni Board. All training boards in the gym will be adjustable. Additionally, there will be two static walls for commercial climbing sets, a campus board, hangboards, cardio equipment and strength training amenities. A mezzanine will be accessible for members and guests, providing a space for “stretching, lounging and doing work,” Yeung added.
Combined, Yeung and Batle have routeset in over 20 gyms around the United States. They have also climbed and set in Asia, having visited gyms in Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. “We really love learning about different routesetting philosophies and cultural influences, and we could go on and on about every different place,” Yeung said. “Broadly speaking, Japan has a reputation for upholding a culture that prioritizes learning and mastery above all else, while in Korea we found that the routesetters we spoke to valued pure fun and everyone finding success. We want to take bits and pieces from everywhere we’ve been to inform the routesetting and gym culture in our space.”
Flooring: Cascade
Website: www.novaboulders.com
Instagram: @NovaBoulders
In Their Words: “One of our biggest objectives for the gym is to challenge the default climbing gym model that we’ve seen develop in our time as climbers…We see ourselves as part of a third-wave climbing movement…[and] we’re really excited about the possibility of doing things differently.” – Maggie Yeung, Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Nova Boulders
