Sheffield, UK — This year’s British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Nationals at the legendary Climbing Works and the entire event was digital. No soggy scorecards. No frantic tallying on spreadsheets. No mysterious disappearances of paper slips into the void. Instead, for the second year running, BUCS teamed up with Griptonite as the official scoring platform, making the event smoother, smarter, and significantly less reliant on clipboards.
The benefits? Oh, plenty. Faster results, zero entry errors, and a live leaderboard keeping everyone on the edge of their crash pads. Competitors could track route stats in real time, check out media feeds, and stay hyped all day long. And after the chalk settled, the data gave valuable insights into route-setting—ensuring problems were well distributed across the gym (no more accidental bottlenecks) and that climbers of all levels got to push their limits.
The Numbers (Because We Love Data)
- 493 competitors showed up, psyched and ready to crush (278 male, 215 female).
- A whopping 8869 tops across 30 blocs.
- The comp ran three rounds without a hitch—no delays, no chaos, just silky smooth sends
- Each climber got three attempts per problem, judged live via the app.
- 92 judges worked throughout the day, all using Griptonite to log scores seamlessly.
So, Did People Like It?
Absolutely. Judges found the system intuitive (and a dream compared to paper shuffling). Competitors loved the post-comp stats, which let them geek out over their performance and compare scores with friends and rivals alike.
All in all, it was a massive win—for the climbers, for BUCS, and for the planet. With every comp moving closer to a fully paperless future, the days of illegible scribbles and lost scorecards are officially behind us. Who knows what’s next? A leaderboard that also auto-analyses your beta videos? A feature that reminds you where you left your chalk bag (again)? One thing’s for sure—climbing comps will never be the same, and we’re here for it.
Until next year—keep crushing!
CBJ press releases are written by the sponsor and do not represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.
