Just a few thoughts

It was the big week for the North American climbing industry, and vibes were good on day one. New gyms were being built, old gyms were upping their game, cool new grips and gear were on display, and friendships were being made and rekindled.

Thursday was the Grip Showcase at Momentum Fort Union alongside the official Walltopia after party. If you were in the room, you smashed those boulders! If you weren’t in the room, voting opens later this week so you can tell us what your favorite boulders were!

And if you swung by the CBJ booth #606. Thank you, we appreciate you! 🙂

Community & Culture

• How the Guy Who Invented V-Grades Won Back His Bouldering Mojo (Maya Silver, Climbing-dot-com)
• The science of climbing confronts its gender bias (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)
• What Does the USFS Reorganization Mean for Climbing? (Access Fund)

Comp Scene

• USA Climbing – Athletes take a stand to defend their future national center (Pierre-Gaël Pasquiou, Vertige Media)
• Boycott World Climbing. Ban Israel from Competing. (Andrew Bisharat, Evening Sends)

For Managers

• 2025 CWA Annual Report (CWA)
• Fostering Positive Connections: Behind the Desk with Janet Hirsch, Director of Programs at Movement (John Burgman, CBJ)
• What Seven Years of Climber Data Tell Us About Where Indoor Climbing Is Headed (CWA)
• Climbing Industry Veteran Ty Foose Launches FOOSE.AI to Guide the Industry Through an Unprecedented Period of AI-Driven Change (CBJ)
• Futurist Climbing Consultants Appoints Joe Zentmyer as CEO (CBJ)

For Routesetters

• Video: Attachment Fail (Impact Route Setting)
• Video: How to set accessible dynamic movement with Brendan Scorpio (Kilter Grips)
• Dimension Volumes Is Now Part of the Rock Candy Holds Family (CBJ)

Many of the links above are from third-party sources, and the views expressed at those links do not necessarily represent the views of the CBJ editorial team. We share this content to help readers stay informed about what is happening in the industry and the community of climbing.