Just a few thoughts.
The struggles of gym businesses this year are real. For many of us it’s our primary form of income, and the physical/mental health benefits of climbing and its communities are more vital than ever. But the severity of the pandemic is still real too, and it’s a balance that needs to be managed deftly. Be sure to consider all the consequences, and hopefully creativity can help us keep finding smart ways forward.
Content for Climbing Insiders
Video: Drama As 2 Olympic Places Are GONE (EpicTV)
“Last weekend the last two Olympic climbing places available to European athletes went to Alexey Rubtsov and Viktoriia Meshkova. We look at all the results and bring you the hard sends and biggest stories this week in climbing.” – EpicTV
Viktoriia Meshkova and Aleksei Rubtsov Earn Spots At The 2020 Olympics (Gym Climber)
“I didn’t fully believe that it was possible…The realization that this was just one ticket, only the first place, all or nothing…It seemed to be something unattainable.” – Viktoriia Meshkova
Video: The Debrief – European Championships 2020 (Tyler Norton, Plastic Weekly)
Paraclimbing Expands on the World Stage (Noah Walker, Gripped)
“I am proud to see that there are now four Paraclimbing competitions in the 2021 schedule, and to see that the Paraclimbing calendar itself has been released earlier than ever. I would like to thank all National Federations and Event Organisers for their enthusiasm and for taking the challenge of organising a Paraclimbing World Cup!” – Sebastian Depke
Dollars and Sends – USA Climbing Funding (John Burgman, Gym Climber)
“Since expenses and revenue in each of USA Climbing’s various funding buckets do not always break even, it is the scrupulous reallocation and transferral of money—from one bucket to another—that keeps the organization successful, solvent and able to grow.” – John Burgman
Upcoming Virtual Events
No Man’s Land Showings Oct – Nov
Vertical Life Film Tour Nov – Dec
REEL Rock 15 Global Online Premiere Dec 15
O.R. Winter Online Jan – Mar
CBJ Original Articles
Ask A Lawyer: Consequences for Gyms That Stay Open (Jason Pill)
“While the necessity of staying open to avoid permanent closure indeed is sympathetic, it is not likely going to hold up, and climbing gyms that flout closure orders risk some serious consequences.” – Jason Pill
Growth Spurs Innovation: Behind the Desk with John Oungst (John Burgman)
“Honestly, I consider my entire routesetting career to be one giant highlight. When I look back at everything I’ve done and all the people I’ve met along the way—it’s been such an amazing experience. Even on the days where the job sucked, like really sucked, I would still go to bed happy because I truly found something I loved.” – John Oungst
USA Climbing Announces Auto Belay Partnership with TRUBLUE
“As we prepare our athletes for international competitions, we need the best possible technology for our Training Center and national events. [Climbing] is a sport where fractions of a second can matter and we are confident that TRUBLUE will help us achieve our best.” – John Muse
Homewalls + Routesetting + Training
Podcast: Tonde Katiyo – the Value of Route Setting (The Nugget)
“This is part 2 of my conversation with Tonde Katiyo. We talked about RIC (Risk, Intensity, Complexity) as a tool for communicating about difficulty, about the appropriate responses to different types of bouldering challenges, about the value and importance of route setting in a growing industry, about The Lab, and keeping training in perspective.” – The Nugget
Should You Start Hangboarding? A Flow Chart (The Power Company)
“When is a good time to start hangboarding? Well, if you have all the time and energy in the world, how about now? But if you don’t, this flow chart might just help you decide if it’s right for you, right now. Yes, there are approximately 2,739 other factors to consider, but this is a good place to start.” – The Power Company
The Two Things You Need for Climbing Harder (The Power Company)
“Based on what we’ve seen in our data, Max Hang and Max Weighted Pull-Up, when looked at in combination, are the strongest predictors of climbing performance.” – The Power Company
Climbing Business Journal is an independent news outlet dedicated to covering the indoor climbing industry. Here you will find the latest coverage of climbing industry news, gym developments, industry best practices, risk management, climbing competitions, youth coaching and routesetting. Have an article idea? CBJ loves to hear from readers like you!
