Press Release:
Littleton, CO – The 2016 International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Cup Speed climbing finals started on July 11 under cloudy skies in Chamonix, France and something was noticeably missing. The ropes had fallen and in their place was the distinctive yellow, flat-webbing lanyard of the Perfect Descent model 220 auto belay.
In a change that further validates the global growth and expanding reach of competitive climbing, the IFSC recently announced changes to the Speed License Rules requiring the use of automatic belay systems in all Speed World Record events. A public bid was issued in early June seeking manufacturers that could provide the IFSC with an auto belay system capable of meeting the demands of high level Speed events. After careful review that included athletes as well as event organizers, the IFSC awarded C-3 Manufacturing, maker of Perfect Descent Climbing Systems, exclusive license to supply auto belays for World Record Speed events.
“The feedback from event organizers and competitors alike has been very positive. This a real game changer in the world of competition speed climbing,” says Andrew Miller, Vice President of Aerial Adventure Tech, the exclusive global distributor for Perfect Descent Climbing Systems. “Speed climbers move so quickly up the wall that ropes used in friction devices typically only last for one competition. Perfect Descent auto belays are a sustainable replacement for traditional rope belays eliminating fiber destroying friction that leave piles of spent ropes after every event.”
The difference between winning and losing can be a fraction of a second in a sport where top athletes can ascend a 15 meter wall in less than six seconds. Competitive Speed Climbing has seen some controversy over the years with challenges to results coming from accusations that a belay team, inadvertently or otherwise, aided a climber. Those challenges should be a thing of the past with the introduction of Perfect Descent auto belays.
Like the IFSC, climbing centers around the world are making Perfect Descent their top choice because of it’s quality construction, low cost of ownership, and the only lanyard retraction design fast enough to keep up with Speed climbers. Aerial Adventure Tech has been building a global network of Perfect Descent dealers and service centers over the last several years and expects to see continued growth of their dealer and support network in the lead up to the 2020 Olympic games.
You can see Perfect Descent auto belays in action at climbing centers around the world and when the top Speed climbers go head-to-head at the IFSC World Championships in Paris, this September 14-18. Find out more about IFSC competition climbing at www.ifsc-climbing.org and follow the IFSC on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Visit www.perfectdescent.com or check out the PD Facebook and Instagram to watch the world’s best speed climbers go head-to-head on the only auto belay that climbs as fast as they do.
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