]
By John Burgman
Shelves at gyms around the country will soon be stocked with a new climbing-themed magazine. Big Stone Publishing, the Carbondale, Colorado-based parent company of Rock and Ice, will be releasing a new magazine called Gym Climber this month. One of the few print publications specifically focused on the gym scene, Gym Climber will be free and aimed at educating, inspiring, and engaging with indoor climbers, according to the publisher.
The magazine will be coupled with a website, gymclimbermag.com, that went live on September 18th.
The inaugural issue of Gym Climber will include articles on injury prevention and training, as well as a profile of a gym, Memphis Rox, and a long feature on the decorated Team Texas. New issues of Gym Climber will be released to gyms three times in 2019 and four times in 2020—all to align with climbing’s highly touted inclusion in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
“To be honest, it’s long overdue,” said Big Stone Publishing’s Associate Publisher Ben Yardley on the creation of a gym-themed magazine. “With the indoor climbing scene exploding in popularity, millions of people only climbing inside, the 2020 Olympics, and the strong community of the indoor scene we thought they deserved their own voice. We wanted to talk to climbers that are only interested in indoor climbing and also educate the new generation of indoor climbers so that when they do go outside they will be smart.”
John Burgman is the author of High Drama, a book that chronicles the history of American competition climbing. He is a Fulbright journalism grant recipient and a former magazine editor. He holds a master’s degree from New York University and bachelor’s degree from Miami University. In addition to writing, he coaches a youth bouldering team. Follow him on Twitter @John_Burgman and Instagram @jbclimbs. Read our interview Meet John Burgman, U.S. Comp Climbing’s Top Journalist.
