SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Nov. 1, 2024 — On Sunday, the USA Climbing Board of Directors voted unanimously to pursue a partnership with Momentum to operate its National Training Center (NTC).
As the two organizations work towards a final partnership agreement, the operating model will prioritize evaluating revenue sources beyond traditional membership models with a commitment to community access. Through this partnership, USA Climbing and Momentum are eager to support the health of the local climbing gym industry and the growth of climbing nationwide.
The NTC will be a world-class facility in Salt Lake City, Utah, housing the headquarters for USA Climbing; hosting large-scale events; and providing a variety of fully-accessible training spaces, climbing terrain, and other resources to strengthen the development of competitive climbers (Youth, Collegiate, Paraclimbing, and Elite) from across the country.
“We are excited to partner with Momentum to advance this historic project,” said Marc Norman, President & CEO of USA Climbing. “Throughout our discussions, Momentum continually demonstrated their close alignment with our mission and support of our goals for the NTC. It’s been a pleasure to work with such a dedicated team, and we appreciate their longstanding support and advocacy of USA Climbing and the industry.”
“Momentum is honored to join USA Climbing in its goal of creating an exceptional National Training Center,” said Jeff Pedersen, CEO of Momentum. “We look forward to collaborating with Marc Norman and the USA Climbing team as we unite to elevate competitive climbing, and share its benefits with the greater climbing community.”
The decision comes after months of dialogue between USA Climbing and the gym community, including discussions led by USA Climbing’s Gym Partner Task Force; the addition of a gym operator on the USA Climbing Board of Directors; the inclusion of gym partners in strategic planning; and the establishment of a joint Climbing Wall Association/USA Climbing committee, which continues to meet regularly to advance shared priorities.
USA Climbing issued its Request for Interest (RFI) to gym operators in April, spurring five thoughtful submissions from across the United States. Two finalists, Momentum and Touchstone, were recommended to the Board by an Evaluation Committee comprised of USA Climbing staff, Board members, and external individuals—including those with diverse gym construction and management expertise. The decision to advance Momentum came after extensive discussions, site visits, and modeling with the two finalists.
“We extend our deep appreciation to Touchstone for challenging our perspective of what a National Training Center could be,” said Norman. “The Touchstone team has created an amazing climbing community in California. We gained valuable insights firsthand and look forward to continuing to build the relationship between our two organizations.”
USA Climbing is thankful to all the gym operators who participated in discussions about the NTC project and will continue to engage stakeholders as the project progresses. For more information, visit USAClimbing.org/National-Training-Center.
About USA Climbing
USA Climbing is the national governing body for competitive climbing in the United States, supporting athletes, coaches, and events across the country. As a nonprofit organization, USA Climbing’s mission is to promote the growth and development of climbing while advocating for the sport’s values of inclusivity, sportsmanship, and environmental responsibility.
About Momentum
Momentum was created to inspire and empower climbers to their full potential. Diverse people of all abilities forge friendships and learn new skills with our experienced staff. The Momentum community builds better climbers, from day one to the elite level. We look forward to seeing you at the gym.
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CBJ press releases are written by the sponsor and do not represent the views of the Climbing Business Journal editorial team.
