Reply To: My idea to boost support, long but hope you will wade through it.

Hi everybody,

I’ve been a little bit involved in the comps over the last few years. Shane and Mike did the organising for the last one, the few before that I was involved enough to have to repeat units. It’s a learning process. We got rid of the isolation process for the top-rope comp keeping it only for the final. I’d like to do the same for the lead, but that’s a little trickier. They do have to be fun, so I’m hoping Ross’s ideas will come off. Bouldering comps were popular as they were fun, everybody could get into it. The outdoor bouldering comp Edd and Kate organised, (yes he’s that Edd), was an absolute blast. I hope they both know how much a lot of us appreciated the work that went into that.

The reality is, climbing comps only work if climbers want them. Stores will only sponsor them to any large extent if they generate exposure. The outdoor lead comps in ’96 and ’97 certainly did that but the work and cost that goes into them makes the work and cost of indoor comps insignificant.

So if you want it, get behind the people who are running it, at least enter. If the gyms run another bouldering comp, and you’re not fit, enter anyway, who cares.

Above all that, the rock is always there.

Cheers,

Toc.