ABS 10 Nationals
I first competed in a Nationally recognized climbing event the spring of 2005. That year was the first season I had ever competed as an open competitor. I even remember the competition that changed everything for me and set me on the path of competition climbing ever since.
It was January 2005 and I had just started dating a Canadian named Mike Doyle. He was, at the time, a coach of some years for the Jr. team at the Edge climbing gym in North Vancouver, BC. For the Tour de Bloc series of competitions (the Canadian equivalent to the U.S. ABS series), Mike would often help route-set. I had heard he was a good routesetter, particularly with understanding how to set really good women’s problems. This bit of information was enough to encourage me to sign up in my first Canadian competition held at The Hangout in Richmond, B.C. It seemed like a good way to get some climbing in and spend some time with him. I was intimidated by the open category so by entering in the Advanced level, I had fun, volunteered to judge the remaining segments of the comp (comps are always in need of volunteers) and could fore-run the Open Finals. I felt like I was being a good citizen, contributing. Therefore, it was with surprise that after winning the Advanced category, Tate, the gym manager would tell me that from this point forward, I had to compete in the Open category whenever coming across the border. I was shocked! I’d never before competed in Open and now I would be required to do so if I wanted to compete in Canada. Tate probably was not aware of any of that, but his requirement would become the defining moment that would change my approach to climbing forever. I actually owe him a huge thanks!
The National event I participated in back in 2005 was held in Berkeley, CA. Natasha Barnes, Kate McGinnis, Cicada Jenerik among others were in the line-up. I had no warm up strategy, only 1 isolation competition experience and there I was qualified for Finals. I was super nervous and very excited. I finished 8th, but as Natasha pointed out in a published interview of the event, the field was not very deep. This was because that year there were 3 Nationally recognized events across the country. Still, I was thrilled to have done well for not really knowing what I was doing. I was just climbing. There have been a few competitions since that time, but I would not have said that I am a competition climber… until this year, that is.
Coming back to Seattle from my time on the road, I decided I needed a goal to help me cope with the lifestyle change and keep me connected to the climbing community. ABS 10 seemed like a perfect goal. First, it would be the TEVA Mountain Games then it would be the ABS Nationals. This time, there would be only one National event and it would be the event. All of the big names of competition climbing would be there and I would be competing amongst them.
It’s a weekend long series of events because there is a large Youth segment that occurs along side the Adult/Open event. They also add on a few slideshows and a citizen’s competition. I didn’t have a vehicle when I was there and I was staying with some of the juniors from the Youth team from Seattle some 2 miles from the gym, therefore, it was difficult for me to get around and do a lot. If it was daylight, I walked to where I was going, including the climbing gyms.
USAC does a really good job of pulling together the basic resources. They try to get group rates at various hotels as well as with Avis and United Airlines. This is all in an effort to make the weekend affordable, especially for the youth who often are traveling with their families. The main climbing events would be held at The Spot.
The events I cared about where the Open Qualifiers and Finals. I was signed up to go out first so I played the guinea pig for all other competitors. I even took a few nasty falls onto no pads before realizing no one was going to move them for me and that I should just move the pads for myself…a bit of a bite into my performance/recovery time, but I’d rather be safe! Eventually, they re-set the pads and as far as I know, no one had issues after that. Throughout the qualifiers, I thought everything ran smoothly. The volunteers were exceptionally nice and the problems were a bit on the stiff side, but quality. My biggest complaint was the format and scoring. It was clear that USAC still did not know how to set zones. For the difficulty of the problems, and most noticeably on problems 2 and 4, the zones were not set well. And, there were only 4 problems so not enough to naturally break up ties. Many people found themselves tied with a number of other girls (4-way, 7-way, etc). This was really frustrating for those that made it further per hold, but still did not get the zone.
Even so, I was once told by the owner of The Edge climbing gym in North Vancouver, B.C. Andrew Wilson, that the “people who win comps aren’t necessarily the strongest climbers…they are strong competitors” and that is what would be needed to advance to Finals for this event. Once my round was complete, and after working through the feeling that all of a sudden I didn’t know how to climb, I stayed for a bit to watch some of the other competitors. I learned a lot. For instance, there was nothing saying that you couldn’t establish on the zone hold with one hand and then back down and try to get the hold with the other. Apparently, even though you couldn’t move off the original position, the fact that you established and showed control was enough to give you points for zone--even if you were unable to stick the move with the correct hand. I also learned to trust my instincts and commit to trying new things when original beta doesn’t work.
I knew I hadn’t performed my best and was really sad I wouldn’t advance to Finals. Sydney McNair, also from Seattle and formally of the Vertical World Jr. Team, had managed 1 Top and 1 Bonus (both in 1 attempt) so she would find herself in a 4-way tie with all 4 of them advancing to Finals. That would make 17 women going to Finals. With this news, I was surprised to find myself in 21st of 46 competitors. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who was struggling to perform to the format well.
To pass the time the following day and get in some climbing time, I registered for the Citizen’s competition held at the Boulder Rock Club located a few blocks from The Spot. It would be held in the morning, which left plenty of time to make it to watch the Open Finals that night.
I had read that this citizen’s competition would be ‘highball’ (climbs that would end really high from the ground and would be climbed without ropes). They weren’t kidding. Some of the climbs were just too scary looking to even attempt and others, I caught big-time air. At one point, I had a great spotter that reminded me of my friend Kenny Barker (who is tall and can pluck me out of the air if I come off the wall). His name was Brian and it turned out he was the owner of a small business that sold climbing shoes and crash pads. He was a really nice guy and fun to climb with who even gave me a ride back to my Hotel after so I wouldn’t have to walk the 3 miles, again. J
With the open problems looking incredibly reachy or highball, I resorted to completing as many of the Advanced problems as I could. Andrea Szekey happened to be registered in the comp so we teamed up and climbed a number of problems together. The spirit of the comp was really high and it seemed like everyone was having a great time.
Mid-way through, I heard someone cheering for a lady on one of the problems Andrea and I were eyeing. She was super strong; ripped like a tank! Someone in the crowd was cheering, ‘Come on, Bobbi!’ Now, I had heard that Bobbi Bensman was living in Boulder—it came up in conversation just 2 days prior. And, I had just bought and read her book on Bouldering (as part of my mental warm up for the big comp). I’d read it on the plane and when I saw her and heard them shouting her name, I knew it was her. I had to go introduce myself (I have serious idolitis!).
Bobbi is from the days of Lynn Hill and Robyn Erbesfield and a young (really young) Katie Brown. I ‘grew up’ with climbing knowing of her. I didn’t know she had published a book and had never really sought any information from or about her until I saw her book the day before I was leaving for Boulder, Co. And, now, there I was, introducing myself to her (hoping I didn’t look like a complete idiot who was star struck). She was absolutely a pleasure to meet. And, after awhile, we found ourselves tackling the same problems. By the last of the comp, it was clear Bobbi would win. She had done Advanced problem #8 and I couldn’t do it. I tried the highball Advanced problem #9 but it was too reachy and scary. Advanced problem #10 just looked scary so I went back to the 2 open problems I’d been working earlier.
One of the open problems, I was super close on, but could not quite get the last hold…no matter what I tried. Even at the end of the day, I was psyched to still be able to make the moves but still found myself stuck. Bobbi was trying one of the other problems so I gave up on this problem and wandered over and rotated in on the other one. At first, I couldn’t get the 2nd move out from the roof, but then I caught Bobbi’s beta. I tried it, and it worked! The move after that is super reachy and she was trying to use a bolt hole to help her get height. After getting that 2nd move out of the roof, I found I could get really close to the next hold without using a bolt hole. I thought, if I could just get my hips up a little higher…and, the next go, I did! It wasn’t quite a ratchet move, but somehow, I got that little extra reach and I got the hold, completed the next few moves and topped out! I heard Bobbi say ‘I think you just won the comp, Audrey,’ and I knew she was right. I couldn’t believe it!
I had flashed all of the Advanced problems I had scored, except 1 (I had 1 fall) and I had completed 1 open problem (with like 5 attempts or something like that). I learned a few things in the competition I wouldn’t have if I’d qualified and I got to meet and climb with Bobbi Bensman. Overall, for me, it turned out to be a really good weekend.
Finals were on time that night and seemed to run without a glitch. Kasia Pietras was one of the first women competitors out. she’d been bouldering at the Citizen’s earlier in the day and I was impressed that she had that much stamina to bring to Finals. Our very own Sydney McNair was up next. I took a lot of video and a few photos of her climbing.
Sydney did really well on Women’s problem #1, she got to the 2nd hold before the top, but in Zone format, her zone hold was what counted. At least she got that in 1 attempt. Similarly, Syd stuck the Zone hold on her first attempt but was unable to get higher. On Women’s #3, Syd fell apart. She didn’t get the Zone Hold and was having trouble sticking the one of the first holds on the problem. Women’s #4, on the other hand, double dyno start, some swinging action and a big move over a bulge…she was on the Zone hold, but didn’t stick it. Her first attempt was the best.
By the end of the night, we saw performances that riveted, inspired and dominated the field. There were no dull moments and with my little Sony Handycam, I was able to capture some video. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on what you are interested in viewing, I had the best seats for each of the women’s problems, but not for the men’s problems. Therefore, I focused my attention on capturing the women’s performances best.
The final outcome was as follows:
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Men’s Results 1) Daniel Woods 2) Paul Robinson 3) Sean McColl 4) Ethan Pringle 5) Julian Bautista 6) Johnny Goicoechea (SEA) 7) Carlo Traversi 8) Magnus Midtboe 9) Nalle Hukkataival 10) Ryan Sewell |
Women’s Results 1) Alex Johnson 2) Chauncenia Cox 3) Alex Puccio
4) Gabi Masse
5) Lisa Rands
6) Kate McGinnis 7) Kasia Pietras 8) Sydney McNair (SEA) 9) Tiffany Hensley 10) Elizabeth Asher |
