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j_freak
Apr 11, 2002, 7:00 AM
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Just a question. . . why did you start to climb?
i started because i love the outdoors. i hike, and paddle too. i just started climbing about a year ago. i live in BC, and everytime i drove past The Cheif, i said to myself that i am going to climb it one day. it sounds kinda cheezy, but i also do it for the glory of God. i'm a Christian, and i believe that God wants me to have fun with my body and keep it in shape.
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tygereye
Apr 11, 2002, 7:30 AM
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I have also started climbing about a year ago. A friend once invited us to go clikbing with them. I was hooked since.
Before I also did lots of hiking. I just love the outdoors!!
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maddie
Apr 11, 2002, 9:52 AM
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cos it looked like heaps of fun... and it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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lostangel
Apr 11, 2002, 10:04 AM
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Because I live in the middle of nowhere, this is where people put lawnchairs and a cooler in front of wall-mart and set there all day for fun. (sad part is I am not joking) so I figured that there had to be more than life to this in "God's Country" and there is.. there is rockclimbing
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its_me_drew
Apr 11, 2002, 11:00 AM
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I thought that it could help meet girls, well it does however I have no money to spend on them because I'm such a gear whore.
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treyr
Apr 11, 2002, 11:24 AM
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Because I first tried it at camp and it was so much fun and i decided to take up all the time and It is really fun .
Trob
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hathor
Apr 11, 2002, 3:53 PM
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I started because my college has a rock climbing club and it sounded fun. But I became addicted because this sport is one where you can never completely master it. It's all based on individual progress, and results come very quick
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mountainrat
Apr 11, 2002, 4:06 PM
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Damn good question... I've been sitting here for half an hour so far. Because I was scared to, I guess; the idea of heights terrified and beckoned to me at the same time, somehow. Now I climb to pursue an economy of motion- no wasted, jerky moves, if I can help it. It feels good to move fluidly up rock, like skiing moguls gracefully (tops only! ) or "cleaning" a section of trail on a mtn bike with no "dabs."
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boms
Apr 11, 2002, 4:07 PM
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"The first question which you will ask and which I must try to answer is this, 'What is the use of climbing Mount Everest ?' and my answer must at once be, 'It is no use'. There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever. Oh, we may learn a little about the behavior of the human body at high altitudes, and possibly medical men may turn our observation to some account for the purposes of aviation. But otherwise nothing will come of it. We shall not bring back a single bit of gold or silver, not a gem, nor any coal or iron. We shall not find a single foot of earth that can be planted with crops to raise food. It's no use.
So, if you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won't see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means and what life is for."
-- George Leigh Mallory, 1922
basically if you have to ask the question you won't understand the answer
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klymer
Apr 11, 2002, 4:13 PM
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Why ask why? Everyone has their own reasons for doing something that 99.9% of the general public thinks is crazy, to be different, to prove something, for fun. For me it boils down to climbing being representative of life itself; a challengeing upward struggle that requires focus and mental acuity in some situations and relaxation in others, there are falls, successes, failures, injuries, it's all there man! Why did I start? Because I'm way more different than 99.9% of the population...
[ This Message was edited by: klymer on 2002-04-11 09:14 ]
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kevinwaldock
Apr 11, 2002, 4:19 PM
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i started cause it keeps me in shape, gets me outside (i also love caneoing and hiking) and there is no real compatition. it's pretty much you against yourself, you pushing your own limits. And of course last but not least it's FUN and a rush to boot.
kevin
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bigevilgrape
Apr 11, 2002, 5:20 PM
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well, you see, it was a bright and sunny spring day when i was in sixth grade. it was one of the last days of a right of passage program we have, and we where doing the "final challenge" we where going climbing at one of the local crags. i simply feel in love with it; even though i didn't start really climbing for another two years.
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bulldog
Apr 11, 2002, 5:51 PM
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I just wanted to be like Sly in Cliffhanger.
I think I have 3 primary reasons why I climb.
1) Conquering or at least learning to live with a fear of heights,
2) Its a challenging, often personally rewarding, social pastime that happens in the beautiful outdoors, and
3) I love the toys and the playtime engineering that goes along with trad climbing. Admit it, cams are cool man. So are hexes and nuts and ropes and knots and slings and oh so much fun.
Bulldog
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wyoclimber
Apr 11, 2002, 7:53 PM
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I got in for the thrill! The Exhilaration... the Challenge. I was around 13 yrs old.
I stayed in because I have never gotten into the "Organized sports." (football, etc.) Maybe I am not a team player... Maybe I just dont like all the rules... Climbing is you, your belayer, and nature, with some common sense and etiquette thrown in. I also keep doing it cause the other climbers i meet are SOOO COOL!
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deblaunk
Apr 12, 2002, 6:00 PM
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I started climbing when I was alot younger. I would alway be playing with a ball of some sorts and kick it over a fence or on a roof and I would have to climb after it... in the later years I would have been climbing trees and I have just upgraded my skills to climbing rocks. What can I say... it just seems like a cool thing to do.
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robscate
Apr 12, 2002, 6:42 PM
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I had to much money just lying around.
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tcollins
Apr 12, 2002, 7:23 PM
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I love the outdoors. Backpacking by cliffs made me think, wow I wonder what it looks like from up there. It's a great way to spend and afternoon, the people are really nice, and I've got a fear of hieghts that is diminishing now due to climbing. It's a great workout that makes a beer taste oh so much better.
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daggerx
Apr 13, 2002, 2:30 AM
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When I was really little like 6 or so, I rember I saw a guy climbing on Tv and told every one about it. My aunt found a local gym and took me a few times. By the end of that year I was a reguler but then slacked off for a couple of years only climbing once a week or something, but the last 4 or 5 years I have been getting back into it heavy.
DaggerX
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crackaddict
Apr 13, 2002, 3:46 AM
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I used to hike a lot. But found myself getting into areas where climbing was needed.
Then I tried it. I did'nt know that I had such a natural ability to climb.
That was it I was hooked!
I had found the one thing that I was pasionate about. I can not let it go.
Now I only hike to get to climbing areas.
Rockitup!
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clam
Apr 15, 2002, 3:44 AM
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Well what immediately precipitated my taking a belay class was reading Krakauer's Into Thin Air. I was - for some reason - really intrigued by the Hillary Step, the only technical climbing on the whole route up Everest as I understand it. What was that all about, I asked myself. What is this technical stuff with numbers like 5.5, 5.9 etc? Then I read six or seven more books on climbing. Put that together with years of hiking and always being unable to resist going up third and fourth class stuff and the fact that I was getting older and wanted to try something really outrageous and there I was a couple of years later standing on a narrow ledge belaying my second on the second pitch of Munginella in Yosemite. Go figure. There's no turning back now; even at my ripe, well let's say, mature age. That's why I started; and I will keep climbing because it is a wonderful outdoor activity; keeps you in shape, puts you in touch with God's awesome creation, gives you a break from the slings and arrows of this outrageous fortune we call life.
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upfreak
Apr 15, 2002, 3:48 AM
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To do something different... got hook onto it as soon as i put one leg up.
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melsitek
Apr 15, 2002, 10:02 PM
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I just tried it for fun and after that day I have become a junkie, I love the way I feel when I get to the top or if I accomplish more boldering its the best feeling in the world and I can't imagine life without it!!!
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calds
Apr 15, 2002, 11:03 PM
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Ever since I was a little kid I was always climbing on something. My parents were always yelling at me to get off the roof or what ever was close by that I could climb on. When I got to college and they offered classes in rock climbing I took them and have really enjoyed it ever since.
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crackhabit
Apr 16, 2002, 10:04 PM
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i am sure that this i going to sound like a canned answer but ever since i was a kid i loved to climb stuff. cant explain it, sort of like why to guys like tools. i just love it. i started about 8 years ago, took a break for college, and now am back in a big way. nothing better.
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ryanxsevn
Apr 17, 2002, 3:09 AM
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Basicly i have always loved the outdoors. I like to hike and paddle.
One day a freind from shcool talked me into going with. Been stuck ever since.
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spidergirl
Apr 17, 2002, 3:33 AM
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did you ever feel like you were just not cut out for the typical "team" sports? that was me, i just didnt fit in with the volleyball, basketball or soccer players etc..
i work out like crazy and enjoy being active but was looking for a sport that would still challenge me. as soon as i tried climbing, i was hooked. its always just me and the rock out there. no team, no scores, no pressure. i love it!
[ This Message was edited by: spidergirl on 2002-04-21 18:08 ]
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psalmadventurer
Apr 19, 2002, 3:52 AM
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hey i am a Christian too. i never really thought i would climb. i hike a lot in the summers in colorado. i knew some hikes i wanted to do that could require basic climbing. God did the rest seriously. i walk into the gym and find out that they have a climbing tower + are going to be offering classes. anyways, i took the classes, and i am hooked. not really but i like climbing a lot. i am not into really painful climbs tho w/ like no holds. i climb just for fun + it is a great workout. one day i would like 2 be a missionary to climbers/hikers.
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bkpkrn
Apr 19, 2002, 5:09 AM
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I started for the wrong reason. I was out with a large group one day and everyone else was climbing, I had never had a real urge though. Everyone thought they were so great because the could make it half-way up a single pitch decked out in cool new gear, I couldn't resist trying to show them up. I don't know the rating, but I did the full route in baggy jeans and Doc Martens just to show everyone else up.
Then I got hooked, I saw climbing as a way to personally grow both mentally and physically. Another reason I climb is the same that I backpack, to bring myself closer to nature. Klymer had it right about doing something that 99.9% of people either can't do, or choose not to. Just my two cents.
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hang_man
Apr 19, 2002, 11:30 AM
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well I started climbing because I found it different from other extreme sports (and I love it because I consider it extreme) Climbing also allows me to vent out all my frustration inside me resulted from loads and loads of homework.. haha..
anyway I find climbing a very specialised and professional sport
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dougiec
Apr 19, 2002, 2:01 PM
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Hi folks, new here, but I thought this looked like a safe topic to introduce myself on....
Started climbing last year when the foot and mouth epidemic hit the UK. I'm a paddler, and all of a sudden the hills and rivers were closed. Had to do something to get my weekly rush, so I went down to the local indoor wall. Been going along two or three times a week since (excluding injury time last summer).
Paddling's still more of an adrenalin hit, but I sefinately start getting stressed after a week without climbing!
Later,
Dougie
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azgirlontherock
Apr 19, 2002, 7:57 PM
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HI everyone
I'm VERY new to the sport of climbing. (Just a few months) I started climbing with my boyfriend because he loved it, it was something we could do together. I've never been involved in a sport (I've played volleryball, softball, soccer etc.) that made you challenge yourself as much as rock climbing does. For this reason I am hooked. I also love the fact that I can do a complete body work out with no equipment! It's just you and a wall or you and a rock.
[ This Message was edited by: azgirlontherock on 2002-04-19 13:06 ]
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hang_man
Apr 20, 2002, 6:27 AM
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in fact I do kayaking as well, but then again, it depends on the weather... at least you can hit down the indoor gym when it is raining, right?
Somehow I find paddling too time consuming
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stinkydiver
Sep 9, 2002, 1:58 AM
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I started climbing for strength training. I broke my back in 1999 and was lucky to be able to walk again. In 2001 I went with a friend to CITY ROCK climbing gym (NZ) and I was hooked. It took just over 6 months to get the muscles around the injury back to normal and I have never looked back.
[ This Message was edited by: stinkydiver on 2002-09-08 19:01 ]
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galt
Sep 9, 2002, 2:12 AM
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I climb for the chicks... Nothing beats a chick who can flash something or work a good crack. Climbing guys, I'm talking about climbing routes and cracks.
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the_elk
Sep 9, 2002, 2:35 AM
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I started climbing because I was invited on a climbing weekend by a mate, it was basically a dare, but growing up with 4 older brothers, there was no way I was gonna be beaten.
I also needed to defeat a demon, I witnessed a mate of mine, 3 years previous to the date I did my first climb fall about 24feet onto his head and die. I needed to do it for ME! I needed to prove I was stronger than the fear or pain. I won!
I continue to climb, (5, no, 6 years on) because it's a challenge! I'm fiercly competative in the gym, always launching an attack on a new problem.
On the real rock it's more of a spiritual thing. It's about the mental, and physical boundaries I have to break through every time I get back on the rock. There's no greater feeling than knowing you've put your absolute all into something and come off the rock at the end of the day a winner, even if you didn't clean the route, it's about giving your all and fighting your mental barriers... yeah, that's what it is for me.
cheers
Elk
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towergod
Sep 9, 2002, 2:45 AM
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Because i am fat and someone said that i can't. That person soon found himself looking like a fool when he could not do it when he was 20 pounds lighter than me.
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agentoffortune
Sep 9, 2002, 2:49 AM
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I started climbing for the social scene. My friend is a climber so I thought it would be cool. Then I got really into it. Now, I eat, sleep, and crap climbing. It hurts when I crap though. The rocks don't pass so easily.
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squirrelgirl
Sep 9, 2002, 3:27 AM
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It all started one plain ol' day when I found out that our local court club had a climbing room. The walls just don't get much publicity cuz they're so small. I decided to give a try at rock climbing. Loved it. I climbed there every chance I got which, quite frankly, wasn't a lot. Around the spring I tried climbing in a small competition held in that little climbing room and got 3rd in my division. I placed behind two girls who were on the climbing team. That's where I got the idea to join the team. Been climbing once or twice a week all summer and I'm really into it! Now that I've bored you with my life story, I've got one last thing two say:
Birds fly,
Fish swim,
Deer run,
We climb!
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katydid
Sep 9, 2002, 12:10 PM
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It's something I'd wanted to try for quite some time. I'd rappelled at summer camp when I was eleven, and my uncle, who's 3 years older than I am, is a decent and dedicated sport climber. AND I grew up in Oregon, where it seems like a disproportionate number of people climb, so it's hard not to see it somewhere and get curious.
When I was younger, though, I was a competitive fencer, so climbing wasn't an option. Didn't have the time, didn't have the money, and even if I had the first two, I didn't want to risk getting hurt climbing and ending up not being able to fence.
To make a short story long, I got hurt fencing and ended up not being able to fence, and from that injury developed osteoarthritis in my knee. Can't do any exercise with impact. I was going nuts and getting fat from being sedentary, and my knee doc told me to find a low-impact sport (meaning not constant pounding -- if I crater it's not exactly relevant what condition my knee's in ). The two he suggested were swimming and rock climbing.
I hate swimming, so I decided to go to the local rock gym with a friend and have a go to see if I actually liked it as much as I thought I would. And I did, and here I am.
Kate
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radistrad
Sep 9, 2002, 1:44 PM
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Why can I not stop?
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hroldan
Sep 9, 2002, 2:25 PM
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Since I was a child i always got on the furniture until reaching the top.
When I saw somebody climbing I't didn't clicked me but when I had the chance to do it... I couldn't stop.
It was a mixture of a lot of things: curiosity, experimentation, trying to know what it feels like...
But know, I can't find a reason for why I CAN'T stop.
I'm addicted and when I ask to myself why i can't stop and i'm buying expensive gear to continue, I come with a lot of answers but not the ultimate one.
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betaben
Sep 9, 2002, 2:49 PM
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I took my son to the local rec.center where we have a climbing wall to let him give it a try. (he was 3 at the time). I had to give it a go and have been hooked ever since.
I think that some people do not simply choose to climb. Everybody tries to give some explantion for it, I have decided to just climb and not worry about the reason. If your'e not a climber you cannot understand, and if you are a climber then you already know. Besides I believe that all climbers are just drifting around doing different things until that moment when climbing finds you.
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camhead
Sep 9, 2002, 3:11 PM
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Why Paul Climbs:
It is all about problem solving, and extending your limits, all by way of physical conditioning and mental control. Furthermore, this is all accomplished in a beautiful outdoor environment, and with significant risks if your skills are nor up to par. All types of climbing are valid in this sense.
Sport: Nothing else compares to finding a climb that completely kicks your heinie, and then, a few tries later, whooping it. Failure, failure, and then finally– success. Beautiful.
Trad: it is the fine art of finding that medium, that balance, that is right on thee edge of recklessness, but not there. Just the right amount of pump that you can just barely place gear, and then press onward, upward.
I'm not sure if this is why I started, though. I was just bored at first.
[ This Message was edited by: camhead on 2002-09-09 08:13 ]
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ropegirl
Sep 10, 2002, 8:49 PM
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I started because somebody told me they didn't think I could do it. I wanted to prove them wrong. I did. Now I'm hooked.
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mother_sheep
Sep 10, 2002, 9:08 PM
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I have no idea why I started. When I lived in Louisiana 2 years ago, I'd watch all these adventure shows of people climbing and I thought they (the climbers) were nuts! Then I moved to Colorado. One day I just walked into this climbing gym that I always drove by and decided that I wanted to give it a shot; so I got a lesson. Ever since then I've been climbing. Now I do it because I LOVE being outdoors, I love rock, I love the shape it gets me in, I love the gear, I LOVE defying gravity and seeing things from a prospective that others normally don't, I love being high up and in general of all the sports I've participated in, climbers seem to be sooo freakin cool. Awwww. . . can I get a hug.. .
[ This Message was edited by: tracyroach on 2002-09-10 14:09 ]
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drector
Sep 10, 2002, 9:15 PM
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I started because I built a simple child's climbing wall for my daughter so that she could have a sort of "jungle gym" in the house. It attracted me so I started to climb too.
Why I climb?... It fulfills a natural animal instinct and gives me satisfaction that I cannot quantify. It has no logical reason but part of my brain says I like it so I do it.
Success at climbing has also brought positive feedback to the system making me like it more.
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rockchick
Sep 10, 2002, 9:28 PM
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I started climbing because i have a need for excitement, i love the rush of extreme sports and i guess rock climbing could be called extreme. I love the thrill of things, i guess thats why i also fly choppers and just got into riding dirt bikes.
What can i say, i was born into a mans world and made it my own!
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crankingclimber
Sep 10, 2002, 9:35 PM
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It was supposed to be the big father and son outing. We were going with the cub scout group I was in, and I had no idea what an indoor climbing gym was. Rocks under a roof? Fake rocks? Wood? I had no idea. Anyway on the Friday after school I lit out for the bike racks, hopped on and burned rubber to get home, excited about my big trip. When I was almost home, had just come off a huge hill and was absolutey flying I took a corner on gravel too fast. The resulting crash was spectacular. I was airborn for several meters, hit, slid for several more meters, the bike ontop of me, limbs bent at a lot of really bad angles. It took me a full minute just to untangle myself from the bike. The damage report. Enormous loss of skin from both knees, both elbows,and worst of all, my palms. I was a bloody mess, hobbled home where my mom quickly drove me to the hospital. The doc then peeled back the skin of my palms to remove all of the gravel (a lot of it). The whole time I was bawling "Will I be able to climbing??? Just let me go climbing please!!!" In the end the doc said if I was crazy enough to want to go with palms that looked like raw meat patties then what the hell. So I pulled out the medical tape, bandaged up as best I could, and had the time of my life (you mainly use your fingers, so my bloody palms didn't bother me too much). I've been hooked ever since, before the next weekend I had my mother sewn chalkbag, and was saving for gear. 6 years later and I still love it.
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onemistakebigpancake
Sep 10, 2002, 10:00 PM
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i was afraid of heights, 40 lbs overweight, and queen of the couch potatos!
always thought that climbing is cool, i wanted to try it on and off for over 8 years!, but who was i kidding?... Anyway, two years ago i met someone who climbed and thought to myself "what the F#!!!, not getting any younger". i joined a gym and lost the weight in 6 months (losts of running and 2 hour cardio sessions); took a belay lesson at the indoor gym and loved it!!!
then i started climbing outdoors last summer (short season)... going on my first Trad lead this Friday... CAN'T WAIT... i am SOOOOO PSYCHED!!!!!!!!
joy
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ride
Sep 10, 2002, 10:30 PM
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I remember being a little kid (4-5 yo)on our family trips to all the great places in this country that have climbing, places like Yosemite, or Devils Tower and seeing all these fixed lines and people WAY up there and I just KNEW I would do it one day.
I guess I do it because I can, and because most people think it is crazy.
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jman
Sep 10, 2002, 11:18 PM
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Was on a hike with friends and saw a bunch of people climbing a rock face. We all stood and watched for a little bit and the others chatted about people that climb must be nuts. Thought to myself that I can do that. Maybe that mean I'm nuts.
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southernclimber
Sep 11, 2002, 6:29 PM
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started at the gym, fell in love. end of story. or is it???
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jammer
Sep 11, 2002, 6:39 PM
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I just wanted to get out of the crib!
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climblouisiana
Sep 11, 2002, 8:36 PM
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It was better exercise then hacky sack.
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climbingpride
Sep 12, 2002, 12:15 AM
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Was pretty good at it when i first went, thats all. I'm now addicted and am always trying to get better.
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mcfoley
Sep 18, 2002, 10:40 PM
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don't know
SOMETIMES IT FEELS MORE LIKE A DISEASE...OR A CURSE
BUT USUALLY IT FEELS LIKE A CALLING, LIKE IT'S SOMETHING WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING...
For some time it seems like some friend here or there was into "it". But until about 3 years ago I really never gave it a chance. My fiance (wife) and I met a guy who "set" a lot of the routs at the gym in Flagstaff, and he introduced it to us.
Then we met Ron R.(guide)(license plate reads A5) fiance of my wifes classmates. Ron answered soooooooo many questions I had while we were on a G.C. backpacking trip.
How often do you get to hang out with a "real" guide for 4 days??? (and not climb)Ron clarified a lot of things for me and answered lots of questions on Aid, trad, ropes, pro,etc... WOW after that, and a job at a MTN SHOP... I've been climbing < 2x week for about a year (OUTSIDE), and have progressed to leading both mod sport&trad.
There is always SO MUCH TO LEARN!!!
Every situation is different!!!
mf
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maiorlive
Sep 18, 2002, 11:47 PM
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I mentioned that a friend was taking a climbing course at Easter Dinner '01. My father (twice my age) declared he would do it if I did and I took his challenge.
I've always been vertically inclined. The neighbors used to call my parents when I was a kid to complain that I was sitting 2 or three stories up in a tree in our front yard. It was one of the few places I could guarentee some time to myself, I suppose.
At this point I climb because I can't stop. I climb because its useless and I need that. I climb because the power and grace amazes me. I climb because my fear of falling has always been closer to a fascination or temptation. I climb because the puzzles are different for every person who tries them and I haven't met anyone who solves them the way I do. At the same time climbers share a connection founded in rock.
W
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john1987
Sep 19, 2002, 12:57 AM
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Hi,
I started climbing at the local gym when I used to be in boy scouts and I got the climbing merit badge. I didn't start though until about 2 years later when I saw a coupon for a free beginers lesson at the gym and then I really started climbing.
John
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dharmacase
Sep 19, 2002, 9:52 AM
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i enjoy challenging myself and keeping myself busy by using my body in a positive way, also it helps me get people of the opposite sex to think i am a undeniably sexy rock jock......yeah right
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tofu_grl
Sep 20, 2002, 3:16 AM
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Not that nayone really cares why I did,but I'll tell ya anyway. A friend took me the first time,adn I fell in love.After the first time I did it because it relaxes me.I love being up way up high,and all the adrenaline is just so great.It gives me a chance to think(not too much or I'd fall off )Its a great sport,and it really improves the strength of your arms and hands.It is alos a good way to show off
Grace
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moun10man
Sep 22, 2002, 4:33 AM
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My wife got me interested in repelling and I bought us a couple of harnesses, then I drove by a gym one day while I was working. I was kind of drawn to go back and try it out. I was in such terrible shape and was sore for a couple of days, but I was hooked and had to climb again.
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spoon
Sep 22, 2002, 4:44 AM
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I was hiking once and saw some crag junkies climbing something (that then looked) completely insane. Once I discovered the glossy magazines with the pictures of all those nice toys I new I had to get involved.
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wildtrail
Sep 22, 2002, 6:44 AM
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Just looked like a lot of fun.
I was right.
It is!
Steve
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mtnsprts
Sep 22, 2002, 6:55 AM
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I started because I love the outdoors and new challenges. I also think it is a great way to stay in shape and have fun....I love it.....
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saskia
Sep 23, 2002, 10:52 AM
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i started becus mi sisters boyfriend took us climbing and i fell in love!i love climbing walls and also outdoors any advice from u novices!thanx saskia xx x x x
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plan3t_rock
Sep 23, 2002, 11:09 AM
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Well me I started climbing couse I cant find any thrill in my life...I mean I want adrenalin runnin' through my veins!!!!Well actually I just do boulders hehehe!!!
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saskia
Sep 23, 2002, 11:16 AM
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could you help me?i need some advice on leading because im about to learn
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phish
Sep 23, 2002, 12:45 PM
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So I could bust cool moves, get fit and cos its very rewarding and fun!
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little
Sep 23, 2002, 1:02 PM
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I started climbing because a friend invited me to her gym... well, she ended up taking my ex husband instead. UH! Isn't that just mean? And, after I got all excited about going! Nice friend, huh? Then I thought, screw that, don't need her anyway, I'll do it myself and found someone to teach me. I love being outdoors and climbing just gives me one more reason... oh, and i like the thrill of the whole thing, adrenaline rush, new challenges, etc...
edited twice 'cause i can't spell... oops.
[ This Message was edited by: little on 2002-09-23 06:05 ]
[ This Message was edited by: little on 2002-09-23 06:06 ]
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cyberclimber
Sep 23, 2002, 1:37 PM
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I am so jealous, oozingpustule already said it better than I could, and he has such a kewl username as well.
All that I can add is two words: CLIMBER BABES!!
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slowpoke
Sep 23, 2002, 7:44 PM
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SO you ask why do you climb? Well, I do it to feel like I conqured something. I am a small person and shy for the most part. It feels great to be able to climb on top of something that seems so inpenetrable.
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oldandintheway
Sep 23, 2002, 9:33 PM
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Age old topic...what the hell. The short answer is curiosity. Back in the day started with backpacking and just expanded from there. Found out in short order there were crags and peaks I didn't have the skills to ascend so took lessons at Holubar, if anyone remembers them. It was just the next stage of evolution for me.
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climbingchick
Sep 24, 2002, 1:02 AM
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I started because i always dreamed about climning and dreams are the most important things to follow :-)
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iridesantacruz
Sep 25, 2002, 12:46 AM
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i started from the boy scout merit badge... from there i just got addicted. Bought some equipment, got some friends and went to the gym.
chris
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froman
Sep 27, 2002, 4:29 AM
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this awesome girl intro'd me to it - and i wanted to impress her. then she dumped me and i wanted to kick her ass - just kidding! well maybe.
it's like physical chess, it's a great workout, i have back muscles i never knew i had, it's brainwork, it's spiritual as well - it's a beautiful dance, graceful - it's outside, fresh air, fear, adrenaline, challenge, hanging with friends, it's in my blood, risk, it's pushing yourself beyond what you thought you could do, breaking barriers and feeling like a 5yr old kid again, exploring, exploring, FUN!
i do a lot of sports but nothing even comes close...i'm addicted
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raymondjeffrey
Jun 21, 2005, 3:55 AM
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I saw some amazing pictures of people high above the ground. The people in them looked like they were doing important things spiritually speaking, and having one hell of a good time. It looked technically challenging as well. I also liked the idea of experiencing nature from a different vantage point. Now when I am driving around Phoenix and I look up at different formations from like 25 miles away I say to myself "I know what that formation looks like up close". That, I think, is so cool.
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damon99
Jun 21, 2005, 3:58 AM
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was a bet with a friend at REI "i bet you $5 you wouldn't climb on that 60' pinnacle". Loved it ever sence.
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steezy
Jun 21, 2005, 4:16 AM
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to run away from my parents I used to climb 150' trees in VT when I was 6. Word em up.
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sick_climba
Jun 21, 2005, 4:28 AM
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In reply to: Just a question. . . why did you start to climb? i started because i love the outdoors. i hike, and paddle too. i just started climbing about a year ago. i live in BC, and everytime i drove past The Cheif, i said to myself that i am going to climb it one day. it sounds kinda cheezy, but i also do it for the glory of God. i'm a Christian, and i believe that God wants me to have fun with my body and keep it in shape.
Climb on
Chris
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harryhood
Jun 21, 2005, 5:30 AM
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well, I was 11 or 12 years old and my school class went on an overnight trip to this camp outside the city. They had a climbing wall, outdoors, built entirely of wood (holds and all) and painted greed. I remember being really really frustrated that I couldn't get more than 5 or 6 feet off the ground while other kids were getting way higher. From then on I was determined to eventually try again. Fastforward about 15 years and my little sister (7 yrs younger than me) has started climbing because there was a climbing wall at the camp she where she worked for the summer. I came home for xmas, she took me climbing indoors twice (boulder circuits) and I was hooked. Went and bought gear about 2 weeks later and have been half-as s climbing for the past year and a half. I'm just now starting to get really into it to the point where I try to climb twice a week or so... probably because I've finally started climbing outdoors. Real rock feels so nice.
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4togo
Jun 21, 2005, 7:46 AM
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One word: "WHEEEEEEEEEE!"
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korrigan
Jun 21, 2005, 6:10 PM
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Seemed like a good idea at the time.
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gamehendge
Jun 21, 2005, 6:43 PM
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I left a mango on top of a cliff. I was hungry. Climbed the face rather than go back up the trail. That was it for me. The mango was delicious. :)
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shiggetyshiva
Jun 21, 2005, 7:14 PM
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Before I was even old enough to know about rock climbing, I was always climbing trees and monkeying around on a 15' stone wall a neighbor had built around the outside edge of his property. Early on in high school i started bouldering and top-roping with friends, and ever since i've been hooked. I still remember the satisfaction of being designated to get the hackey sack off the roof in high school..... lie back the pole, reach up for the roof edge, cut the feet loose, heel hook and mantle finish. :)
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sick_climba
Jun 22, 2005, 6:25 AM
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In reply to: Before I was even old enough to know about rock climbing, I was always climbing trees and monkeying around on a 15' stone wall a neighbor had built around the outside edge of his property. Early on in high school i started bouldering and top-roping with friends, and ever since i've been hooked. I still remember the satisfaction of being designated to get the hackey sack off the roof in high school..... lie back the pole, reach up for the roof edge, cut the feet loose, heel hook and mantle finish. :)
Climb on
chris
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march
Jun 22, 2005, 7:24 AM
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I got to climb on an artificial wall outdoors and do some rappelling at a camp I took some students to. I loved the feeling and I've always loved the outdoors and sports like hiking, mountain biking, etc. and so then I had to take the next step and climb on some real rock. I took a basic class, got hooked, and the rest is history.
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jlc325i
Jun 22, 2005, 11:27 AM
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I started because god loves me. He told me to tell you that he doesn't like you and to stop climbing. Christians don't climb.
In all seriousness, I started climbing to stay in shape and get some love from the ladies. I CONTINUE climbing for the simple enjoyment of it. I also kinda enjoy the technical thought of it (i.e. where to move...).
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vertical_reality
Jun 22, 2005, 12:22 PM
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Growing up I was contantly outside and loved climbing things... trees, rocks, whatever. I would look at the cliffs and want to climb them. When I moved down here to the DC area 5 years ago I took a trip to Seneca Rocks for some camping and found out it was actually a sport.
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phmgeb
Jun 22, 2005, 1:27 PM
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I had been to theme parks before with this young man and I noticed he loved the rock walls that they had set up. This happened several times before I got the obvious idea of climbing locally. I took the course at a local gym (ET) and brought him with me when I took the belay test ... I passed, and he climbed. But after that, he went away. :-( The best laid plans...
sad beginning but currently, I am having a blast!
phmgeb
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cchildre
Jun 22, 2005, 2:02 PM
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Why ask why the OP asked why?
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skinnyclimber
Jun 22, 2005, 4:03 PM
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Because the rocks were there and it looked like I could climb them. That and I was always looking for the best place to smoke a spliff.
Really the start was when I was like 5 or 6 my dad took me hiking in the Sandias and he climbed up some boulders, so I followed him. It was fun
Robin
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cruxmonger
Jun 22, 2005, 4:34 PM
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To get chicks....obviously.
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jacobbelsher
Jun 22, 2005, 4:43 PM
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it sounds kinda cheezy, but i also do it for the glory of God. i'm a Christian, and i believe that God wants me to have fun with my body and keep it in shape. In reply to: haven't you heard? god is dead. Fred Nitszche killed him on a mountain top in the swiss alps and his body has been laid out for viewing in Freud's waiting room.
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