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fiend
Mar 24, 2002, 4:00 PM
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Registered: May 25, 2001
Posts: 3669
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Disclaimer: This is something that seriously bothers me about the climbing [gym] community and I would like to get some serious responses. Any juvenile replies which bash competition climbing, or gym climbing in general, are counterproductive and will be removed without warning
Here is the thread on another msg board that got me started on this.
I'm not sure what it's like in your area but I don't understand the phenomenon of climbing gym owners and their attitudes towards climbing competitions. Within an hours drive of me there are aproximately 7 climbing gyms. Within 2hours we're up to 10 or 15. Yet to enter a competition of any type I need to drive upwards of 5 hours to get to the closest ABS comps. Not to put ABS down but they are not very structured comps and I prefer something a little more professionaly run. Last year a gym by the name of Joe Rockheads (in Toronto, Canada) decided to run a Canadian National Comp. They included a rec division for those who where not climbing as seriously as the Open division demanded. Around 50 climbers showed up for Rec and thouroughly enjoyed it. This year most of my friends planned on entering the Rec division after missing it last year. This year the Rec division was dropped. Although I'm not sure of the exact reasons I imagine the high profile Open class is going to be the focus of this year's event due to the prestige, money and media attention it draws. Nevermind the other climbers.
What gets to me is the trend to ditch entry level competion and head for the high profile comps. Gym owners whine and complain about having to close their gyms for the comp and losing a day's business to routesetting and another full day to the comp itself because they lose money on these days. Somehow losing two days business is not worth the sacrifice to do something for the local climbing community. There used to be several comps here every year. They were well attended and generally enjoyed. Running a comp is hard work and does take a lot of time from the gym owner. Once a year.
I don't expect gyms to run comps every month, but what is one comp a year? 15 gyms in my area running one comp per year and that's a fairly full season for the competitive climber.
Gym owners sit back and wonder why people aren't showing up for their high profile National and Regional comps after cutting the entry level comps. Well how is a climber supposed to feel ready to enter a high stress competition with no prior comp experience?
I'm curious to have any gym owners respond to this. I do have gym working experience, I know how much money gyms pull in on average days and what is required to run a comp, but there must be something I'm missing.
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beyond_gravity
Mar 24, 2002, 5:45 PM
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Registered: Jan 2, 2002
Posts: 5078
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Welcome To Canada
Rock On,
Jeremy
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kriso9tails
Mar 24, 2002, 10:10 PM
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Registered: Jul 1, 2001
Posts: 7772
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I think that there is a certain onus on a serious gym to provide the occasional comp, or to at least post information on comps in other areas.
It is, however a hard point to press. Can we as climbers demand competitions? No, but as a member of over five years, you'd think that the gym owner would give us some perks like a comp. Don't get me wrong, I am greatful to the owner for putting up the gym and giving me a place to spend my winters, but he chose this profession, and I think that hosting the occasional comp is a part of that profession. We used to have one annually, but it was killed and now there's nothing.
Basically, if you're not going to support the climbing community by hosting a comp because you think it's too much work (moral and financial objections are valid of course) find a new line of work.
To me it's almost like that stupid "Waffle House" we stopped at on the way to the Red that didn't sell waffles. Or maybe it's like a truck stop that doesn't have a bathroom (or equivelant e.g. portable toilettes). Yeah that's what it's like. (Man, I want some waffles now).
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