[Gus]

That's what I'm talking about!! Well good photos!!!

Bruised ribs from 10m

Broken Legs from 5m

Weill's scenes

Shopping Trolley impaling

Heckle on, Heckle in, Heckle through!

It's gonna be a hoot!

[T_B]

Ahh it's gonna be well bouldery!

https://www.facebook.com/deepwatersoloexeter/photos/pcb.1539012772995679/1539012706329019/?type=1&theater

[Doylo]

Looks like the kiddies version of Sharmas comp in the US.

[SA Chris]

Can't help but thik it looks a long way from the water. Good luck competitors! And don't forget the heckling!

[Duma]

its on a boat chris, think they just turn it round

https://www.facebook.com/deepwatersoloexeter/photos/pb.1430542930509331.-2207520000.1409074004./1540970612799895/?type=3&theater

[Gus]

Can't help but thik it looks a long way from the water. Good luck competitors! And don't forget the heckling!

Yep plenty high enough to hurt yourself from!    

[SA Chris]

its on a boat chris, think they just turn it round

https://www.facebook.com/deepwatersoloexeter/photos/pb.1430542930509331.-2207520000.1409074004./1540970612799895/?type=3&theater

I guessed as much.

[Durbs]

See Sierra B-C has flown in to compete...?!

Special guest star?

[SA Chris]

makes me think of this;



harsh?

[petejh]

https://www.facebook.com/deepwatersoloexeter/photos/pb.1430542930509331.-2207520000.1409074004./1540970612799895/?type=3&theater

routes look nails!

[SEDur]

That is a whole mess of scaff

https://scontent-b-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/s720x720/10628313_1539012706329019_8106298335817509107_n.jpg?oh=d320960fed0b12d1b1476878883ecb45&oe=546E90FE

[JackAus]

[Three Nine]

Looks fuckin naff to me!

[Oldmanmatt]

Well, it's pretty good so far.

[Oldmanmatt]

Only one top of problem 3 (right hand side) so far for the male Qual's.

Our boys Mark and Rory did well. Especially Rory who got most of 3. Jenna did well in the ladies, just a slip on 3.

[SA Chris]

Looks a bit cold and murky. Big crowd?

[abarro81]

Water was murky but warm. Pretty big crowd. Liam Halsey and Michaela won. Fun comp but pity the wall wasn't higher

[Oldmanmatt]

10th was pretty good Alex and there was some excellent climbing. From a spectators viewpoint it was brilliant.  The problems were nails. One gripe, most of the climbers in the semi's failed at pretty much the same place on problem 2 and only one top on problem 3 (or was it two, kept having to take kids to the toilet).
There was a great atmosphere on the Quay and a huge number of non-climbers who wandered past and stayed (including one family, who stumbled on the qualifiers and enjoyed it so much they came back and spent the day watching the semi's and finals).
There must have been well over 500 people watching the finals...


The "oooohs" and "Aaahhs" as the climbers moved showed how interested the crowd was and even my old man, a diehard, anti comp, old school, trad climber (who still moans about chalk); was clapping and cheering.

My daughters were in awe of the Female finalists and I was surprised (yes, I know, books and covers etc) at how well Sierra actually climbed.

Sierra getting wet...

As a format, it's great to watch and for the competitors, the three problems of the quals and semi's made for a tough game. A slip on problem 1, meant a dunking that would make problem 2 so much harder.

The single problem final, basically a sudden death final, made for a great spectacle and must have ramped up the pressure on the barge...

[Wood FT]

Yes Barros if the wall were 30m high i'd have been on the edge of my seat watching you rest your way up it.

[abarro81]

10th was pretty good Alex and there was some excellent climbing.

I felt like screwed up (especially p2), but I think the nature of comp problems is that they make you screw up, so you'll always feel like that. For the best anyway - went and did Rainbow Bridge instead of finals which was well fun!

Yes Barros if the wall were 30m high i'd have been on the edge of my seat watching you rest your way up it.

I told them that the 'how long can you shake out on a campus rung for with your feet on a couple of screw-ons' format would be a crowd pleaser, but for some reason they didn't believe me...

Most of the competitors seemed to favour a slightly bigger wall, don't know what the crowd thought? It sounds like there's not the potential to go much higher without moving the venue though - apparently Gav pencil jumped off the top whilst setting and went ankles deep in the mud!

[Oldmanmatt]

I thought I had a great vid of Neil not doing problem 1..

Except my phone ran out  of memory about 30 seconds in and before he came off.
Since we managed to leave the real camera at home I've got Jack in the way of photos for the day...

As I understand, the cost of dredging would have been prohibitive on such an unknown quantity as a DWS comp in Britain, so wall height had to be tailored suit.

The comp was a big success enjoyment wise, whether or not it was a financial hit or miss, only time will tell.

Problem 2, like all of them, was set to give maximum spin and fall drama at the slightest inattention to torque. As I said before almost everyone made similar mistakes and failed in the same place and a couple of those that are it, made almost impossible recoveries and no-one looked very graceful or controlled!

[Duma]

[T_B]

The organisers deserve a large pat on the back. They made the right decision to not bother with isolation for the qualifiers as it meant no hanging around and being able to watch your mates. It was extremely well organised (maybe too well organised - everything timed to the last second!). The location is brilliant in terms of seating and being right next to the climbing wall. The water was even pretty warm - I got a lung full and am still alive so far. The routes in the qualifiers were well set and made the most of the size of the wall. There was a great atmosphere. The only issue is how to make the wall higher! The attraction to me of DWS is being able to climb well and positively when you get to that height where the fear starts to kick in. (apart from for the juniors maybe) there was no fear factor with this comp due to the wall height. I don't know how they'd be able to make it higher without doing some major dredging of the canal (I came up with weeds round my feet having fallen from 2/3rds, so I can't have been that far off the bottom).

[SA Chris]

great vid, disappointing lack of heckling.

[abarro81]

How are the other competitors feeling? I'm currently lying in bed feeling like the world is ending...