[Durbs]

True, but it seems to be a topic to discuss... though "no one cares about BBC" is maybe too strong? Dunno. I wonder if it was hosted as a standalone event, somewhere with a lot of climbers what the turnout would be.

[Duma]

Does Graeme not have a say in IFSC stuff?

[GraemeA]

and no one has a say in ifsc

I do 

[GraemeA]

Does Graeme not have a say in IFSC stuff?

Should have read the rest of the thread before replying 

[GraemeA]

True, but it seems to be a topic to discuss... though "no one cares about BBC" is maybe too strong? Dunno. I wonder if it was hosted as a standalone event, somewhere with a lot of climbers what the turnout would be.

You mean like happened 3 years ago when the rest of Cliffhanger was washed out, or like in 2011 when it was the week before Cliffhanger because Cliffhanger was a World Cup   

[petejh]

No point. No one cares about bbc and no one has a say in ifsc

I'm not sure it's true that nobody cares about the bbcs; I think it's more likely people just don't have the option of watching the BBCs live online and then making a choice about whether or not they care about it. I don't bother going to many Liverpool games these days, but I care and I watch at home..

As Lund said outside of Sheffield the BBCs barely flicker on anyone's radar. Live crowds are important for atmosphere, but numbers will plateau at a certain level and will never fill the home end of Hillsborough..(probably used to that).
 
In theory I 'care' that a national bouldering comp is a success, if only because I like to see something that exists for a common 'good' (participation in sport, climbing) doing well.

The only way to grow interest in an annual niche competition like the BBCs is through live coverage. Nobody wants to watch highlights of a premier league game two weeks after the match, why would anyone but a tiny minority of ukb/c'ers be satisfied with watching edited highlights of a niche bouldering competition many weeks afterwards? The comp format is easy to film live and have viewer involvement - as was proved by Liam via periscope. Answering viewers questions and comments about the event in real time. Scale that up and I think it's an attractive format.

Another potential reason for lack of interest might be the lack of genuine top-level UK competitors in UK bouldering comps. Who really challenged Shuana except a visiting French student? In the mens event, the only world-class boulderer who entered won. Growth would attract more good climbers to want to train and to compete in the BBCs.

[a dense loner]

'The only world class boulderer who entered the men's won'. Well blow me down, the only world class boulderer who entered a national comp won? And this bores you
And people say I'm mad

[petejh]

  Fuck me you're Dense. The point is that only one world-class boulderer entered.

Who's 'down'?

[a dense loner]

Who came 2nd?

[Duma]

Barrans

[Oldmanmatt]

Who came 2nd?

Well, Down probably.
Unless Dense blew him first.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[a dense loner]

So an unknown chump off the street came 2nd in his first bouldering comp? Good effort that man, seems he just needs a couple more comps under his belt to get established

[GraemeA]

So an unknown chump off the street came 2nd in his first bouldering comp? Good effort that man, seems he just needs a couple more comps under his belt to get established

I heard that it was his 2nd comp - he had sneakily gained some overseas experience at a comp in China a few years ago where he only just made it to the podium http://www.ifsc-climbing.org/index.php/world-competition/calendar#!comp=991&cat=6

[roddersm]

No point. No one cares about bbc and no one has a say in ifsc

I'm not sure it's true that nobody cares about the bbcs; I think it's more likely people just don't have the option of watching the BBCs live online and then making a choice about whether or not they care about it. I don't bother going to many Liverpool games these days, but I care and I watch at home..

As Lund said outside of Sheffield the BBCs barely flicker on anyone's radar.

Yea I think people are interested - for example there were teams headed across from Ireland and Scotland I think too and with so little coverage, unless you are in Sheffield there is no way to watch or get any real post event detail's bar a brief write up in the climbing media.

Compare to some of the IFSC events which are streamed live and available on the you tube site.

[a dense loner]

That's a pretty good effort in China but to be fair I didn't recognise any of the names on that list

[Lund]

That's a pretty good effort in China but to be fair I didn't recognise any of the names on that list

The other competitor list from 2009 in china?  If so... have you been smoking tea again?

[petejh]

So an unknown chump off the street came 2nd in his first bouldering comp? Good effort that man, seems he just needs a couple more comps under his belt to get established

I heard that it was his 2nd comp - he had sneakily gained some overseas experience at a comp in China a few years ago where he only just made it to the podium http://www.ifsc-climbing.org/index.php/world-competition/calendar#!comp=991&cat=6

Is this the exception which proves my point or are there others? It's off topic to the main discussion anyway, and clearly Barrans isn't shit at what he does but we all knew that already.

[a dense loner]

It doesn't prove your point in any way it does exactly the opposite

[Durbs]

It could, in theory, be a "if you build it, they will come" type affair.

Currently the BBC's aren't a major feature in the climbing calendar, so you don't get all top-level contenders turning up, nor do you get keen beans looking on saying "I could do that" and entering the following year.

If it were to re-launch in 2016 as a major standalone event, and start publicising it now (rather than 2 weeks before) I think it could be quite a big event.

Bearing in mind there's quite a difference between wall/comp climbers and outdoor climbers, it might even be that London ( ) is the best place to host it based on the number of indoor climbers in the South East, rather than traditional climbing cities such as Sheffield. Without being too stereotypical, there's probably more people willing to spend some cash to watch an indoor bouldering comp down South than oop North.

Put on a good show, publicise it before and after, reward the winners well and you've got the makings of a fantastic sporting fixture.

Though obviously the one thing this all requires is £££, and without either a key sponsor (I'd hazard in the region of £20-40k for everything? Graeme?) or a wealthy fan (I've so far failed to win EuroMillions, if I do, I'm all over this) it's not going to happen. If the first event is a success, it will drive sponsorship towards it and hopefully become self-sustaining.

Bigger event > bigger sponsorship > bigger prizes > more entrants > deeper pool of competitors > global domination at IFSC.

Case in point - Sharma's Psicobloc comp. I'm think he (co-)funded the first event himself, or at least was heavily involved.
This year (only it's second) it's got a $20k prize fund, streamed finals and a lot of top-level climbers. And that's only a fun competition. Mind you, the USA is a lot more embracing of sponsorship/advertising as a whole whereas here we're very anti in-your-face adverts.

[T_B]

Who really challenged Shuana except a visiting French student?

Last year's winner decided to go trad climbing according to the BMC news item. The event needs more than just live video coverage, it needs PRIZE MONEY too. Then you'd get the best competitors in the country and that in turn would generate more interest.

[petejh]

I agree, to be done well it needs money and someone able to make things happen. And I think it has potential to be successful.

You could crowdsource £10k realistically. Just don't ask Dense 

[a dense loner]

I'm going for a wet shave

[gme]

Not a big fan of crowd funding, seems a bit like begging and very short term.

This event, or better still a world cup, should be funded by the UK climbing walls as a group as they are the ones who stand to benefit from any increased popularity off the back of it. Trying to raise the 50-60k to do a proper job from 2 or 3 sponsors is difficult, but get £400 off 150 of the 300+ walls in the UK (guess but there must be 100+ members of ABC) and you can put on a great event.

If they all got one extra person taking up the sport off the back of it who went to there wall once a week they would cover there costs.

The BMC could oversee the implementation of the funding.

Like crowdfunding but for businesses.

Seems like a no brainer to me!

[GraemeA]

Who really challenged Shuana except a visiting French student?

Last year's winner decided to go trad climbing according to the BMC news item. The event needs more than just live video coverage, it needs PRIZE MONEY too. Then you'd get the best competitors in the country and that in turn would generate more interest.

Michaela is still injured, and Pete don't forget that Michaela was in the finals of the World Champs last year so is pretty handy.

And saying that Fanny is "a visiting French student" is a little understated, you could easily have said "visiting French Team member and World Cup medallist who happens to be studying for a short while in Sheffield"

[GraemeA]

Not a big fan of crowd funding, seems a bit like begging and very short term.

This event, or better still a world cup, should be funded by the UK climbing walls as a group as they are the ones who stand to benefit from any increased popularity off the back of it. Trying to raise the 50-60k to do a proper job from 2 or 3 sponsors is difficult, but get £400 off 150 of the 300+ walls in the UK (guess but there must be 100+ members of ABC) and you can put on a great event.

If they all got one extra person taking up the sport off the back of it who went to there wall once a week they would cover there costs.

The BMC could oversee the implementation of the funding.


Like crowdfunding but for businesses.

Seems like a no brainer to me!

Gav - have you been ear wigging on my meetings with Sheffield City Council for the planned return of a BWC to Sheffield?

BMC couldn't even be bothered to ask the walls to support the Team this year, they did it last year and raised a few grand (we were the 1st to donate £500 and it was my idea). This year the Team has no sponsor and no support from the walls.