[ukb]

Well, sort of. The first topic in the current database was posted on 7th October 2002. But the domain was registered before that and Bubba had earlier incarnations of the site going from 2001.

Anyway, Happy 10th to everyone ...

 

[ukb]

Oh yeah ... here's that first topic.

[andy popp]

Bubba, we owe it all to you/know who to blame.

[fried]

Who's 'tinkerbell's anus'?

Happy birthday all

[account_inactive]

Put it down

[Bubba]

  

Just to provide a bit of background for those who haven't been around here that long...

ukbouldering.com was first registered back in June 2001 largely as a result of (at the time) there not really being many dedicated UK bouldering sites apart from the now long deceased topbouldering.co.uk.

It was started as I'd had a very keen return to climbing after a long layoff of about six years and was also working in web development. At the time I was bouldering mainly with Fatdoc, Fatboyslimfast, Underground but used to often hook up with Dense & pals and meet Dave/Cofe/Kim/Scouse D/Dobbin/TTT et al out on the edges.

It was all started for a bit of a laugh and had a mix of semi-serious articles on training together with some obscure topos (Bathford, etc) and tongue in cheek stuff such as Underground's fantastic "Alcoholic Bouldering Diaries".

This continued for about a year until the UKB forums were created. At this time there weren't many active UK forums and UKClimbing was the place to be. There were other active forums at Planetfear.com and Matt Heasons old website (which name escapes me right now) but UKC was a great little forum.  I was a very active poster there under the moniker "BrendonTendon".

However, about that time UKC either hit a user threshold or they consciously changed direction but what was once a quality community got derailed into a pretty frustrating place to be. This caused me much rage until I decided to set up my own forums under the UKB umbrella.

At first, as I was working in IT at the time I created some very basic, self-written forum software which formed the start of the UKB community.  After some security scares I quickly realised that there was little point trying to re-invent the wheel and brought in some proper 3rd party forum software.

At first we were a tiny, mates only kind of forum with about 30 members but the place steadily grew via word of mouth and (I like to think) our easy-going but zero tolerance of dickheads approach to moderation.  I also think the fact that we were totally independent and not affiliated with shops / sponsors / etc allowed us to be "refreshingly honest"

Anyway , to cut a long story short, thanks to excellent moderators and a first rate, self-policing community the forum has steadily grown into what we have today.

In an ideal world I would still be in charge but a few winters ago I was short of cash, had just written off my car and needed some money urgently. Almost as a half-joke, I put UKB (and sister site ukcaving.com) up for sale, hardly expecting anyone to be interested.

To my surprise Toby & Simon (thesiger & shark) made me a great offer and though the whole place nearly went to the BMC(!) their offer won out and I sold the place to the guys who are now in charge.

Although I kinda regret the circumstances that caused me to sell, I'm happy that the ownership has been passed to a couple of guys who have stepped up to the mark and continued UKB in the spirt that it was originally created.

Long may this continue...

Many thanks to *everybody* who has contributed over the years...although I'm not really much of a boulderer these days, I still love the little patch of the internet that this forum occupies. I think the web is a better place for it 

 

[dave]

I loved the unique look of the bubba-written old forum (in contrast to these days where every forum looks more or less the same). Anyone got any old screenshots from the green and orange days? Is it on any internet archive site?

[SA Chris]

Congratulations! What a trip. definitely time for a new T Shirt


UKB : spewin shite since 2002


I'm trying to remember when I joined now. Must have been late 2002 not long after I met you when I was at slipstones with Honkong stuey's brother? Either then or after we met up at Earl Crag when Hk stuey was over. Then I buggered off to the US and could'nt remember password when I got back.

[slackline]

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” - Aristotle 

[Drew]

I'm trying to remember when I joined now. Must have been late 2002...

Date Registered: 15-08-2003, 16:54:03

[Bonjoy]

I joined March '03 after meeting Bubba and Underground in the Sheaf and writing a Wharncliffe topo for the site.
  to everyone, especially the old timers who've provided much mirth over the years.

For old time's sake how about folk dig out the oldest avatar pic they can remember/find and swap to it for the week? I try and find mine tomorrow.

[Bonjoy]

Dave - http://web.archive.org/web/20021208102145/http://www.ukbouldering.com/board/

[dave]

Dave - http://web.archive.org/web/20021208102145/http://www.ukbouldering.com/board/

nah, I was thinking WAY holder than that. Can anyone remember what the URL of the original forum was?

[Doylo]

November 2002 for me.  My username was Chris Doyle but i soon thought it was a bit naff using your full name so got it changed...

[andy_e]

There should be a party...

[Paul B]

I joined March '03 after meeting Bubba and Underground in the Sheaf and writing a Wharncliffe topo for the site.

I remember that topo and wandering/staggering around underneath Wharncliffe with a pad jammed full of trad gear! I used to like all of the vids of Dave Thomas too.

Relative N00b: February 26, 2004

[tesla]

Nice, happy birthday. I've met some cool people via this board. I've never really posted that much, but now I live abroad it's nice to keep up with what's going on the UK and hear about the exploits of some familiar faces. I think it's a pretty special forum, kudos to Bubba and the now the new owners for keeping it that way. I just checked, and it seems like I joined in August 2004. Time flies...

[SA Chris]

I'm trying to remember when I joined now. Must have been late 2002...

Date Registered: 15-08-2003, 16:54:03

Then I buggered off to the US and couldn't remember password when I got back.

..........so I set up a new username as SA Chris. No idea what I was the first time I registered.

[slackline]

Relative N00b: February 26, 2004

Even n00bier I joined 2006-08-16, 03:37:55 (was living in Australia missing being close to Peak District and climbing in general and fed up with the nonce sense on UKC).

[Mike Tyson]

Date Registered: April 25, 2006, 09:14:13 am

I was a non registered lurker for a long time, I used to always get in trouble at Cotswold's in Keswick for looking at Lakesbloc and UKB! Time flies.

[Palomides]

When I joined up ukb filled the middle ground between the increasingly controlled ukc and the wild west lunacy of b.com and planetfear.

Bisous pour toute la monde!

Thanks Bubba. 
Thanks overlords 

(OMG just found out that b.com was reset to zero in 2009 and my login doesn't work anymore asdfasdf11111!!!)

[tommytwotone]

Date Registered: January 13, 2003, 08:48:33 pm
Crikey!

[Muenchener]

I don't live in the UK any more, don't boulder much except indoors & am a punter. Nevertheless I like it here.

Every now and again somebody drops an encouraging/helpful comment regarding my feeble efforts documented on Power Club, and genuine questions about genuine issues - e.g. my current sciatica scare - almost always produce a flood of well informed, constructive support. Haven't found anything remotely in the same league in the German speaking world.

[r-man]

Date registered July 08, 2004, 11:45:21 pm

After lurking for a while,  I decided to register because the world needed to know about a dyno on a dead tree on a beach in Suffolk. After all, it's probably one of the best dead-tree-on-beach-dynos in the world.



Hurray for obsession. Hurray for UKB!

[SA Chris]

I still think it's a brilliant image.

Makes me think of this;



(which climbing gear company did a version of this?)

Wonder if the tree still stands?