[Pako]

My hopes and dreams for this season:


Dmitrii wins the overalls by staticing everything and looking clinically depressed after every problem
Jan Hojer campuses
The IFSC gets rid of the universally hated commentator and replaces him with someone who at least doesn't constantly root my ears.
Shauna Coxsey wins the overalls - what else can I say in this dangerous forum
Alex Puccio wins an event, or at least manages to go to one (has anyone else heard about how she is crowd fundraising to pay for her travelling expenses? And I assumed she had some good sponsors since she is so well known now because of her one armed exploits.)
Dmitrii somehow manages to get a visa for Canada and defeat the Germans a la Stalingrad in Toronta in 2 weeks.

What does UKB think?

[ghisino]

My hopes and dreams for this season:


Dmitrii wins the overalls by staticing everything and looking clinically depressed after every problem

And wuthout heel hooks or drop knees

[Pako]

My hopes and dreams for this season:


Dmitrii wins the overalls by staticing everything and looking clinically depressed after every problem

And wuthout heel hooks or drop knees

A true disciple of Malc

[Durbs]

Just seen the first event in Grindelwald has been cancelled due to loss making event last year, and key sponsors dropping out this year...

So currently the first boulder world cup is Toronto 30-31 May!
Obviously quite important to find an alternative venue, but nothing as of yet....?

[Durbs]

But in reference to the actual topic...

I liked the old commentator Dan, better than any replacement IFSC has used when he was unable to attend. Pete Ward who did the US bouldering events was quite good.

I think the Women's is going to be between Shauna, Pooch and Akiyo. Pooch looks to have put in some serious training, Akiyo just looked awesome last year but Shauna was oh-so-close.

For the men - harder to call. Ondra's apparently entering more (all?) events this season, Jan's a monster, Sean looks like he's been on a training binge (though interestingly not climbing-focussed)... Tough one to call.

In other news, I think USA Climbing should be slightly ashamed that Pooch is having to crowdfund... (Currently at 58%) https://usaclimbing.rallyme.com/rallies/1605/alexpuccio

[Pako]

According to the IFSC calendar, there are only 6 events this year, 2 of which will be in Canada. Not looking good for Dima who can't get to Canada due to visa problems. Sad days. I sort of hope Ondra doesn't win the overalls in bouldering, his bouldering style just isn't as good to watch as someone like Jan who campuses everything or Dima who statics everything.

[Grubes]

Durbs I think I read somewhere American sponsors are only interested in the abs and that's why so few Americans take part in the ifsc events.

[Durbs]

Quite possible/probably - and I'm fine with them not sending an entire team, but to have their number one contender for an overall win come cap-in-hand to the community is loco. I'm quite surprised that for just one athlete that could easily win and wave the stars and stripes from the #1 seat they've left her high and dry. The implication from Pooch's post is she's getting zero funding from USAC.

For the men, the ABS possibly highlighted how weak their male team is on the global stage 

I noticed however that whilst Pooch has her own crowdfunding page - there also seems to be one for the rest of the team:
https://usaclimbing.rallyme.com/rallies/1574

Myself and 5 other men and 6 women are working our way to attend the 5 bouldering World Cups across the globe. 2 in North America; 2 in China and 1 in Europe.

I can't work out if Josh is fundraising for all of these, or just himself - his goal is $3500 compared to Pooch's $10,000.

(Incidentally, I feel she may have set her goal too high there? Obviously it's an expensive season, but if RallyMe is the same as Kickstarter etc, if she doesn't make $10,000 she won't get anything?)

Out of interest, what's the prize fund for individual comps/overall?


Regarding round 1 being cancelled, the IFSC page has said they're looking for a replacement, for 1st and 2nd May - no update yet though.

[Duma]

Just seen the first event in Grindelwald has been cancelled due to loss making event last year, and key sponsors dropping out this year...

So currently the first boulder world cup is Toronto 30-31 May!
Obviously quite important to find an alternative venue, but nothing as of yet....?

what the actual fuck?!

No offence graeme but the IFSC look increasingly farcical to me.

[Pako]

I saw on fb that Louis Parkinson, the British boulderer, has started a crowdfunder to go to Canada because 'the GB team doesn't have the funds to cover the costs of sending me'. Sort of worrying that so many athletes have to resort to this in order to compete. Perhaps if the events were in Europe where there is more interest in the sport there would be more sponsorship.

[Duma]

Perhaps if the events were in Europe where..

...most of the top competitors are based!

I don't understand how Grindlewald gets cancelled because last year lost money TWO WEEKS before the event?? surely this has been known for months and months?!

[blamo]

The implication from Pooch's post is she's getting zero funding from USAC.

For the men, the ABS possibly highlighted how weak their male team is on the global stage 

I would guess 10k is double the yearly operational budget of USAC.  It really is sad.  The US male team might not be so weak if there was some incentive to do the comps. 

[bendavison]

I don't understand how Grindlewald gets cancelled because last year lost money TWO WEEKS before the event?? surely this has been known for months and months?!

Just a guess, but possibly because of...

key sponsors dropping out this year...

But you're right, it is ridiculous! Durbs, where did you find this info?

[Duma]

doh! obv hadn't re read the post 
are the sponsors not somehow contractually boliged to give a bit more reasonable notice?

It is a bugbear of mine the locations of these - I get that China pay for them, but that isn't good enough to me - they need to be concentrated (a) where the audience/market is; and (b) where the competitive competitors are based. with shawn and pooch plus the market over there, by all means go to america, having two back to back weekends, or even within a fortnight makes sense and allows competitors to save on flights. Akiyo in particular and the strength of the japanese and S. Korean teams means its prob worth having one in japan, assuming the market is worthwhile. But really, half of these should be in Europe, and there shouldn't be a massive gap over the summer either.

End rant.

I know there's much more issues and complications than these, and it's not that easy, sorry.

still shouldn't force everyone to go to china though

[Fiend]

I hope to see the Wurminator poking her tongue out a lot again 

Also the Pooch one-arming on every finishing hold 

[Clart]

I'm really surprised by this. I followed both the lead and bouldering IFSC events last year and was mightily impressed and was looking forward to this years believing that the events would be even better due to the (apparent) success of last year. I was also hopeful that there would be a UK venue.

[Durbs]

Sources :-

IFSC: http://www.ifsc-climbing.org/index.php/news/latest-news/item/586-cancellation-of-the-2015-ifsc-world-cup-in-grindelwald

Grindelwald: http://www.boulderhappening.ch/en/home.html

Perhaps even more interesting is the lack of coverage about this - I only came across it by accident, didn't see anything on any of the athlete's twitter/instagram etc.

[Durbs]

doh! obv hadn't re read the post 
are the sponsors not somehow contractually boliged to give a bit more reasonable notice?

It is a bugbear of mine the locations of these - I get that China pay for them, but that isn't good enough to me - they need to be concentrated (a) where the audience/market is; and (b) where the competitive competitors are based...
...
I know there's much more issues and complications than these, and it's not that easy, sorry.

At least there's no Azerbaijan this year... I'm always surprised China gets the comps - as you say, they must pay for them, but they don't have any competitors (that I can think of), and being China, you'd think they'd only host stuff in a "look how great China is" kind of way...

Surprised Japan / Korea / Russia don't offer to host - all wealthy & sporty nations, with strong competitors and the infrastructure to do so.

Also - why not move CWIF into a World Cup round, rather than a warm-up event?

[Duma]

Think Graeme did say something to that effect (that they pay) last year when I bitched, but yes, IIRC there was only a couple of Chinese through to semis, and only because there wasn't enough foreign athletes...

Would have to find the posts from last year to be sure, but Graeme did quote some figures for costs which were pretty bloody high I thought, so perhaps not that suprising the average wall can't justify it.

[Jaspersharpe]

American sponsors are only interested in the abs

If that's the case then Pooch should be paid a fortune.

[jwi]

Men:
1. Adam Ondra
2. Jan Hojer
3. Guillaume Glairon Mondet
(Dmitry Sharafutdinov can hardly place top three since he will not get visa for Canada?)

Women:
1. Akiyo Noguchi
2. Juliane Wurm
3. Shauna Coxsey

[Pako]

If Rustam could make a comeback it would be great. I think the last time a boulder world cup was held in Moscow was 2010. It was run pretty well though, nice routesetting. At least the qualis didn't get rained on like in Innsbruck, making lots of already climbed qualifiers useless... The incompetence of the IFSC really is astounding sometimes.

[Nibile]

I'll try and organize a few substitute events on my board, for those athletes who can't travel to USA and Canada.

[Stubbs]

So Pooch is asking for 10k for 5 events, one of which is down the road, one in Canada and two in China a week apart?

[a dense loner]

Your point?
I take it you mean she's asking for a lot? You didn't mention the event in Europe. How much do you think it costs to go to these events? A return to Europe £600, hotel and food for duration. China, fuck knows cost of flight, a lot. As well as hotel and food for 2 wks. Flight hotel and food in Canada. At least food in states. Extra large dildo in each location, all adds up. Loss of earnings etc. Well if she worked.
The world cups cost a small fortune if you're not sponsored to go.