[Percy B]

Just in case anybodies interested, Andy Earl just came a very creditable third in the penultimate round of the bouldering world cup in Fiera de Primiera (Italy). Winner of the first round, Brit Mark Croxall came in seventh, and is currently lying in 4th place overall.

Things are hotting up nicely for the final round of the series which is to be held in France in September. Given how things are stacked at the moment, the World Cup is still up for grabs from a number of folks including the Croxall.

I know that many feel that comps are 'not real climbing', and 'boring', etc, etc. (the usual spew from many folks that visit this site...) but fucking hell, the Brits have come good in the last few years at competition bouldering, and surely these guys are something we should all be proud of and support even if comps aren't your thing. Christ, even the French are starting to worry about the selection of British 'dark horses' that are around!!! Good effort chaps. :D

[Fingers of a Martyr]

Well I think comps are great and think it's even greater that the Brits are doing so well. Whats the best place a Brit has ever come in the Bouldering World Cup? Did Malc not come 2nd a good few years back? 1996 maybe?

[r-man]

I saw Mark C win in Birmingham. First bouldering comp I've ever been to and I thought it was excellent. The problems were inventive and the athleticism and ability of the climbers was awesome. I know a lot of people say that was an exceptional event, and as I haven't seen any others I can't comment on the general standard, but just going off that one it seems to me that bouldering comps can be fantastic entertainment and a great spectacle. There were some walkers behind me who started off saying to each other "What's bouldering exactly? It's a sort of glorified scrambling isn't it?" but by the end were cheering and hollering as much as everyone, and shouting to each other "Did you see that! He was hanging on one finger!"

And yes, GO ON THE BRITS!  :

[Fiend]

Well done lads. No beef about comps when it's outdoor climbers doing well in them

I think the deal with bouldering comps is, we neither have the rock, bolts, nor the weather to compete on a sport climbing level - but we do have well developed and excellent bouldering to develop boulderers who can seriously compete. So I reckon we (as in them) can do pretty well....I mean our boulderers and hard problems are probably now more notably world class than our sport climbers/climbing.

[squeek]

Firstly well done to Mr Earl and Mark C.

I think the deal with bouldering comps is, we neither have the rock, bolts, nor the weather to compete on a sport climbing level - but we do have well developed and excellent bouldering to develop boulderers who can seriously compete.

Did we have a lot better rock, weather and bolts when Nadin won the world cup and Vickers won the European Champs (et al)?

I think we've had a few winners in the bouldering, Mark Croxall at Birmingham, Malc won by default after qualifying first when an outdoor comp final was cancelled, and an article about Mark C's victory implied Jerry Moffat won on home turf too.  Might be wrong though.

I think comps are just another area of climbing, like sports/trad/winter/bouldering/etc are.  You don't have to do them or like them, but you can if you want.  The levels these top boulders have to climb in finals and how they climb them is very impressive to me, I've been to quite a few BBCs and seen them compete.

[SA Chris]

While comps aren't really my thing, I thnk the bouldering format works a lot better than the climbing format, which aways seems to involve viewing someone from a distance hanging on to a steeply overhanging wall until they fall off. You have no idea how hard it is, and are too far from the action to get involved. And it's great that Brits seem to do a lot better at it than the difficulty comps.

I don't think Nadin's win had anything to do with weather, etc, I think it's just that back in the day someone who had rock strength and technique had a good chance. Now it seems to be all coaches, camps and stamina fests.

[andy_e]

Nadin was well ahead of his time, making many FA's that are pushing the limits e.g Thing on a Spring etc, font 7c+ dyno up in the sky, he was very talented
p.s what ever happened to him?

[Bonjoy]

Like many good climbers he got sucked into beer and roped access. He was working at my office (as rope access management) until he recently quit to pursue a career dry stone walling(!). Unfortunately he has since shattered his ankle bouldering and has been totally out of action. Lives out at Haddon in the peak, with wife and daughter.

[Paz]

Nadin's a god, he could still be up there.  But I thought the French were all asleep back then - were there as many top bracket euro sport climbers doing the comps in 1990?  You hear about B&J (I know B wasn't mentioned) stunning the locals at font in the 80s and although thinking about it any win requires a great effort, you like to think it was easy for them, or at least winning wasn't the hardest thing they did, and they went back to climbing rock, as champions.

[a dense loner]

why was it easier for them? everyone was in the same boat. ok they didn't have specialists like they do now, but they weren't specialists either.

[Paz]

Though did it take them less attempts? -  Not easier, easy.  For them.  Which it wasn't, they'd have had to pull on some small holds undoubtedly, but it seems (to me through a rose tinted veneer and with idle speculation making up for a large lack of knowledge) like they just did the comp one year for something to do and won!  Then after having enjoyed the title of worlds best climber for a year Jerry went and sent The Dominator.  I'd like to hear the full story.   I think Vickers had a long experience with comps and raised his game for them - the onsighting E6 quote and that.

[dave]

not sure how to read that last post of paz's, but i thought he was meaning that i was easier for jerry/nadin to go and win a comp back then than it si for someone to go and win a comp these days. I think the difference is back then it was enough to be a superb climber and a wad to win a comp, cos the depth of the competition wasn't as great and the sport in general was less developed, these days thats not enough, you've also got to invest all your time into training specifially for the comps, i.e. spending a hell of a lot of time on plastic and similar steep long stamina routes.

[chris]

Right on Dave, think we need to remember how good jerry actually was back then; superman and dominator both fb8a+, liquid amber 8c (8c+) and no doubt onsighting f8b, all this training on a small cellar board or in toms roof at stoney! Come on boys, winning that comp was a massive effort and achievement. Granted comps are specialised these days, but only due to the improvement of training methods and associated knowledge pioneered by climbers such as jerry moffatt! Big up to that guy!

A comment john allen made to a young johnny dawes....something about not needing to climb any harder when nobody was challenging you? Maybe jerry could have climbed harder if he could have been bothered, all i know is that he'd beat everyone who uses this forum for sure :wink:

[dave]

well other than rich simpson, yes he would!

P.S. don't think jerry was onsighting F8b though, for ages nadin was the top british onsighter with 8a+ back then. think that stood until relativley recently.

[Mr.Burns]

What I don't like about the world cup comps and other european comps is type of problems, don't get me wrong they look brick hard and are good to watch but the problem in american comps seem so much more burly!! real power affairs which I think are more fun to watch.

[a dense loner]

bearing in mind all that i said was it wasn't easier for them to win comps, just different

[Paz]

OK

[a dense loner]

:wink:

[PaulJ]

Nadin was well ahead of his time, making many FA's that are pushing the limits e.g Thing on a Spring etc, font 7c+ dyno up in the sky, he was very talented
p.s what ever happened to him?

Nads was working in rope access untill recently......think hes gone off to do something else now....possibly dry stone walling...!?!?