With the 2016 Canadian Bouldering National Championship this weekend at The Hive North Shore, we thought it only fitting to interview Gavin Johnson, who has been a strong force on the British Columbian competition scene for a number of years and works at The Hive North Shore. Gavin began climbing at the age of eight. Influenced by his parents love for the outdoors and his brother, Matt, Gavin joined the original Edge Climbing Team at an early age and grew his love for climbing both indoors and outdoors. In 2014, Gavin was the BC Youth Provincial Champion and placed first in the 2014 Open Bouldering Provincials.
Gavin Johnson. Photo courtesy of Ian Koppe ©
With a frustrating year of injuries, Gavin is getting ready for this weekend’s National Competition like any other competitor. We thought it would be cool to check in on how he is preparing for this weekend and what the future holds. Here is what he had to say.
First off, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. How are things going?
Hey man, things are going well thanks for asking.
With Nationals in only a few days, where is your head at right now?
Yeah! Nationals are this weekend. Super Psyched! Been battling some injuries recently but motivation is still high. Nationals is always fun. An amazing atmosphere and fantastic problems. What more could you ask for as a competitor?
Photo courtesy of Pam Eveleigh ©
With an event like this, do you think about it like ‘Nationals’ or just another competition?
That’s a good question. For me, I absolutely love competing. I feel like I have a pretty strong mental game so always enjoy the process no matter what the comp is, but I would be lying if I said this comp was not a bigger deal. Of course it is, it is Nationals, the strongest men and strongest women battling it out for a spot on the national team.
The competition is being held at the Hive North Shore. Do you think you will have a bit of a leg up knowing the walls and the terrain?
I would like to think that knowing the walls and some of the holds is an advantage but knowing the setting crew being as talented as they are, we can expect some entirely new lines and I’m sure they will use the angles in new and exciting ways.
Photo courtesy of Gavin Johnson ©
The format of the competition changed on Feb. 22nd to run finals the same way as IFSC semi-final format. How do you feel about the change from the perspective of a competitor?
As a competitor I much prefer the World Cup finals format of four-minutes-plus. This is due to the fact that you get much more rest and, in my opinion, the isolation environment is much more relaxed and playful. That being said, I think The Hive and the CEC made the right decision due to the likelihood that there will be more than six competitors in finals. The 4-plus format works great for six competitors but much beyond that and it ends up being very long round with too much rest and a lot of waiting around. So from that standpoint, the five-on-five-off format is the best option.
Do you think that this changes the way you train for the event? It would seem that five-on-five-off for both semi-finals and finals would be much more exhausting!
Seeing as the format change occurred six days before the competition, there isn’t much training that would help you. As a competitor, you either have the endurance for five-on-five-off or you do not. There will be a slight mental shift due to the format change but nothing substantial.
Photo Courtesy of Shane Murdoch ©
How has this year’s competition season been for you?
Haha! Let’s just say this season has been a battle for me. This has been the year of injuries it seems. As one injury goes away, another one surfaces. I am doing all I can to stay motivated though, not gonna let a few injuries stop me from enjoying nationals!
Have you changed anything to accommodate the injury?
Yeah, I have. It seemed that training was the main cause for my injuries so I made a decision to focus more on climbing and perfecting how I climb rather than focusing on physical gains. In competition climbing these days, it seems to not be all about who is the strongest but equally about being smart on the wall and knowing how best for you to climb. So, focusing on perfecting my climbing seemed like a good compromise to training and possibly injuring myself more.
Photo courtesy of Shane Murdoch ©
I remember years back Simon Parton did something like that, focused on strong slow movements and efficiency. Do you think it has made any improvements in your climbing?
Absolutely! My weakness was slow controlled movement and I feel that I have improved this aspect of my climbing and have certainly noticed a difference.
Any advice for others after getting injured training?
I would say just try your best to stay motivated and listen to your body. Nobody likes injuries, but it’s better to take a little time off when needed rather than a long time off later on.
I want to go way back to give our readers a background. How did you get into climbing?
Well I have been surrounded by climbing for most of my life. My parents used to take my brothers and I to Squamish on a regular basis and since then the passion has grown. Being outdoors, surrounded by my family, and having a canvas to test my abilities and learn about failure and success was huge for me. From there, I moved into the competitive side of climbing and 13 years later here we are.
What was it like back then, going to Squamish when climbing was not as popular?
It was nice being the only group at a crag for the most part. I was super young so don’t remember too much about how busy it was, but I do miss the high top climbing shoes.
Your brother Matt was on the original edge team. Did that have a big impact on your climbing?
Yes, absolutely. Matt was the first one to join a climbing team. He absolutely loved it and that made me want to try it out too. I loved climbing but wanted to immerse myself more fully. About a year after, he joined the edge youth team I started in their Spiders youth program and continued to lookup to the older guys on the competitive team. Shortly after that, I was lucky enough to be brought onto The Edge Youth team as well and climbed alongside some amazing people. I had the privilege to grow up climbing with people that I still compete with today: Alannah Yip, Ryder Hoy and Matthew Wellington, to name a few. One of the greatest assets of the edge youth team was that us young guns were able to train at the same time as the older team members which taught me a lot! Along with my brother, Sean McColl, Simon Parton, and JJ Mah were on the team and I was able to watch them climb and learn from them at a young age.
The team then moved to The Hive Vancouver. What was it like being a part of a climbing team and going to high school? Do the people in high school relate to what you are doing or do you keep it on the down low?
The circumstances around the team moving to the Hive were less than ideal but looking back at it now, I am very fortunate. When we first started the SWARM youth team, it was all members from The Edge. Matt was the coach and we followed him to the Hive. The Hive had just opened up so it was very cool to be able to see the community of The Hive grow along with the youth program. As for high school, climbing was definitely a huge part of my life. I didn’t keep it a secret. Everyone knew I climbed because I was the only one in my school that did. It wasn’t that long ago, but climbing was much less popular. People knew that I climbed, but that was the extent of it. Nobody knew what climbing was or really cares for that matter…haha. It wasn’t basketball or soccer so it was weird.
Photo courtesy of Ken Chow ©
And now Matt has made another change to Climb Base 5 and the adult team. How did that affect your motivation, not being a part of a team?
Training on my own was certainly an adjustment. Growing up with a team of athletes to help motivate me was amazing and after ageing out of the youth circuit it was hard to stay motivated on my own. After some trial and error I found a method that has worked for me.
You have now graduated from High School and are at Capilano University. Whats the next step?
Currently, I am studying communications at Capilano University. I am finishing up my second year and plan to continue in September. When I’m not in school I’m am climbing or working at the Hive. Thankfully, The Hive North Shore is five minutes from my school and ten minutes from my house so it makes going in for a climb between classes very easy. As for summer plans, still in the works. We shall see how nationals goes and that will be the deciding factor. I will for sure be spending some time bouldering in Squamish and other local areas though.
Our interview wouldn’t be complete without chatting about outside. You guys get some opportunities to boulder in Squamish. Does it motivate you the same way that indoor competition does or is it different?
Squamish is an acquired taste for me. The easiest way to describe Squamish is that it is my absolute anti-style. I love explosive big moves on good holds…and that’s not what Squamish is. Through the years, I have learned to like Squamish more and more. It still kicks my ass on a regular basis but I am slowly learning the subtleties of Squamish bouldering. My main focus for climbing is competitions so I find it hard to gain motivation from the Squamish beat down but still love the freedom of movement that the climbing encompasses.
Do you think climbing will always play an important role in your life or do you have interests in other things?
Absolutely! Climbing will always be a huge part of my life. I have been climbing for as long as I can remember. It has become a cornerstone that everything else revolves around. My community is climbers, my job is about climbing, and I love climbing. I can not imagine my life without it. I absolutely have other interests though. I like riding my bike and have recently taken up Acro yoga and I am loving it. I am still young and have a lot of time to decide what I want to do though.
Whats next after Nationals?
After Nationals I will take little bit of time to try and repair my injuries and then go from there. Depending on how nationals goes I may try and do a few world cups but otherwise just relax and take a step back from training and enjoy my time off school.
World Cups can be a huge financial strain on any climber. Would you be travelling with a few others?
If all goes well, I plan to do a bit of traveling for sure. A few people I train with have expressed interest in pursuing the circuit but I am undecided as to what level I will focus my climbing on. And as you said, it is a big financial investment so it depends if the funds are there.
I would think going over to Europe, everyone would be psyched to get outside rather than these World Cups!
If I was to go to Europe I would love to explore the world class outdoor climbing. But for me, I get as much enjoyment from competitions as I do from outdoor climbing if not more. Keeping in mind I have not been many places I would certainly want to expand my outdoor experience and sample what Europe has to offer.
Photo courtesy of Gavin Johnson via Stellr Photography ©
Thanks again Gavin for taking the time to answer some of our questions. All the best this weekend and for the summer. Let’s hope you heel up quick and get back to the boulders!
Gavin Johnson is sponsored by The Hive, Madrock, Boulder Denim, Friendly Foot, Mypackge, and Victoria Health. Special thanks to Ken Chow and Shane Murdoch for the photos. Without those guys, we would all be at a serious loss!
The 2016 Canadian Open Bouldering Championship will be open to spectators all weekend starting Saturday and morning and then for the final round on Sunday, Feb. 28th, with doors to The Hive North Shore opening at 530pm. Come out and cheer on your favourite competitors!
