On the weekend of February 20-22, 2015, The Boulders climbing gym in Central Saanich, BC will play host to the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) 2015 World Climbing Camp. The camp will feature 12 of the top world cup speed and lead climbers from around the world. Confirmed guest athletes for the event include Adam Ondra, Sean McColl, Domen Skofic, Sebastian Halenke, Mina Markovic, Kim Jain, Charlotte Durif, Maja Vidmar, Libor Hroza, Stanislav Kokorin, Klaudia Buczek and Aleksandra Rudzinska. The event will combine a mock competition with workshops from these climbers, as well as event staff from around the world. Squamish Climbing Magazine had the chance to catch up with Kimanda Jarzebiak, the Chair of the not-for profit society that runs The Boulders climbing gym in Central Saanich, BC.
Looking out from the lead wall at The Boulders. Photo courtesy of The Boulders ©
Hi Kimanda, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Is this the first time a camp like this has taken place at The Boulders?
Yes, and we’re excited to be hosting it. We’ve held similar events in the past few years, but this is taking it to a whole new level.
Is the event just for competitors, or can all climbers benefit?
During the planning of this event, we wanted it to be broader than just for competition climbers. The camp will include a variety of skills applicable to any climber including workshops on a variety of onsight, flash and mental techniques. The event will also be helpful to those who coach as well as parents of competitors.
What does it take to organize an event such as this?
First and foremost, a lot of volunteers, and then sponsors (such as Kailas – thank you). We’re getting better at running large events, particularly after hosting the World Youth Climbing Championships in 2013. I think we have a solid team of staff and volunteers, and we keep learning. It has also taken a lot of coordination, even just to find a date that didn’t conflict with national calendars. It’s been a lot of fun, particularly using spare time at World Cups and the World Championships to network and create a vision for the event.
Lead climbers taking advantage last weekend. Photo by Ken Chow ©
Besides learning from the best, have you seen the camp have a positive impact on some of the climbers you coach?
Definitely! The last few years the event has allowed climbers to spend time with each other outside of a comp environment, to think about their sport and how they approach it. Sharing ideas and approaches, and learning about how others think, and then being able to apply those ideas in a mock comp setting right away is a great way to learn.
Will the camp be primarily hands-on, or will some of the learning take place in the classroom?
We’re going to keep it as hands-on as possible but there will definitely be a few slideshows from some of the climbers. Workshops include hearing Adam Ondra and Maja Vidmar talk
about onsighting skills both indoors and outdoors, Sean McColl and Domen Skofic talking about warm-up and mindset, Eddie Fowke, of the Circuit Magazine, will be talking about building a brand and self-promotion for athletes, Adam Pustelnik (head route setter for the IFSC) will be explaining what goes through a setter’s head, Mina Marcovic and Kim Jain will talk about the benefits of a rivalry, and Sebastian Halenke and Charlotte Durif will be talking about how to stay motivated, and balance a climbing career with other goals, and there will be some speed climbing specific workshops too, including fast starts and strong finished, and different sequences.
Kim Jain, one of Korea’s strongest sport climbers, warming up.
Mina Markovic from Slovenia, on the sharp end.
Do you think events like this will lead to more Canadians competing in the IFSC competitions?
Certainly, that is one of the goals – to promote competition climbing – but also to increase the success of athletes from Canada (and North America – lots of Americans have registered for the clinic, including Delaney Miller, Kai Lightner, and Sidney Trinidad).
As a coach yourself, what do you think will be the largest impact from an event like this?
From an athlete’s perspective, I am hoping that they will avoid what is all-too-common of a world cup experience for young climbers from North America. Namely, athletes generally save up a lot of money to fly to Europe or Asia, they arrive without a coach, they get intimidated by all the big names, the routes or problems are hard right from the start, and – generally – the experience isn’t that positive. This event should give them a much better chance of being successful at World Cups – and any competition really. I’m also excited to have more international climbers at our facility – it will hopefully mean larger turn outs when we host world cups.
Both Adam and Sean are big names in the climbing community. Sean has ties to the Vancouver area but how did you get Adam to come to Victoria?
We’re so lucky that all 12 of these huge names agreed, along with the coaches and setters! Basically, I just asked. Being at most of the lead world cups this year, and the world
championships and some speed events allowed me to further develop relationships, and shared vision. Sean’s reputation and relationships were also helpful. And generally, all of the guest athletes were really excited by the idea of getting to spend time with each other outside of the competition circuit.
Adam Ondra and Sean McColl sharing the podium (with Jakob Shubert).
You have attended a number of competitions in Asia and Europe with Canadian athletes. What have you learned about the climbing culture surrounding these competitions that may be different in Canada?
One of the key differences, and something we work on at the Boulders, is ensuring that athletes are treated as athletes. Doing the world cup circuit is a serious athletic endeavour. The training is serious, and things like rest, and nutrition, are critical. I think there is a tendency in North America to treat competition climbing as a fun thing that we happen to compete in, as opposed to a sport. It is one of the reasons we’re launching a partnership with the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence (PISE) here in Victoria. Athletes in the train-to-compete and train-to-win stages (like Sean, Elan, Robert and Delaney, to name a few) have access to high performance athletic services, from psychology and nutrition to athletic therapists and a range of testing. Climbing should be fun – it is why we do it – but if we want to be successful at competitions, we
need to understand exactly what is required of athletes.
Are there any spots left? How does one register? How much does it cost?
There are only 100 spots, to keep the ratios low. There are about 25 spots left. The cost is $250 Canadian, plus tax, and registration can be found here. For more information, and to find a special (cheap!) deal on a local hotel, download the information package on the IFSC website.
Thanks Kimanda. I am sure those spots will fill up quickly!
To register for this event, please click here.
