2014 ABS Nationals

Shortly after arriving to Colorado Springs for ABS Nationals, I realized my trip was getting off to a great start.  I received a large box that prAna had overnighted to me with a coat, sweater, and a lot of warm clothing.  They wanted to make sure that I was warm and in style :-) Big thanks to prAna! Colorado was a little cold, compared to North Carolina.  It was also great that some of my friends were staying in the same hotel.

Qualification Round

The first competition day was qualifiers.  Four climbs, four minutes each.  The first and last climbs were on slab. They consisted of the usual slopers, crimps, technical, and balancey movements of classic slab climbs.  The second problem had a foot first sequence on a steep overhang.  If you misread the sequence, the problem was significantly harder.  The third climb was supposed to be the hardest.  It was relatively straightforward, but powerful, and on a slight overhang.  I ended the day flashing all problems and advancing to semifinals in 1st place.

On my way to Qualifiers (prAna)

Qualifier Problem 3 (Photo by Greenz Productions)

Semifinal Round

Semis consisted of three problems, four minutes each.  The first problem was on the steep overhang.  My favorite part of that problem was the dyno to a two finger pocket (on the overhang).  The second problem was one of my favorite for the competition.  When I read the problem, I read a triple dyno sequence in the middle of the problem.  Although I believed I may have been able to statically reach the first hold of the dyno sequence (if I used the right feet), there was no way I was going to miss my chance to do one of the coolest moves I had watched in Open comp videos.  So I climbed up the problem and went for the move, but missed it on my first and second attempts.  Since the move wasn’t burning a lot of energy for me, I decided to try it again, before moving on to a more static approach.  On the third attempt, I missed the hold again, but I was certain that I could make the move (since I almost had it that time).  I tried it one more time, stuck it, and sailed through the rest of the problem!  The last climb was another slab route with tiny foot chips that we had to use as handholds.  For the finish, I had to stoop down on one foot (on the last hold) and reach down between my legs to control a tiny foot chip screwed on to the bottom part of the hold, which was marked as the finish box. That problem was fun and creative. I ended this round flashing two problems, but topping all three.  I moved on to finals in 1st place.

Semifinals Problem 1 (Photo by Greenz Productions)

Semifinals Problem 2 (Photo by Greenz Productions)

Finals

Finals consisted of three problems, four minutes each.  Before this competition, I secretly had two things I hated in problems/routes- climbing a lot of features and mantle moves.  Prior to ABS Nationals, I had given in to training regularly on features, but I held firm and avoided mantles.  When I turned around to see my first final problem, I shook my head and smiled inside.  It was like someone had revealed my secret to the setters.  The first hold was a huge feature which required a balancey mantle start (the one move I refused to train), and the entire problem was features!  It took me 8 attempts, just to get onto the start hold!  Eight attempts in under 90 seconds had to be some kind of record!  After getting on the start hold (on attempt 8) I cruised through the rest of the problem to the finish hold.  I WAS SOOOO RELIEVED to get that problem done!  (SIDE NOTE TO ROUTESETTERS:   Give me 2 weeks max and mantles will be my best friend :-)  )

Problem 2 was fun; an overhanging route with big moves, slopers, and a cool drop knee move.  The finish hold was a sloper that I had to match using a high toe hook.  Based upon the reaction of the crowd, I was almost sure I had won my division, by completing that problem.

Despite believing I had clinched the National title, I had one route left that I needed to climb.  This route was my favorite!  A steep overhang, with very powerful moves, and 10 out of the 14 holds were  volumes.  My first thought, “Volume climbing on an overhang?” Yup! And it was crazy cool! Nonstop, back to back, powerful moves.  And just when you think you are going to get a little relief at the second to last hold on the problem (since you finally reach a hold instead of a volume) you grip the hold, realize it’s horrible, but you have to commit to using it to bump up to the final volume/end box.   I powered through the problem on my first attempt and reached (but didn't control) the final hold.  By the reaction of the crowd, I was certain I had clinched the National title.

When I hit the ground, I turned and looked at the problem and my coaches words rang out in my head, "When you climb, always enjoy the journey".  With almost 3 minutes left I decided to go back at the problem.   For me it wasn't about a comp win, it was about enjoying the journey, all the way to the end!  I rested and jumped back on the problem, but fell low, when I slipped off a volume.  With less than 90 seconds left, I ran to my climbing bag to get some liquid chalk, chalked up really good, and jumped back on for my final attempt.  This time I made it to the top!!  I was super excited to conquer this challenge.   I had topped all 10 of my problems for the competition.

Finals Problem 1 (Photo by Travis Wills)

"The 8th Time's a Charm"

Finals Problem 3 (Photo by Jennie Jariel)

The route setting at this comp was epic!! They challenged me in different ways, forced me to overcome my weakness, and made me rise to the challenges.   To top things off, I was selected to be a member of the 2014 The North Face Young Gun Rookie Team! 

An awesome start to my busy spring season!  Next stop, Rock & Rave- March 8 in Atlanta.     

2013 In Review

As 2013 comes to a close, I look back over the year, and begin planning for 2014.  I started the year with high goals of competing in my first youth world championship and climbing my first 5.14a route.  Looking back on this year, I realize I have so many reasons to be grateful for the experiences that I had, and hopeful for the year to come. 

Outdoor Climbing Adventures:  In addition to climbing my first 5.14 this year, I ended 2013 having sent 6 routes from 5.14a-5.14c.  This far exceeded my expectations.  Surprisingly, hard sends were only a small part of my amazing 2013 outdoor adventures.  Throughout the year, I had the pleasure of climbing with a host of people that volunteered to take really nice pictures/videos and/or teach me how to navigate and stay safe outdoors.  I’ve met people that live out of their cars near crags, work at local businesses, and donate half of their checks (and time) to replace bad bolts and draws at the crag so that we can stay safe when we climb.  Their generosity showed me how important it is for all of us to pitch in and help take care of our community.  I met a lot of people that have helped me get off to a good start as I continue to venture outside climbing more in the future.

Trebuchet, 5.14B, October 2013

Southern Smoke, 5.14C, April 2013

Competing In My First Pro Comps:  This year, I was allowed to compete in my first Pro lead and bouldering competitions, Ring of Fire and Dark Horse.  During these competitions, I had the opportunity to climb alongside so many amazing climbers that I grew up watching.  Upon entering these competitions, I had to choose between competing in the Advanced division (where I would be more comfortable with the routes) or risk getting my butt kicked in the Open division with amazing competitors and tough routes.   I can never resist a challenge, so I took the 2nd option for both .  I made finals at both events, ending Ring of Fire in 8th place and Dark Horse in 4th place. After competing at both of these competitions, a lot of information was learned. I had to learn to adjust to difficult sequences in both a lead and bouldering setting.  Mentally and physically these competitions provided amazing training grounds.

Competing at My First Youth World Championship:  My experience in Victoria and becoming #4 in the world (for my age category) was amazing!   I met so many people from around the world and got really close to so many of my US teammates.  We became a family at US team camp.  I am really appreciative for all of the close friendships I developed and experiences that I had during this event.

Gaining New Sponsors:  Evolv has supported me as an athlete for over 3 ½  years; first as a grassroots member, then as a National team member, and now as a member of their elite team.  They have always been great to me.  

During 2013, I have also had the pleasure of becoming a member of the Salewa and Tent & Trails teams. These are amazing companies that I am very proud and honored to represent. The Salewa brand is widely known throughout the international climbing community. It was an honor to be invited to become an ambassador for their products.  Tent and Trails is a New York based outdoor retail store that has quietly supported the climbing industry throughout the US for decades.   I am very fortunate that they saw my potential and decided to help give me the opportunity to continuing growing in the sport, through sponsorship.

I am very grateful to have sponsors that believe in me and want to help support my dreams!

I’m really pleased with my progress in 2013 and I look forward to pushing myself beyond my current limits and trying many new things next year.  I realize that when setting high goals, failure is inevitable.  Like most people, I hate to fail.  However, I really believe that if I keep working hard and pushing forward, success will ultimately come.  Thanks to everyone that helped to make 2013 an awesome year for me, and wish me luck as I venture into new territory in 2014!

2013 Youth Worlds Championship

I arrived in Victoria almost 2 weeks before the World Championships for the US team camp at the competition venue.  For 9 days, I trained hard during the day, and had a blast with my US teammates throughout the afternoon and evening.  I discovered that my teammates were not only talented climbers, but incredible and fun people.  Practical jokes, singing, dancing…… It was a perfect mix of hard work and fun.  The only downside was school work!  Since my school year began July 17, my teachers sent me work to complete each day.  I had 4 or 5 “drill sergeants” that stayed on me daily to make sure that I got everything done.  At the time, it wasn’t fun working while everyone else played, but it was worth it when I returned to school on track with my classmates.

I had two qualification routes on day 1 and day 2 of the competition.  I fell on the finish hold of Q1 and flashed Q2.  I went into semifinals tied for 1st place with Swiss climber Sascha Lehmann.  Although I believed that I had entered the competition as prepared as possible, it was still hard to believe that I was actually strong enough to stand with the top climbers around the world. 

Day 3 was a rest day for me.  The speed competition took center stage this day.  US speed competitors were amazing!  John Brosler burned up the wall posting the lowest time for the Male Youth A category, 6.744 seconds!  In the end we walked away with 2 bronze medals, Kyra Condie and John Brosler, and 2 silver medals, Kayla Lieuw and Rita Marsanova. 

Buhrfeind

Semifinals and Finals were on the last day of the competition.  I entered semifinals extremely nervous, yet anxious to climb my best.  I was excited when I clipped the last anchor and was one of two competitors (in the entire competition) to flash my semifinals route, entering finals in first place.

Excitement and nervousness built up as I waited between my semifinals and finals climb.  I had dreamed about competing at the youth world championship since the age of 10.  It was hard to believe that I was actually there, and headed to finals.  The finals route was challenging, both mentally and physically.  I made it through some tough sequences up to the overhanging roof section of the route.  After a foot pop, I finally came down off the route, ending an amazing run of climbing at the world championship.  I later found out that positive movement was the difference between my 4th place finish and 2nd place!  At first I was incredibly upset and it took a minute for me to forgive myself and appreciate my overall performance at my first world championship.  Shortly after finals, Coach Shane spoke to me and said, “Sometimes you have to lose in order to learn to win.”  I wasn’t ready to hear that at the time. 

Now that it’s been a few days since the end of the competition, I have had time to reflect on the unbelievable events that I experienced.  I am really lucky to have awesome US team coaches (and teammates), private coaches (Emily and Shane), sponsors (Evolv and Salewa), family and friends that believe in and support me.  This competition allowed me to meet so many amazing people from all around the world.  I realize that I have dreams in this sport that go far beyond winning my category at worlds, and I have a lot hard work and learning to do to get there.  I’m starting to understand Coach Shane’s words.  This comp has made me really hungry to continue working hard and growing within the sport.  Two words that describe my feelings towards training for future events……..GAME ON!!!!

Tom Condie

2013 SCS National Championship

I had an incredible weekend at SCS Nationals. After training hard for the 3 weeks leading up to nationals I came into the competition confident, but nervous. Ever since I was 10 years old, I have always wanted to compete at the Youth World Championship. This was the first year I was in an age category that was eligible to compete at this international event.  However, I knew I had to get top 4 at Nationals in order to get an invitation to compete at Worlds.

The qualifier routes were really fun! On qualifier one, I was able to get this really cool rest (see picture below)! I was very tempted to go for a no hands rest, but decided against it. :-)

August Heim 2013

The semifinals route was MUCH tougher. It was rumored to be 13b. It was a power endurance route with several balance and technical moves. During one of the balance intensive parts of the route, I decided to try out a few new clipping techniques (picture below). My coaches weren’t too happy about those moves………..don’t think I’ll try that again :-).

Travis Wills 2013

Travis Wills 2013

I was nervous going into finals. I knew that everything I had worked hard for all year, was on the line. When I first came out for route preview, the finals route looked harder than the previous rounds. I ended up being the last climber of the entire competition. The pressure was on! Luckily when I got on the route, I relaxed, and I felt good about my climbing.  I ended up flashing my route!! I was one of only 2 climbers (Delaney Miller) to flash all of my routes for the competition! I couldn't believe I had just earned my fourth consecutive sport national championship title!  I was also excited for my teammate, Jason Wills, for his 3rd place finish (in the 11 and under division) earning him a spot on the US team!

After years of staying up all night or setting my alarm for 3 a.m. in the morning so that I can wake up and watch my friends compete at the World Championship, I will finally get my chance.  I get to compete in my division along with my friends, Drew Ruana, Benjamin Hanna and Sam Enright.  Victoria, here we come!!!!

Pre-Nationals Training

School ended July 7 which marked the beginning of pre-nationals training.   First stop…..ATL with Coach Emily and Urban Core Climbing team.  It’s nothing like getting your butt kicked in training with Emily to put things in perspective.  I had to step up my conditioning, healthy eating, and training to hang with her program.  The picture below says it all.  She snapped the picture during the 15 minute drive from the gym to her house, after training.  I trained with Emily for the week, and then flew up to Boston for a week to work with Coach Shane.

The first 3 days in Boston, I got to live the life of a routesetter.  I helped to forerun for the Divisional championship at Central Rock Gym-Watertown.   14-18 hour workdays!  I can verify that climbing a 5.13 is definitely harder at 3am in the morning!  After the comp ended, we flipped to training mode.  It was fun to mix work, hard training, and hanging out with my friends in the area.  I got to meet Charlotte Durif while training at CRG.  That was really cool!

After training hard in Boston, I returned to Coach Emily in ATL for my last week of tough training before Nationals.   After 3 weeks of hard work (and fun training with friends) I think I'm ready to compete at the SCS Youth National championship this Thursday.   Wish me luck!!!!

Ring of Fire 2013

This competition was awesome!   It was my first time competing in an Open competition and I was competing with Daniel Woods, Jon Cardwell, Vasya Vorotnikov, Jimmy Webb, and some of my USA climbing friends.
 
  All of the routes were tough.  Unlike youth comps, they didn't have any easy, make you feel good about yourself routes in qualifiers.  The first route was mostly slopers and huge pinches.  The second route was similar to the first with TONS of slopers and pinches, but it was much more balancey and beta intensive with a huge feature you had to work around.  The third route was filled with pinches and nasty slopers where you had to dyno off a horrible hold to the finish.  AWESOME, but hard routes.  I was excited to flash the first and third route, and get the high point (falling on the finish hold) of route two.  I finished qualifiers in first place!
 
Finals was later that evening.  They took 9 ladies and 9 guys to finals.  I was 17th in the running order.  The finals route was insane!  It was long, tough, and VERY different from youth routes.  The 2nd and 3rd holds were nasty slopers that you had to mantle off to get to the 4th hold which was also a sloper. I ended the competition in 8th place, after a foot slip midway up the route. Overall, I had an amazing time at the competition, especially getting to hang out and climb with my idols. Can’t wait til next year!!

Finals Route

April 3-6, 2013 Back to The Red!!

Three days after sending Proper Soul, I headed back to The Red.  The first day, I went to the Motherlode and sent Transworld Depravity (3rd attempt) followed by Last of the Bohicans (1st attempt).   I climbed Bohica last year. After climbing only 4 routes that day, I took off my shoes and went to hang out with my friend Jake, at The Chocolate Factory.  I ended up climbing a few more routes, but I did way more hanging, than I did climbing that day. 

The next day I returned to Bob Marley’s crag and got on Southern Smoke.  I made two attempts on the route and got the route down to one fall.  I decided to make that a short climbing day and returned to the room to rest.

 The 3rd day, I woke up with Southern Smoke on my mind, and headed straight to the crag.  On my first attempt of the day I made it past my crux spot but had a foot pop and fell. I was really frustrated, but I got it together and hopped right back on route.  On my next attempt I sent Southern Smoke!!!  It took me six attempts total.  I was in complete disbelief!

I've had an amazing time climbing outdoors for the last month! 3 trips in 1 month. That's more than all of last year combined. After this trip it will likely be 4-5 months before I get back outside.  Back to plastic...... the up side, I get to hang out with my TRC teammates and USA climbing friends at comps for a while.

March 29-31, 2013 – A Weekend Trip to The New River Gorge

Prior to this trip, I watched videos of Chris Sharma and Brent Perkins climbing Proper Soul. I had attempted this route once the year before, but it was way beyond my level of climbing at the time. The first day, I went straight to the Cirque to climb Proper Soul.  I felt way stronger and more confident than the year before. When I got to the route, I was a little disappointed to see that the top was completely soaked. A local said that it would be late April before the top of the route would dry off. I decided to get on the route anyway and work through the dry section. I made two attempts on the route and worked out my beta through the crux moves.

 The next day, I returned to the Cirque to get on Xanth. I showed up at the crag and realized that I left my quickdraws in the car. I didn't have a prehung route to warm up on, so I decided to warm up on the bottom of Proper Soul. I set up a video camera so that I could study the video, when I returned home. I got on Proper Soul and climbed up to the dihedral section. I felt good so I decided to keep climbing. After clearing the dihedral section with no falls, I continued climbing to the last clip (before the wet section began). I looked up and realized that the final section of the route was full of large bucket holds….. all the way to the anchors. I told my mom/ belayer that I was going for it.  Since I had gotten that far, I felt like I had nothing to lose.  I was SUPER EXCITED when I reached the anchors! I really wanted to top out the route but quickly realized that was not an option with the water fall.

March 7-9, 2013 – My First 5.14a at Red River Gorge

I’ve always been told that it’s best to climb hard routes in cold weather. I tested this theory and it was an EPIC FAIL! My first day at The Red, I headed to the Motherlode to climb in 39 degree weather. After “warming up” I attempted to climb Omaha Beach.  I climbed up past the first beach, and then went for a big move and found myself heading towards the ground.  I thought I had the move, but in reality, I couldn’t feel my fingers or toes so I had no idea what happened. After 45 min of climbing, I decided to head back to the room for heat. This NC kid can’t handle cold weather!

                The next day the temperature rose to 50 degrees, so I returned to the Motherlode. After warming up, I got back on Omaha Beach and sent it first go of the day. This route was special to me, considering that it was my first 14a ever. I was so excited! My goal for 2013 was to send a 14. I was surprised that I achieved this goal so early in the year.

 On the last day of this trip, I sent Ultra Perm. I sent this route on my first attempt (for this trip). I had been on this route the year before, but it seemed impossible.  This trip, it felt like a totally different route.  After sending Ultra Perm, someone convinced me to get on a route nearby.  When I asked the route name and grade, they said they couldn’t remember, but it was very similar to Ultra Perm.  I got on the suggested route and took my time working out all of the moves bolt to bolt.  After reaching the anchors and being lowered down, another climber told me that the route was Southern Smoke.  I was very surprised because I actually thought the route was sendable!  I got back on and finished the route again with 2 takes.  I really wished we were staying one more day to climb.  I can’t wait to return!!

Overall my trip to The Red was great. Not just because of good sends, but I'm learning to be more comfortable and confident climbing outside. Weekend at The Red=AWESOME :)

January 10, 2013 – 2013 ABS Nationals: A Tough Decision

I made a tough decision. I decided to give up my bye and not compete at ABS Nationals this year. After breaking the same finger twice in 2012 (9 months apart), and having to rest 9 weeks to heal (after the 2nd injury), my doctor is finally releasing me to return to training. I decided to take it slow this time. Luckily I have great coaches and friends that helped me make the tough, but best decision.