Seattle Bouldering Challenge

Saturday, April 30, 2022 | 8:00am-9:00pm

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After two looong years of pandemic, competition bouldering returns to Ballard! For 2022, SBC is going BIG!! We’ll have two sessions of modified redpoint climbing, a social in the parking lot, morning coffee and food trucks, and onsight-format Finals round in the evening. Come compete against others in your category, or just stop by to socialize and watch finals!

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COMPETITION DETAILS:

Location: Edgeworks Seattle
Date: Saturday, April 30, 2022
Time: 8:00am – 9:00pm

Climbing Disciplines: Bouldering
Format: Modified Redpoint
Categories: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Masters, Open
Genders: Female, Male, Non-Binary
Ages: Competitors must be 16 years or older

SCHEDULE:

SESSION 1
Categories: Non-binary: All | Beginner: Men | Intermediate: Women | Advanced: Men | Open: Men
Competitor Check-in: 7:00am
Judges Meeting: 7:30am
Competitor Rules Meeting: 7:45am
Climbing: 8:00am-11:00am

SESSION 2
Categories: Masters: All | Beginner: Women | Intermediate: Men | Advanced: Women | Open: Women
Competitor Check-in: 11:00am
Judges Meeting: 11:30am
Competitor Rules Meeting: 11:45am
Climbing: 12:00pm-3:00pm
Awards: 5:00pm(outside)

Transition Walltopia Room to Finals:
Fun/Games + Food Truck: 3:00pm-5:45pm

SESSION 3: FINALS!
Finals Setup: 3:00pm
Iso Check-in window: 4:30pm-5:00pm
Competitor Rules Meeting: 5:45pm
Climbing: 6:00pm-8:00pm
Awards: 8:30pm

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WAIVERS:
When in doubt, fill one out! All climbers must complete a signed waiver or have one on file with Edgeworks in order to participate. Waivers must be renewed each year. Click here now!

AWARDS + RAFFLE PRIZES:
Instead of cash prizes, we choose to invest that money into some pretty sweet swag that everyone has a chance to win! The top 3 competitors in each category are guaranteed to walk away with a prize. Beyond that, our raffle prize system ensures that every competitor has a chance to win something too; competitors must be present to win. Raffle prizes will be given out after the Awards (approx 5pm)!

FREE AFTER PARTY! 3:00pm-9:00pm
Once the competition ends, competitors and guests who are 21+ are invited to join us for the after party! Please note: all climbing will shut down at the conclusion of the community comp session; post-comp climbing sessions will not be available during this time.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: 

Who can compete?

All climbers age 16 or older are welcome to compete; we’re planning to have up to 200 competitors split into 2 sessions.

What format is the competition?

Sessions 1 and 2 will be modified redpoint format — this means that we will set a collection of climbs in the grade range for that category, and competitors are scored based on their tops, zones, and attempts on that collection of climbs. The top six competitors in each of Open – Men and Open – Women will qualify for the Finals round.

Finals round will be onsight format for the 6 competitors in each category. Finals competitors will each have a 4 minute turn to attempt each climb.

Do you need help?

Yes, we’re looking for volunteers for all three sessions! Find out more about what we need and what perks we’re offering here.

How much does it cost?

Sign up early to save! Presale prices are $45 for members and $50 for guests; they end Wednesday, 4/27. Later signups will cost $55 for members and $60 for guests.

Can I watch but not compete?

Yes, please come by for our social starting at 2:30pm, and stick around for Finals at 6pm! We expect the two earlier sessions to be pretty full, which might make spectating difficult, but if you volunteer to judge, you’ll have a front row seat!

Where should I park?

Parking at the gym will be limited — we’re using several spots for coffee, food trucks, and gathering space. In addition to our lot and the gravel road behind the gym, there’s paid parking is available at the Hiram Chittenden Locks a hundred yards west, and free on-street parallel parking on the streets and avenues north of the gym (28th through 32nd Avenues, 54th through 58th Streets).

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WALL + GYM CLOSURES:

  • Monday, April 25: Walltopia Room Closed.
  • Tuesday, April 26 – Friday, April 29: Walltopia Room closed. Realm and Front Room partially closed. The Wave, Bulge, Roof, Vert are OPEN!
  • Saturday, April 30: All climbing closed to non-competitors
  • Sunday, May 1: Gym Re-Opens to Everyone!

Climbing will fully reopen on Sunday, May 1st with a large selection of all new competition style boulder routes for everyone to try!

Earth Day 2022

A FUNDRAISING EVENT SUPPORTING NATURE VISION + PUYALLUP WATERSHED INITIATIVE

BELLEVUE | Tuesday, April 19: 3pm-8pm
SEATTLE + TACOMA | Friday, April 22: 3pm-8pm

CLIMBING | RAFFLE | DONATIONS

Join us for this FREE CLIMBING EVENT in support of:

Nature Vision, an environmental education nonprofit organization that brings place-based, experiential nature programming directly to schools and local greenspaces.

Puyallup Watershed Initiative, working to address the consequences that come with widespread development such as polluted stormwater, the loss of farmlands, forests and recreation areas, and greater social and economic inequities.

CLIMBING CHALLENGE

Reach the top of one (or both) of our Earth Day top rope routes, ring the bell and watch the donation tally rise! For each route topped, Edgeworks will donate:

  • $1 for the easier route (5.8 +/-)
  • $2 for the harder route (5.11 +/-)
  • One attempt per person/route

RAFFLE

Purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win a Bonsai Tree! All proceeds benefit Nature Vision.

  • 2 tickets for $5
  • 5 tickets for $10
  • 12 tickets for $20

CHALK UP: Community Comp

Saturday, March 26, 2022 | 6:00pm – 8:30pm

Edgeworks Members: $45 | Non-Members: $55 

Registration Includes:
BEST ROPE ROUTES of the year  •  AWARDS  •  RAFFLE PRIZES  •  After PARTY (21+)

Pre-registration closes at 12pm, Wednesday, March 23rd
IN-PERSON day-of registration may be available if space remains; $55 for everyone

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Chalk up and get ready for a fun, new community rope competition! Bring a belayer and all the stoke to send while putting your rope climbing skills to the test on an all new set of competition style routes.

3 comps. 1 day. We’ll start the day early with morning and afternoon USAC Qualifying Events and then roll straight into an evening session dedicated to our members and community. 

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COMPETITION DETAILS:

Location: Edgeworks Tacoma
Date: Saturday, March 26, 2022
Time: 6:00pm – 8:30pm

Climbing Disciplines: Top rope and lead climbing
Format: Redpoint
Belayers: Bring your own belayer!
Categories: Select your gender during sign up – you’ll be automatically placed into a category based on total score.
Genders: Female, Male, Non-Binary
Ages: Competitors must be 16 years or older

SCHEDULE:
Check-In: 5:00pm
Competitor Meeting: 5:45pm
Climbing Begins: 6:00pm
Climbing Ends: 8:30pm
Awards & Raffle: 9:00pm

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
WAIVERS:
When in doubt, fill one out! All climbers must complete a signed waiver or have one on file with Edgeworks in order to participate. Waivers must be renewed each year. Click here now!

BRING YOUR OWN BELAYER:
Belayers must hold a current belay certification with Edgeworks Climbing. Top rope and lead tests can be taken at any of our locations at any time prior to comp day! The day is going to be quite busy and our Tacoma staff will not be available for belay/lead test on the day of the event.

AWARDS and RAFFLE PRIZES:
Instead of cash prizes, we choose to invest that money into some pretty sweet swag that everyone has a chance to win! The top 3 competitors in each COMMUNITY COMP category are guaranteed to walk away with a prize. Beyond that, our raffle prize system ensures that every competitor has a chance to win something too. Competitors must be present to win. Raffle prizes will be given out after the Awards (approx 9pm) and will include a sweet Grand Prize drawing!

AFTER PARTY! 8:30PM – 10PM
Once the competition ends, competitors and guests who are 21+ are invited to join us upstairs for the after party! Please note: all climbing will shut down at the conclusion of the community comp session; post-comp climbing sessions will not be available during this time.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: 

Prizes: 1st, 2nd and 3rd place competitors in each category will receive a sweet product prize from one of our event sponsors.

USAC Credit and Chalk UP: USAC Competitors CANNOT get credit for competing in the Chalk UP community comp. In the event that a USAC participant wants to compete for BOTH USAC credit AND prizes they must register for and climb in both sessions. Yes, that means they have to pay twice.

Climbing Time: Climbers will be allowed EXACTLY 2.5 hours to climb. All climbing will end at the 2.5 hour mark.

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WALL and GYM CLOSURES:

Monday – Friday, March 21st – 25th:
Wall closures will begin as competition setting takes place; closed areas will include all of the EAST BAY rope walls. The rope and boulder walls in the West Room will remain open to members and customers throughout the week!

Saturday, March 26th | Gym Closed 8am – 6pm
Because the morning and afternoon USAC Qualifying sessions will run as onsight competitions, the entire gym will be closed to all non-competitors from 8am – 6pm (including ALL of the climbing walls in the West Room, weight area, upstairs lounge, yoga and instruction rooms). All youth programs, climbing school courses and fitness classes will be cancelled. Our parking lot will be full so please plan ahead! Spectators are welcome in the competition area.

The West Bay and fitness areas will OPEN to MEMBERS ONLY after 6pm while the East Bay remains closed for the Chalk Up! rope comp.

Sunday, March 27th | Gym Re-Opens to Everyone
Climbing will fully reopen on Sunday, March 27 with a large selection of all new competition style rope routes for everyone to try!

Team Newsletter | March 2022

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

March 26, 2022 Qualifying Event at Edgeworks Tacoma.

Please register as soon as possible as this helps our facility and coaches plan appropriately for the correct number of climbers.

In order to qualify for Regionals, each competitor will need to compete in at least one qualifying event. Your best results from one event will be used to determine your Ranking Points. The more competitions attended offers the best chance at qualifying.

Additionally, the Tacoma event will be run as an onsight format event which will give athletes an opportunity to experience a “mock” regional championship. Registration links were included in the email version of this newsletter.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

It takes a lot of work to put on these events and we are grateful for the volunteers who help make it all possible. In appreciation, volunteers will earn 2 free day passes to use at any Edgeworks location

Available volunteer opportunities include:

  • Competition Judges
  • Competition Belayers
  • ISO Monitors/Runners

PRACTICE SHIRTS

As a reminder, please be sure to wear your gray Team Edgeworks shirts to practices!

Representing as a team during practices helps us build rapport with other members in our facilities while also working to build team unity, identity, pride and confidence.

Black or orange shirts and tanks are for competitions. Thank you!

Team Newsletter | Jan 2022

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I hope everyone had a great holiday break and are ready to start training for the upcoming Regional Championships!

Team Edgeworks had a fantastic qualifying season, with 80% of our athletes who competed qualifying for the Regional Championships. We are incredibly proud of our competitors for working hard and continuously improving this season.

To help us prepare for the Regional Championships, we will be holding some special practices. Please be sure to scroll down below for more information.

Items in this newsletter:

  • Regionals Championship Information
  • Seattle Bouldering Project Climb Day
  • Region 11 2022 Competition Schedule

USAC Regional Championships

For those who qualified, Regionals will be held on the weekend of January 22 and 23 at Seattle Bouldering Project – Poplar (900 Poplar Pl S, Seattle, WA 98144). Please refer to the link in your email to see the final regional rankings.

Deadline to register: Wednesday, January 12 at 10:59PST.
Entry fees will increase after Friday, January 7 at 10:59 PST,

We will discuss the technical briefing in practice, but it would be highly beneficial to review it beforehand!

Fun Day (Regional Prep) SBP!

Team Edgeworks will be climbing at Seattle Bouldering Project – Poplar (900 Poplar Pl S, Seattle, WA 98144) on Saturday, January 15.

This will be a fun regional prep day for our team to get acclimated to the gym and hang out together. Coaches will be present between 10 am – 2 pm. Please feel free to drop off your climber anytime during those hours. We look forward to seeing everyone there and having a fantastic day of climbing!

IMPORTANT!

  • Be sure to fill out the facility waiver before arriving.
  • All climbers 12 and over will need to provide proof of vaccination.
  • Seattle Bouldering Project will allow Team members to climb free of charge for the day.
  • Please bring any food/water/equipment for the day.

R11 USA Climbing Competition Schedule

Registration is now open for our first rope Qualifying Event at Summit Everett. Please register as soon as possible. This helps the host facility to plan for the correct number of climbers and helps us staff coaches appropriately, thanks!

In order to qualify for Regionals, each competitor will need to compete in at least two qualifying events. Your best results from two events will be used determine your Ranking Points. I strongly recommend attending as many competitions as possible to have the best chance at qualifying.

Feb 12/13: Vertical World North (Divisional Championships)
Jan 29: Riverstone Climbing, Burlington (Fun Comp)*
Feb 19: Summit Everett
Mar 12: Insight – Bainbridge
Mar 26: Vertical World Redmond

*This is a fun competition, not associated with USA Climbing. More information is available in the email version of this newsletter.

Team Edgeworks COVID Policy

With the latest wave of COVID cases across our Region, I wanted to remind everyone of our return to practice policy after exposure or a positive test.

We are currently following the same guidelines as our local school districts. Please reference the link your email for a flowchart created by Pierce County School District that outlines the same policy we ask all athletes to follow.

As always, stay safe and feel free to reach out to your coaches if you have any questions.

Route Setting Clinics

Think you have what it takes to be a route setter? Have a new home wall and need tips for how to arrange the holds in more challenging and interesting ways?

Or maybe, you already have a paid gig as a professional route setter and would like to hone your skills, connect with other local setters and add to your existing craft.

Either way, Bellevue’s Head Route Setter, Tonya Bamboe, and USAC Level 4 route setter, Morgan Young. have you covered!

INTRODUCTION TO ROUTE SETTING

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13 | 12pm – 8pm
This beginner level clinic is designed to introduce the tools, skills, and methods to participants with no prior route setting knowledge or experience. Participants will focus on safety, hold selection, tool handling, setting, and forerunning in a classroom setting. The clinic will then move to the climbing floor, and participants will get to apply what they’ve learned to set boulder problems from V0 up to V4.

Details:

Date: Saturday, November 13 | 12pm to 8pm
Location: Bellevue Stone Gardens
Cost: $100
Audience: Members and General Public
More Info: For those who have minimal to no experience setting, are curious about the craft, want to set a route in our gym, hang out with setters, learn the basics, build/set a home wall or college gym, etc.
Format: 1 hour of classroom time, 45 minute lunch break, 6 hours of setting and forerunning
Prerequisites: No experience needed. No drill use.
Guest Instructor: Morgan Young, USAC Level 4 Route Setter

FOUNDATIONS OF COMMERCIAL SETTING

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14 | 11am – 7pm
This advanced level clinic dives into the application of professional setting philosophies and methods to provide career foundations for commercial route setters, those exploring the industry, or wanting to break into the field. Participants will focus on creation and maintenance of product quality through accessibility, equity, and intention to create an experience for public function.

Details:

Date: Saturday, November 14 | 11am to 7pm
Location: Bellevue Stone Gardens
Cost: $125
Audience: New and Experienced Setters
More Info: For those looking to get into route setting, set for a gym, already set and want to hone skills, advance an apprenticeship, get formal education for current/future positions.
Format: 1 hour of classroom time, 45 minute lunch break, 6 hours of setting and forerunning
Prerequisites: Prior setting experience (college or commercial gym preferred) OR experience using drills/impacts AND taken an Intro to Setting clinic somewhere (can be the previous day 11/13/21^^)
Instructors:
Tonya Bamboe, Bellevue’s Head Setter
Morgan Young, USAC Level 4 route setter.

KAYA | SG Boulder League

The SG Boulder League is back!

August 9 – September 3, 2021
Open to all who want to participate! With a relative scoring system, climbers of all levels and abilities have the chance to win. Join the fun and sign up through KAYA today!

THE BASICS:

Participation is FREE and scoring is based on the relative grade limit for the climber. All boulders in Seattle and Bellevue will be part of the league.

The league starts with a community event kick-off on August 9th and ends September 3rd. Winners will be announced shortly after. Get psyched and try hard!

CHALLENGE FORMAT:

  • Skill level: choose the hardest grade you can send in 5 tries
  • Individual event: no team, no categories and no repeats
  • Prizes awarded to the top 3 competitors from each gym (SEA/BEL), including great gear, fun t-shirts, and more!

RULES:

  • Scoring is based off of self-reported V-Max grades (a grade you can send in 5 go’s – or less – on a regular basis). 
    • 100 points for routes completed at your V-Max grade. 
    • 10 additional points for every grade above that. 
    • 20 points subtracted for climbs below your V-Max. 
    • 1 point will also be deducted for each attempt.
  • Sandbaggers beware! V-Max grades will be bumped when necessary. 
  • Climbs must be logged in KAYA, anytime from Aug 9th – Sep 3rd.
    • Download the KAYA app and add Stone Gardens Bellevue or Seattle as your home gym; the League will pop up in your feed. 
  • Be sure to follow the live, ongoing leaderboard in KAYA to track your progress and compete!

Global Climbing Day

Walls are meant for climbing.

August 21, 2021 | 10am – 4pm

Global Climbing Day marks the culmination of The North Face’s Walls Are Meant For Climbing campaign, a global movement to bring people together through the power and community of climbing.

We see walls as a place to unite our community through the sport of climbing – a sport that requires trust and partnership. The purpose is to inspire us all to think more hopefully about the community we can build – as climbers, as outdoor enthusiasts, as believers in the good of humanity.

Edgeworks is proud to partner with The North Face and climbing gyms around the globe to celebrate climbing and the community it creates. Locally for us, that means reducing the barriers to entry and increasing access for new climbers.

  • Date: Saturday, August 21, 2021
  • Locations*: Seattle + Bellevue
  • Time: 10am – 4pm
  • Details: FREE gear rentals with purchase of a day pass and extra staff available to offer a belay to new or less experienced climbers.

* Tacoma WILL NOT host an in-gym event. Instead, we’ve teamed up with The Trust for Public Lands to celebrate the recent installation of 2 new outdoor climbing boulders next to the Eastside Community Center.