Ep.27 w/ Josh Larson "Living the Dream"
Chalk Talk Climbing Podcast
On quarter-life crisis', how he is preparing for the upcoming World Cup circuit, and his recent bouldering trip to Puerto Rico Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on iTunes Show Notes for the episode with Josh Larson: How he left climbing for a 'real job' and realized that it was no life for him The journey from 4 years of no climbing to pulling V13 What drives him to compete in climbing competitions How his IFSC World Cup experience in Toronto last year helped him to succeed in Vail The difference in experience and ability of the competitors from ABS Open to World...
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Ep. 26 w/ Phil Bridgers of The Red Rock Rendezvous
Chalk Talk Climbing Podcast
On the origins of the Red Rock Rendezvous, what to expect, and why events like this are so important to the climbing community... Listen in the player at the top of the page or find us on iTunes! The Red Rock Rendezvous is one of the nation's largest climbing festivals. During the 3 day event, climbers of all abilities can take clinics from top athletes in the sport. Phil Bridgers is the event coordinator and deals with just about every aspect of this event directly. In this episode, he shares his experience and hopes for the coming Red Rock Rendezvous on March 27th-29th, 2015. Show Notes...
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Ep.25 w/ Paul Robinson "Making the Canvas Climbable"
Chalk Talk Climbing Podcast
On frequent first ascents, what V16 really means, and plans for his biggest bouldering adventure yet! Listen in the player at the top of the page or find us on iTunes Paul Robinson is one of the world's best boulderers. If you didn't know that already, you better get schooled because this guy has put down countless numbers of the world's hardest boulder problems. He has opened up bouldering areas and fought to push climbing's limits around the globe. In this episode, Paul Robinson discusses why he does it and what the future has in store for him. Show Notes for the episode with Paul...
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Ep.24 w/ Don McGrath "Conquering the Vertical Mind"
Chalk Talk Climbing Podcast
On the science of bad habits, fear and stress management on the wall, and training the brain game for the vertical world Listen in the player at the top of the page or find us on iTunes! Don McGrath is a climber and author of Vertical Mind, 50 Athletes Over 50, The Five Climbing Mindsets, and his blog at Masterrockclimber.com. In his newest book, Vertical Mind, Don McGrath and his co-author Jeff Ellison seek to understand fear, doubt, and how to break the bad habits that we learn as climbers. There's a lot of science and research that went into this book and it is a great read...
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Ep.23 w/ Dr. Lisa Erikson "Climbing Injuries Solved"
Chalk Talk Climbing Podcast
On how to diagnose, prevent, and recover properly from climbing's most notorious injuries, cross-training for climbing and its benefits, and researching a fledgling sport. Listen in the player at the top of the page or find us on iTunes! Show Notes for episode with Climbing Injuries Solved: Why doctors default to telling you to "take time off" when you have an injury The anatomy and physiology of the parts we injure How safe climbing is compared to other popular sports How most injuries can be prevented before they become an issue Why some people get injured more than others What you can...
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Ep.22 w/ Alton Richardson "Telling a Story"
Chalk Talk Climbing Podcast
On Portrero Chico, climbing photography, and the freelance life. Listen in the player at the top of the page or find us on iTunes! Alton Richardson is a badass. This guy rolls around with a camera and captures everything climbing. From shimmering sunsets over sexy crags to super sends from some of the sickest ascensionists, this guy captures it all. Whether it's still life or video, Alton Richardson is there and prepared. He has worked for RAB, La Sportiva, Climbing Magazine, and has even started his own regional climbing magazine for California. (It's pretty cool, too!) Listen to this...
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Ep.21 w/ Bret Johnston "A Young Man's Profession"
Chalk Talk Climbing Podcast
On routesetting as a growing career, what makes a good routesetter for commercial and competition routesetting, and the inevitable fate of career routesetters Listen in the player at the top of the page or find us on iTunes! Bret Johnston grew up in climbing gyms. Before Bret was born, his father built the first climbing gym in America. It was called Vertical Club, est. 1987. It makes sense then that Bret would come to work most of his life in a climbing gym and, with routesetting piquing his interest, find a career working for one of the best climbing gym operators in the country. Bret...
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Ep.20 w/ Dave Filkins "Building a Better Element"
Chalk Talk Climbing Podcast
On hold shaping, moving from basement to business, and always trying to move Element Climbing into the future. Listen in the player at the top of the page or find us on iTunes! Dave Filkins is the creator, original shaper, and owner of the ever-expanding Element Climbing. His hold company began in the basement of his house and grew until the space could no longer sustain what would eventually grow into Element Climbing. Since he moved out of that basement, Element Climbing has been growing and growing. David and his wife have since devoted their full attention to the growth and...
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Ep.19 w/ Dustin Sabo "Turning Projects into First Ascents"
Chalk Talk Climbing Podcast
On the glory days of Bishop, developing in and around the Sierras, and how climbing has changed with age... Listen in the player at the top of the page or find us on iTunes! Dustin Sabo is a good friend of mine. He basically taught me everything I know about climbing and routesetting. His efforts, however, extend far beyond what he has done for me alone. Dustin was a part of the growth of bouldering in Bishop, CA in the mid-'90s. During this time he nabbed the first ascent of many Bishop classics including Acid Wash (V10), Enter the Dragon (V10), Moon Raker (V9), and a handful of others....
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Ep.18 w/ Emily Harrington "Testing the Limits"
Chalk Talk Climbing Podcast
On Summiting Everest, traveling 300 miles overland to the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia, and learning to suffer... Listen in the player at the top of the page or find us on iTunes! Emily Harrington is a climber for the North Face and La Sportiva. She has been climbing since she was a little girl and has since been a five-time National Champion, a two-time North American Champion, has podium-ed in multiple World Cup events, climbed Everest, and was part of a recent National Geographic expedition to Myanmar. Emily Harrington is one of those types of people who likes to get her hands in...
info_outlineOn hold shaping, gym ownership, and creating the world's first routesetting competition.
Listen to the player at the top of the page or find us on iTunes!
If you're looking for the renaissance man of climbing, look no further, Louie Anderson is a known freelance hold shaper, gym owner, routesetter, author, climbing wall designer, and social media community leader. He has written a book on the fundamentals of routesetting, and has authored a guidebook on climbing in the Santa Monica mountains.
As a freelance hold shaper, Louie has greatly influenced the way that holds are imagined. He has shaped for over 20 different climbing hold companies including: ETCH, Climb It, SoIll, Rock Candy, and Kingdom, just to name a few. His shapes can vary from the basic, to the unique, to the realistic; varying in size from tiny, intricate footholds, to features as big as a small adult.
And if shaping, routesetting, gym owning, putting up FA's, and authoring guide books and books on routesetting wasn't enough, Louie Anderson is also an active climbing wall designer and gym builder. He has been a part of the design and build of many of So. California's gyms and has recently helped with the design and construction of the new Refuge Climbing Center in Las Vegas, set to open in October.
Louie is always seeking to advance climbing in whatever way he can. Just last year he was one of the minds that brought the Kingdom Games to fruition. The Kingdom Games is a new kind of competition, one that tests the skills of routesetters. The first emanation of the Kingdom Games happened at Louie's gym in So. California, The Factory. This year, the routesetting competition will be held at the Earth Treks Climbing Center in Rockville, Maryland on September 5th and 6th, and will be renamed the Setter Showdown.
to learn how the Setter Showdown will work, what the judges will be looking for, and everything else Louie, pop in those earbuds and turn up the volume to Episode 7 of Chalk Talk, A Climbing Industry Podcast.
Show Notes:
- How he started shaping and setting before climbing gyms existed (think, freeway overpasses).
- The advent of So. Cal's first climbing gym and what it brought to the community.
- His first hold shapes and how that process has evolved.
- How he creates his shapes from conception to the final product.
- How he decides what shapes to sculpt.
- Hold ergonomics
- On the gym bubble and the sustainability of the rapid growth of the climbing industry.
- What he thinks it takes to stand out in a hold market that is saturated.
- The introduction, function, and future of routesetting competitions such as last year's Kingdom Games and the upcoming Setter Showdown in Earth Treks, Maryland.
- And what Louie hopes these setters games can teach us about the routesetting community.
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