SkyMasters Climbing Competition

In 2008, X1 Sports and the The Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show hosted an entirely new concept in climbing competitions at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham. The question was asked, “How do we make climbing comps more exciting for competitors and the general public alike?” Along with creative input from then wall supplier Entreprise, The Ford Skymasters concept (i.e. prolonged horizontal climbing from individually shaped features) was born. Last year Dave Barrans and Michaela Tracey secured the top spots in the competition.

The 2009 Skymasters wall is coming back new and improved and with a number of unique competition wall features, including spinning barrels and pivoting half moon features.

Unfortunately the recession seems to have hit even the most reliable of sponsors this year and so no Ford 4x4 will be found hanging from the rafters.

Instead, Berghuas have stepped in to support the event and ensured that British competition climbing gets another opportunity to evolve and allow many of its unknown talents a rare opportunity to shine.

The top three men from last year, Drew Haigh, Tony Musclebrook, and eventual winner, Dave Barrans, will all be competing in a new head to head format on two identical Utopia walls, set by chief route setter, Steve McClure and The Work's owner, Percy Bishton.

Steve McClure says, “This year should be even more exciting than last year with a rapid fire format and climbers really battling it out head to head. The audience will experience first hand the blood sweat and fears of the competitors as they speed up the routes. For the setters this year is a real challenge, to make two identical routes is difficult enough, but to ensure they are hard enough providing a real technical challenge to some of the best climbers in the world - without them being too hard to climb at speed - is a fine line. This will be the ultimate 'speedificulty' competition”.

Fourteen metres of the twenty three metre long wall will be on horizontal, moving (in parts) features that require extremely fast route reading skills, flexibility and bags of endurance, with little or no time to rest.

And it would seem that this new style of climbing - speed and difficulty - under the pressure of being watched by thousands of spectators, could throw up some surprise winners, not dissimilar to last years competition when favourites, Gaz Parry and Adrian Baxter found themselves falling before the required high point in the qualifiers.

Gaz Parry is back this year and has been speeding his training up in preparation for the new 'speedificulty' style. Gaz says, "The Skymasters this year will be the ultimate competition challenge. With not only the challenge of climbing upside down for 14m, we'll also be racing against a fellow competitor and against the clock. All in all it will be a fast, furious, exciting and spectacularly difficult weekend of climbing"

Another surprise was last year's female winner, fifteen-year old Michaela Tracey, who seemed to be so unfazed by the one hundred and twenty plus moves climb that she'd barely broken into a sweat upon arriving at the anchors. Due in part to good pacing upon the route and finding rests along the way.

However, it may be that this year's format will see climbers with more speed and immediate route finding skills come out on top.

Dave Barrans poised to negotiate the final blue box and reach
John/Anne Arran, Mar 2008
© http://www.thefreeclimber.com

Dave Barrans put his win last year down to an approach that may not be entirely appropriate this time around; “My main tactic was to get to the rest in the tufas as quickly as possible and have a good rest there before pushing on quickly to the top, knowing that I can recover quickly in a hands-off rest position, thanks to my bouldering training.”

One thing that all the competitors can be certain of this year is that hands off rests, recovery shake outs and time to wipe sweat from their eyes will be almost as rare as car companies with spare money.

This year’s awesome Ford SkyMasters climbing competition, in association with Berghaus, was launched at the Kendal Mountain Festival in November. The 2009 competition promises to be once again the star of The Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show. It all takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 March, with the competition running on the Saturday and Sunday.

As official magazine of the show, Climb will be bringing you all the latest news about the competition, including details of the top climbers who will be competing by invitation only. In next month’s magazine, we will also be announcing details of our competition to win a climbing master class on the unique entirely overhanging SkyMasters wall. So, be sure to grab a copy of Climb for your chance to win this “money can’t buy” prize.

Last year’s competition was nail biting stuff with Steve McClure setting routes that kept everyone on the edge of their seats, as the winners only just made it to the finish. But the SkyMasters 2009 is going to be even more adrenaline-pumping than last year. Climbers will race head-to-head on a parallel and again entirely overhanging route to reach a car parked in the NEC rafters!

With Tim Emmett and Leo Holding commentating on the competition the atmosphere will be electric, and the organisers are anticipating over 30,000 spectators!

Competitors So Far:

Kitty Wallace, Audre Seguy, Jemma Powell, Beth Monks, Leah Crane, Ashleigh Naysmith, Naomi Buys, Diane Merrick, Michaela Tracey, Mina Leslie-Wujastyk, Hazel Findlay, Rebecca Hall, Charlie Kelly, Ellie Howard, Shauna Cowey, Rob Haigh, Drew Haigh, Gareth Parry, Robin Sutton, Mark Croxall, Dave Barrans, Adrian Baxter, Alan Cassidy, Adam Jeeworth, Nicolas Durand, Jordan Buys, Adam Watson, Peter Duffin, Bruce Marsh, Dan Bradley, Gav Symonds, Martin Watson, James Garden, Jonathan Partridge, Rob Lamey, Nick Moulden, Prajak Khunrat, Jonathan Stocking, Adrian Berry.

To watch the SkyMasters, buy your ticket to the show, which also includes free access to dozens of “have a go” activities including ice climbing, scuba diving, slacklining, mountain biking and much more.

Only at The Ordnance Survey Outdoor Show Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 March 2009.

SPECIAL OFFER FOR CLIMB READERS.  2 adult tickets for just £22 (on the door price £34) Quote code CLIMB3 when booking.

For more information about the Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show or to book either go online to OutdoorsShowExtra.co.uk or call 0844 415 4418.

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