4 votes

The IFSC Boulder World Cup 2021

Posted by DanBC
Tags: climbing, ifsc, usa.ut.salt lake city, ifsc boulder world cup.2021, bouldering

The IFSC held the 2021 boulder world cup in Salt Lake City on 21st to 22nd May.

Semi-finals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwvwGG6AGdw
Finals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXC52wxDCGg

Bouldering is a form of climbing short routes without ropes. Bouldering is a test of both strength and puzzle solving. In competition bouldering there's a "boulder" made of large panels to which various holds have been placed by a route setter. Three of these are special holds - start, zone, and top. Climbers have to start from the start hold position. The aim is to climb the wall and place both hands on the "top" hold and keep them there for 3(?) seconds. Not all climbers will "top" all boulders! Top and zone are used for scoring.

The setter will have an intended method to complete the boulder. This is called the beta. Climbers who use some modification are said to "break the beta".

The winner is the person with most tops. If there is a tie for tops the person with the most zones will win that tie. If there's a tie for tops and zones they'll look at the number of attempts to top. If there's still a tie they'll look at number of attempts to zone.

There are four boulders in the semi finals, and four in the finals.

I'm submitting this because the strength and skill in bouldering is amazing to me. Here's a video about Shauna Coxsey (a very good British climber): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjG9k4cJ6VY And here's Magnus Midtbø, Pete Whittaker, and Mari Salvesen trying a new crack climbing route: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0nh6HmV51A (There's a "bat hang" at 20:08 where she's dangling by her feet which is just incredible)

Some jargon to be aware of --

crimp: a very small finger hold.
pinch: a method of gripping a hold. Imagine working a sock-puppet.
volume: the very large holds.
Sloper: a type of hold that you can't really pinch, so you place your flat hand on it and apply pressure.
jam / jamb / hand-jam / fist jam: a way of climbing cracks by inserting a flat hand into the space and then flexing it or forming a fist.