Meagan Martin (Pro climber) --
I had the most amazing time at The Heist competition, and congrats to everyone who competed this weekend!!! I am glad I was able to be part of such an innovative event! Special thanks to Andrea Brennen, Brittany Marryott, and Central Rock Gym for creating and hosting the competition. Also thanks to Kasia Pietras and Sydney McNair for their awesome setting skills!!! I am so psyched I had the opportunity to teach a couple of clinics today, and I can't wait to come back to Boston! Thanks Emily Varisco for the awesome photo from finals! @rockwerx @organicclimbing
Tiffany Hensley (Pro climber) --
My mind is blown from competing in The Heist...Usually climbing sessions are sausage-fests, and everyone was a girl. LIKE WOAH. And the past month of training showed progress towards my goal: tied for 6th, and barely bumped out of finals by attempts! So close. Thanks to Mad Rock Climbing for getting me out there, Crimp Chimps for the Kidrobot Boulder Chalk Pot (people love 'Mustache Rabbit'), Melissa Godowski and Emily Varisco for insightful and hilarious weekend, and Brittany Marryott and everyone else for the invite and great show. A few photos coming soon...
Hilary Harris (Owner, Evolution Rock and Fitness) --
I agree with Tiffany! I was blown away by this. My climbing has been in remission ever since opening my own gym. It was so great to see so many awesome women at this comp and to be a part of it. Hats off to Brittany Marryott, Andrea Brennen, Sydney McNair and Kasia Pietras for a stellar job!! I am officially inspired to climb again.
Dan Alroy (Spectator) --
style="line-height:normal">Recently, I have been hanging around a crew of psyched women, new climbers, whose backgrounds are like my own, in that they have not been traditionally athletic, but have found that climbing gives them an opportunity to use their bodies in ways that they haven’t used them before.
When I saw promotions for the Heist bouldering comp, a comp designed by women and for women, I thought that these friends of mine might really enjoy and be inspired by the community and inspiration and fun that I have found in such arenas. But I wasn’t prepared for how this particular competition would affect me.
Yesterday was incredibly interesting in terms of competition and gender dynamics. I have always been slightly skeptical of gender specific events. As a feminist I have always thought that they justified a need to create a protected space, thus being an admission of some sort of gender weakness, one which I never believed in. Talking to some seasoned female pro athletes, comp organizers, veteran average climbers, and beginner climbers/athletes, I heard some similar views as well as others. But after watching this event my opinion had changed, and I heard many others say the same. The value of this experiment, a women’s only bouldering competition, was clearly evident: having piles of women, all supporting each other with out the distracting energy of gender dynamics that are so ever present in our society (from the classic identity conflicts to our complex mating rituals) made this one of the best comps I have ever been to. So many first time competitors, so many people pushing themselves and their boundaries beyond their imaginations, so many unfettered personalities shining bright: I really saw the value of this gender specific, women's bouldering comp. What an amazing day, what amazing people, such a powerful event to watch and participate in.
Major congratulations to Brittany Marryott and Andrea, and all the other organizers for putting on such an amazing comp. Thanks for all the fun, inspiration and excitement! — with Nicole Thurnau and 2 others.