Rock On! Sender One Hosts Annual Bouldering League Competition

“C’mon! Don’t give up now!”

“You’ve got it!”

“Stay cool!”

The encouragement pays off. A team cheers from the ground as a lone figure ascends the lip of a blue, hulking 17-foot rock wall structure. As he reaches the top, he pumps his fist in the air with a triumphant yell.

This is a typical scene during week five of The Second Annual Bouldering League Competition on Feb. 25, where over 100 rock climbers are competing for the team title at Sender One Indoor Climbing Gym in Santa Ana. The competition takes place over the course of six weeks, with 21 teams of five battling it out every Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of Alvin Kim.

“We were floored by the number of participants this year,” says David Tucker, one of the staff members at Sender One. “The team count has doubled since last league.”

Indoor rock climbing has taken off in recent years, with more than 300 gyms located across the United States. These indoor gyms offer two forms of climbing: sport climbing and bouldering. Sport climbing employs the use of harnesses and ropes, while bouldering uses only large foam pads to break falls from heights generally less than 20 feet.

At Sender One, the walls are dotted with plastic handholds of all different shapes and sizes, creating dozens of trails to the top. Each individual trail is called a route, which is organized according to the color of the holds, then given a difficulty rating. For the competition, each route has a set point value, and participants are given four hours to climb and write down each route they complete. At the end of the night, each team turns in their cumulative scores, which take points from each member’s hardest route completed.

Photo courtesy of Sender One.

This week marks the last night before league finals, where the top three teams compete in a battle royale to win. The champions will each receive a new rope, but for many climbers, the bragging rights are the ultimate award.

“The best part about Bouldering League isn’t the climbing,” says one of the participants, Alan Galura, “It’s the trash-talking.”

The atmosphere is indeed playful. Techno music blasts through mounted speakers as competitors laugh and chat between climbs. Thick foam pads cover the floor; the air is thick with body heat and the smell of sweat. The gym is packed, leaving participants with barely any room to stand, much less to sit and rest; yet everyone is all smiles and high-fives.

Galura is the captain of Team Jordan Sinclair, the reigning champions from last year’s league. “I’ve looked forward to this all year!” he says. Adam Rahim, one of his teammates, nods in agreement: “We’re here to crush.”

One might expect the crowd to be filled with burly 20-something-year-olds, but in actuality the ages are surprisingly diverse. Joe and Alicia Camp are a couple in their late fifties who have competed the past two years. “When I’m here on the wall, I’m back in my glory days again!” says Joe, grinning ear to ear, “For us, it’s just a fun way to bring friends together, and make new ones, too.”

Everywhere you look, there is someone flying off the wall, into the sea of yoga pant-clad participants. There are even lines of people waiting to attempt certain routes, standing patiently, discussing possible strategies with those around them.

Photo courtesy of Alvin Kim.

Midway through the night, Team Jordan Sinclair has disappeared from the gym. Where can they be found? In the back of a pickup truck in the parking lot, sipping on a selection of brews. “This is our secret weapon right here. Last year’s win wouldn’t have happened without our tailgating,” says team member Vinh Ngo with a completely straight face.

At the end of the evening, the top three teams entering into finals the following week are announced by a staff member over a microphone. For the first time that night, all the competitors are completely silent, waiting eagerly to hear the results.Team Killabeez, The Ugly Girls, and the Power Rangers will all advance for a chance to claim the title of Bouldering League champs. A mixture of cheers and groans erupts from the crowd.

Later on, the members of Team Jordan Sinclair are clustered on a stack of crash pads in the corner, ruminating over their loss. “I guess it just wasn’t meant to be this year,” says Galura, “We gave it our all, but in the end what really matters is that we had an awesome time.”

Rahim looks up and smiles, adding, “I think we better take it easy on the tailgating next time.”