Original interview in Finnish by Tuomo Lankinenwww.bouldersaimaa.fi
Competitive route planning is very hard work! You can’t really stop the skin from tearing. There are so many issues to sort out and even more moves to make.
Well-planned routes or boulder problems form the basis of any competition. The best competition problems challenge competitors to climb well and deliver impressive moves to the audience.
All great competition problems start with the right holds placed on the ground. The question is: how do you choose the right socket set or brand for a specific concurrency problem? Today, the climbing hold market is literally overflowing with thousands of different climbing holds from hundreds of manufacturers.
We asked Anssi Venhothe road leader of the Suomen Boulderliiga — the Finnish Bouldering Cup, his thoughts on what constitutes a big competition problem. He was kind enough to share with us his point of view on the route layout, the holds and the 2 events covered so far.
Tracers at work in Tampereen Kiipeilykeskus
What kinds of qualities do you hope to see in climbing holds as you prepare for competition?
– It depends on the desired level of difficulty, but the competitive events should be quite difficult. You can’t solve competition problems with easy catches. I think the harder the grip, the better. The ones I like the most are clean, simple but distinct shapes with soft lines.
Do you prefer one brand over another?
– Not really, I don’t really favor one range or brand over another. Most climbing hold manufacturers offer very nice sets of holds suitable for competition use. At the previous event in Tampere I was using Kitka Space sockets and they worked well for the competition. I also like your Groovy Edges set, but they might be more suited to lead climbing.
The final route of the Tampere Cup is being developed with Kitka Space
The Finnish Bouldering Cup qualifiers last 4 hours, and after that there are the finals, how do you take this into account when making a route?
– You have to think about it, of course, but it depends so much on the level of the competitors. In Lappeenranta, the toughest guys and girls completed the toughest qualifying courses in just over an hour. But then again, you can’t expect people to send final routes in a few minutes if they’ve already been climbing for 4 hours. Even the easiest routes could seem difficult!
What do you think of the qualifying at the last event in Lappeenranta?
– I’m very happy with how it went! The last two problems in the men’s final were a bit physical. We increased the difficulty a bit, because few guys climbed everything very quickly in qualifying. Overall, I am very happy with the start of the season in the Finnish Bouldering Cup.
Nowadays, many boxes and other important features are used in competition. This is done so that viewers and web-streaming viewers have a better idea of what’s going on. Both of these early season events featured box sets. Was it difficult to run a route with only boxes?
– It was. I haven’t had much practice creating routes with just boxes. Normally boxes need shims bolted onto them, so yes, it was quite demanding.
– Using boxes brings more versatility to the setting and also makes the problem more unpredictable and more difficult for a climber. It’s easy to fumble or lose your balance when climbing isn’t just about pulling hard from one hold to the next.
Tomi Nytorp balancing on the Tampere Cup finals course.
Setting the course for the competition is quite intense. The work is usually done one or two days before the competition. How do you usually manage the project?
– It’s super hard work! You can’t really stop the skin from tearing. There are so many problems to solve and even more moves to make that one person can’t even test everything. It would be great for us to have more time to map out routes, but realistically, climbing gyms cannot be closed a week before each competition.
– However, it helps if snacks and coffee are available in abundance. And then in the evening, a sauna and a beer won’t hurt to keep you going for the next day! 😉
What would be the Anssi Venho “signature series” climbing hold set? If you could shape your entire dream, what would it look like?
– Ouch! This is a tricky question! It’s hard to say, because I haven’t had a chance to test shaping my own holds. I think I would start by creating clean, simple surfaces with different types of angle cuts. Some new sets have already implemented this idea: same holds, but with different angles for more difficulty, like in your Groovy Edges.
Hold a huge swing after flying through the air!
Some final questions: Is hardware important to you? PE, PU, stone or wood?
– Not really, no, lightweight PU has the advantage of being easy to handle so it’s more fun to build routes with.
– PE lasts longer and does not heat up with use like PU. Friction lasts longer even if many people ride on it, so it is better suited for tough competition courses.
– Only one piece of equipment for the course though!
Form or usability?
– I think both are necessary. It’s true that the course must be beautiful, but if the conviviality is not there, it doesn’t matter what the appearance of the holds is.
A single movement or a sequence first?
– My route planning often begins with an idea of movement, but the sequence comes quite quickly afterwards.
By hand or with an impact screwdriver?
– Impact!
Last hold or top edge?
– In competition, last hold, otherwise upper edge.
Start sitting or standing?
– The seated start is generally, but sometimes the standing start is very suitable in competition.
Climbing holds or box?
– Right now!
Coffee or cola?
-Coffee.
Rock or rope?
– Both!
Thanks for the interview Anssi Venho and Tuomo Lankinen!
The Finnish Bouldering Cup is sponsored by Kitka Climbing