Lowdown: Battle in the Bubble vs. Vail World Cup

Two major climbing competitions took place in Colorado just three weeks apart. The first was The Spot Gym’s pro invitational and outdoor festival, The Battle in the Bubble. The second was the third year of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Bouldering World Cup at the Teva Mountain Games in Vail. Instead of competing against each other, The Spot and the Vail Valley Foundation (vvf.org) teamed up to cross-promote both events. The outdoor festival at The Battle in the Bubble was similar (but smaller) to the one in Vail, and one lucky family even won an all-expenses-paid trip to Vail for the Teva Games. Another item of note — Colorado-raised world-class climber Daniel Woods won both events, and in both cases, he gave last-ditch, crowd-pleasing efforts on the final problem and proved just how much raw power he possesses. Battle in the Bubble women’s winner Alex Puccio also did well at the Vail World Cup, placing fourth in finals. Next year, both events promise to be even bigger and better, with more competitors, more demos, and more exhibitions for spectators. The following is a recap in case you missed it.

WORLD CUP

WORLD CUP

Men

1. Daniel Woods (USA)
2. Tsukuru Hori (JPN)
3. Kilian Fischhuber (AUT)

Women

1. Chloe Graftiaux (BEL)
2. Anna Stohr (AUT)
3. Juliane Wurm (GER)

BATTLE IN THE BUBBLE

Men

1. Daniel Woods
2. Julian Bautista
3. Carlo Traversi

Women

1. Alex Puccio
2. Angie Payne
3. Lizzy Asher