THAT'S THE SPOT

In the beginning there was Psychedelia. The Spot Bouldering Gym, in Boulder, Colorado, held its first (and now [in]famous) black-light comp back in 2003. “It started as a cocktail-napkin conversation at the Outdoor Retailer trade show,” says “Howlin’” Dan Howley, Spot Owner and General Manager. The idea was simple: throw a comp/party, with black lighting only and holds painted with psychedelic patterns. The result was madness. “I thought my brain was going to explode!” says Howley. Competitors and spectators wearing Nightmare Before Christmas-grade costumes climbed in near pitch-blackness. “I couldn’t see anybody,” exclaims Howley. It was just so dark!” The success of Psychedelia sparked the idea for a larger Spot comp series. At that time, the Professional Climbers Association was in decline, and The Spot hosted occasional American Bouldering Series events, but the management wanted to do more. “We wanted to offer more fun events for our local clientele,” says Howley, so in 2005 The Spot launched the first SBS.

The SBS has been in a more-or-less constant state of growth since its inception. Last season’s events drew upwards of 300 competitors per event, and many hundreds more spectators. This success is due to a combination of factors: Boulder’s massive climber population; the fact that the setters and management have serious comp experienced (The Spot has hosted several American Bouldering Series Nationals); not to mention the free food (courtesy of Wahoo’s Fish Tacos), free beer (thanks to Avery Brewing), and healthy funding (tens of thousands of dollars in cash and raffle prizes from sponsors, like this year’s headline sponsor, Native Eyewear). When the folks at The Spot last year split youth and adult events onto to separate days, both events instantly filled up, despite increased capacity, suggesting potential for still bigger things.

“Putting up new lighting in a 12,000-square-foot building ain’t easy!” said Spot Events Coordinator Andrew Clinkingbeard of last year’s Psychedelia prep. “We had 22 volunteers making black-light artwork.” He paused, and then, sounding tired, continued, “I don’t really sleep for the three days around Psychedelia.” The idea behind these themes, says Howley, is to up the entertainment factor, especially in the typically dead time between qualifiers and finals. Other event themes have included the Gun Show, with paintball activities (Howley recalls “a bare-chested paintball exchange” with Elliot Bates and Mike Auldridge in 2006); Night of the Rising Sun, with martial arts demos and “crashpad sumo wrestling”; the Highball Comp, which features a highline strung between boulders; and the Gladiator Finals, which typically involve pugil-stick jousting.

Of course, the SBS isn’t the only comp series around. USA Climbing runs three massive nationwide series (The American Bouldering Series, Sport Climbing Series, and Collegiate Climbing Series; several SBS events double as ABS events, too). There are a handful of multi-gym comp series hosted by Touchstone (five gyms; touchstoneclimbing.com) and Planet Granite (three; planetgranite.com), both in the California’s Bay Area; and in the East, Earthtreks (earthtreksclimbing.com), with gyms in Maryland and Washington, DC, hosts a member-based comp series, but also participates in the regional Friction bouldering series (frictionbouldering.com). Still, the SBS is probably the biggest singlegym comp series, consistently drawing not only big numbers, but also big names. Openlevel winners from last year’s SBS events include: Alex Puccio, Alex Johnson, Paul Robinson, and Daniel Woods, all of whom have won or made podium in Bouldering World Cups.

Now that the 2009 SBS season is underway, the gym will be closing its doors for several days throughout the fall/winter months. Setters, including Carlo Traversi, Jackie Heuftle ... strip all the and set fresh problems. (Since opening a new, mondo cave, known as The Dojo, early this year, competitors have had to bring some serious roof endurance . . . .) “The biggest drawback is having to close the gym for the day [before each event],” says Howley, but in the end the SBS is worth it — it’s a series of high-level comps drawing climbers from near and far, friendly enough to get first timers in rental shoes competing, yet serious enough to see top pros throwing down.

So what does the future hold for the SBS? The management is looking at hosting high-profile outdoor event, something that could involve the larger Boulder community. Howley and Clinkingbeard are tightlipped about future plans, but you can be sure, whatever they are, they’ll be big.

The Spizzle
The Spot Bouldering Series, Season V, kicks off September 26, 2009.

1. >The Gun Show — Sept. 26
2. >Psychedelia — Oct. 24
3. >Highball Comp — Dec. 5
4. >Gladiator Finals — Jan. 30

For more, visit thespotgym.com.