Though not to be confused with the professional wrestler, Shannon Moore still lays the smack down on anything she puts her mind to. Climbing found this San Francisco native as a freshman at UC Davis, and soon had her living in a tent-trailer in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Shannon cites Bishop, Indian Creek, and Europe as her favorite destinations to push her limits. In 2006, after earning a Masters in aeronautical engineering from Stanford, Shannon took a well-earned road trip, climbing in Colorado, Canada, China, and everywhere in between. This self-proclaimed “cube-warrior” is fighting hard for a window office at a San Francisco renewable energy company, but is losing her battle against the climbing gym crowds — meanwhile, her friends are taking bets as to when she’ll give in to her wanderlust.
John Vallejo

John Vallejo

John Vallejo was the first and only lawyer to be sworn in by Justice William M. Wunderlich, the U.S. District Court Magistrate in Yosemite National Park. He was sworn in with chalk on his hands and wearing a t-shirt. I would know. He was unemployed and sleeping on my floor in Yosemite at the time. While he has currently resigned himself to weekend warrior status, his passions for climbing and photography haven’t waned. Like any good addict, he’s just saving up for the next big score. Perhaps an RV for he and Shannon, his girlfriend, in which to road trip. Maybe another trip to Asia. On his salary they could afford deluxe accommodations all across Europe. Oh, wait; did I say “salary”? If you see John out climbing take note of his inability to high-step or twist his hips, and please, give him a hard time about it.
Justin Alarcon

Craig Copelin

Craig has been climbing longer than most UCMAG readers have been alive. Back in the 80s, Craig was a part of the climbing generation that was ready to pull on anything at anytime. He’s seen it all: trad-climbing standards pushed, the birth of the sport climbing movement, the sprouting of gyms, and the rise of bouldering. By day (and often by night), Craig is a nurse anesthetist, but the amount of days he spends on rock will make any dirtbag climber jealous. In recent years, Craig’s photography hobby has turned into a passion and it shows in his work – his ability to capture just the right moment of action and dynamics is amazing. While his current home in Baltimore isn’t a hotspot of bouldering activity, Craig is motivated to travel the globe to visually capture bouldering moments – this year he already has flights to Hueco, South Africa, and France. “What’s In a Name? Rocklands” is Craig’s first photo feature for UCMAG. See more of Craig’s work at www.nilepoc.com

Matt Burbach

Matt has been involved in the climbing community for over a decade, and not just as a climber. Matt is a climbing coach with a degree in Exercise Science from the University of Maryland. He authored Gym Climbing: Maximizing Your Indoor Experience and was the founding editor of UCMAG. Because of his (very) slow (he calls it precise) climbing style, his friends call him “The Sloth” and his wife Whitney refuses to belay him, for fear of dying of boredom. It is questionable as to whether or not he’s a “true” NYC climber – he has yet to have a bouldering session at Central Park’s Rat Rock. These days, Matt combines his sense of fashion with outdoor apparel function as a visual merchandising coordinator for a major outdoor apparel and equipment company; at least until his version of the “Blue Steel” look is dialed and his modeling career takes off.

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Andy Mann

In April of 2006, Chuck Fryberger called me and said that a guy by the name of Andy Mann was interested in coming to South Africa with us to assist. “To assist? Like luggin’ gear?” It wasn’t a question, more of a “get a load of this windfall.” type statement. In the course of 10 weeks Andy and I became thick as thieves. He was one of the few people down to venture outside of the Rocklands on rest days, so together we explored Capetown, had baboon encounters, and went on a guided great white shark diving tour in the False Bay, which was no joke. Andy has since picked up photography full time, and after seeing his recent work, it is no surprise to me that he has this month’s cover story for UC Mag. I now consider him competition and I’m planning on destroying his camera as soon as possible. I think filling it with sand should do the trick.
Keith Ladzinski

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