ENTOURAGE - #10 > April/May 2006

Matt Stark
You think your commute to work is bad? Try driving ten hours one way to clock in at your job. That is exactly what Matt does every month to set routes at the Gravity Vault in New Jersey. After ten days of turning the wrench he hits the road again and returns home to Boone, NC where he lives, climbs, and enjoys his most recent passion of photography. Photography has become a second source of income for Matt whose work has been used by Evolve, Statik Mountain, Misty Mountain Threadworks, EMS, and Sickle among others. He has been blessed with good luck in the arena with his first break coming in 2002; three months after Matt received his first real camera for Christmas. A clothing manufacture had been a slide show of Matt's on the internet and approached him about photo use in their catalog. Success hasn't come easy. Matt has struggled with the technical aspects of photography having never taken formal photography courses. Instead, he has developed techniques through trial and error, often times by giving himself shooting assignments to broaden his understanding of his equipment, and certain shooting conditions. He can often be found meandering on the Blue Ridge Parkway, early mornings, in an effort to capture the first hint of the sun's rays illuminating the mountains that surround his southern home. "I love the mountains of North Carolina. I can't think of a better place to live. Every time I go up north to work, I appreciate where I live that much more.?
Although Matt considers himself a southern boy at heart, he still can't bring himself to buy a house that is mobile, even if it is the current southern fad. Matt says his reluctance to follow this trend is a byproduct of him having lived in Kansas where tornados routinely feed on the trailer parks.

Jason Danforth
The self-proclaimed "best boulderer in Queens", Jason has been climbing for over eleven years, competing for eight, and route-setting at ten different facilities since 1996. Always searching out new movements, he has completed over thirty double digit boulder problems on two continents, drawing inspiration from his travels, as well as less conventional sources such as cooking, music, and modern art. Jason moved back to New York City three years ago to reevaluate the vast potential for the climbing industry presented by untapped urban markets, and the out-of-industry access available therein. In that time Jason has become the head route-setter at the Northeast's premier bouldering and route-climbing facilities, the New Jersey Rock Gym and Chelsea Piers. Setting so frequently has helped Jason become one of the most stylistic route-setters in the country, allowing him to constantly experiment with new movements and body positions, as well as creative materials such as duct tape, pieces of wood, and bolt-on features. Last year, Jason co-founded the New England Climbing Championship (NE2C). This year, he and partner Pete Ward brought the series back more hardcore than before. As head route-setter for NE2C Jason has the opportunity to experiment with a constantly evolving vision for competitions: increased visual appeal and entertainment for spectators; more creative, involving challenges showcasing competitor's abilities; accessibility for mainstream audiences; and most importantly, the creation of real value for sponsors.

Damon Corso
Some characters role-play. But there are some more energetic, organized folks that play an active role in the climbing community. Everyone can be considered a professional in this field. We have all hung from cliffs on beautiful holds, supported our favorite-climbing partners from below, all while surrounded by a landscape lit by the last climb's sunset. We all have our angle on how to contribute to the entourage.
There is one player that Los Angeles has claimed as one of its own, that, however, works for the moments of sickness held in the outdoor trip. Mr. Damon Corso is the soul that gets kids out of the hecticity. He is the one that gets the personal visit that ends with, "So, will ya go to J Tree this weekend with the 'so and so's? Maybe climb a few rocks? Maybe click a few shots?..." The people come to him because he gives a response. He always makes due. "When?"
Damo has not yet met all of his capacities, but he is certainly a climber at work. In four years of climbing, and only two shooting and arranging photographs, he has amassed a portfolio of every climber under the California Sun. He's done work for 16 companies: Including some of the most memorable advertisements, catalog spotlights, magazine spreads and covers. He recreates every climbers last and next weekend...with a fresh and unique view of a dope crew.
So Damo, what are we doin' Saturday?
-Words by Cary Carmichael

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