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Kids Crush at Jibs Comp

posted by dpm on 03/19/2011

On March 12, 2011, the winners of a major bouldering event, some of the top climbers in the country, took home $10,000 in scholarship money and other prizes. Only a few of them were even old enough to drive themselves home. The event was the 2nd annual Junior Invitational Bouldering Series (JIBS) Championships, held just outside of Philadelphia, PA at the Philadelphia Rock Gym, and the climbers were 150 of the top youth climbers in the country.

 

Click the image for video from the comp.

 

The attendee list was a veritable who’s who of up-and-coming climbers and included a number of current and former national and continental champions including: Ashima Shiraishi, Megan Mascarenas, Kayla Lieuw, and Eleanor Wright for the girls and Sam Kim, Jesse Grupper, Solomon Barth, Nick Picarella, and Calvin Wagner for the guys. Even during prelims, the kids let everyone know that this was no kiddie event when Megan Mascarenas, only 13 years old, sent one of the hardest problems. Sam Kim, also 13, didn’t let his age get him down either, as he wrecked the hardest top-out in the event before the older guys even had a chance.  

 

Everyone got down to business in finals, as first Bimini Horstamann and Ashima Shiraishi, and then Calvin Wagner, Sam Kim, and Solomon Barth, flashed all of their finals problems and headed into a super-final.  Bimini gave Ashima a good run for her money, getting almost all the way through their super final problem, but in the end, Ashima’s flash gave her the win. Calvin, Sam, and Solomon struggled on the oldest guys’ 2nd hardest finals problem, Solomon just barely squeaking through by controlling one horrible pinch for the win.

 

Dave Rowland, owner of the PRG, began JIBS (then the Junior Indoor Bouldering Series) in 2001, when he noticed a strange disconnect.  Kids seemed to prefer bouldering comps to route comps… but there weren’t any that focused on bouldering. He started JIBS as a regional series to fill that void.  USA Climbing took notice and, in 2004, JIBS and USA Climbing hosted the first youth bouldering nationals together.  

 

Last year, in 2010, Dave and the rest of the PRG took another look at youth bouldering and saw that the kids were once again being underserved.  They saw how much time, effort, and money the kids put into climbing, and how little return they got.  They decided to put on a pro comp for the kids, complete with a DJ, prizes (including scholarship money), and actual pros.  Alex Johnson came out both years, while Rob D’Anastasio did a clinic in 2010 and Eric Horst did one this year.  The events have been resounding successes.  Overheard comments include such plaudits as “The best comp I’ve ever been to!” “These problems are so cool!” and “wait… I get all this stuff?!”  

 

Though the low-key competitive environment and interesting problems make the event what it is.  The sponsors and the other oft under-served participants in the event definitely deserve a huge round of virtual applause.  Thanks to Revolution Climbing and Three Ball Climbing, our wonderful title sponsors, and to Sterling Rope, Rock On, Evolv, Practical Climbing, La Sportiva, Dolomite Climbing Bags, Asana, Mad Rock, Kurtas Chiropractic, Liberty Mountain, Keen, Black Diamond, and to all of our other sponsors as well!  We couldn’t have done it without them!

 

-Randi Goldberg

 

Results (For full results, see www.juniorbouldering.com)

 

Men’s 11 and Under

  1. Michael Whitley
  2. Cameron Horst
  3. Ben Witham

 

Men’s 12-14

  1. Solomon Barth
  2. Calvin Wagner
  3. Sam Kim

 

Men’s 15 and Up

  1. Nick Picarella
  2. Andrew Kim
  3. Connor MacDonald

 

Women’s 11 and Under

  1. Ashima Shiraishi
  2. Bmini Horstmann
  3. Julia Talbot

 

Women’s 12-14

  1. Megan Mascarenas
  2. Zoe Steinberg
  3. Kerry Scott

 

Women’s 15 and Up

  1. Molly Gaynor
  2. Eleanor Wright
  3. Megan Gallagher