Alex Johnson
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“There’s No Place Like Home” January 2010

 

 
The average temperature in Wisconsin in the winter stays below zero.
 
 
It beats me why my friend and Organic Crashpads founder Josh Helke chose to move back home to the frozen northland to open his new shop. I guess tripling in factory size is an attractive draw.
 
 
I wasn’t even in town for five minutes and he put me to work!
 
 
Because we climbers in the far north don’t often venture outdoors, we spend most of our days pulling plastic at my home gym, Vertical Endeavors in St. Paul. Now, I’ve been to a lot of climbing gyms, and I may be biased, but the bouldering wall that Brian Camp built at Vertical Endeavors is the best training wall I’ve ever seen. Check it out!
 
 
It stands fourteen feet tall, and thirty five feet wide. The far left side is 60 degrees overhanging, and it gently rolls into 45 degrees towards the right. This is the wall I trained on before winning the IFSC Vail World Cup in 2008.
 
 
Not only does this gym have the most impressive bouldering wall, it’s also home to some of the country’s strongest kids. There are approximately 115 kids on 7 teams of various levels at VE.
 
 
During my month in Wisconsin I taught climbing clinics to the team kids, and coached the competitive advanced team, the Mountain Goats. The team was preparing for Youth Bouldering Regionals that took place mid-January at the striking new gym, Climb Iowa.
 
 
On January 15th my mom, Fritz and I drove down to Des Moines to volunteer at the competition.
 
 
 
Trying to be a judge and a coach at the same time is a near-impossible feat. I foreran all the boulder problems the night before the comp and was constantly swallowing beta the day of the event.
 
 
 
 
All the kids competing did really well! It was fun, and the event went very smoothly.
 
 
I had an absolutely amazing time working with the teams. They are not only the greatest kids I’ve ever met, but some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met. I’m excited to announce that I will be moving back home to Wisconsin in February after ABS Nationals to coach full-time before I head to Europe in May.
 
Meet the Vertical Endeavors Mountain Goats
 
Ruth Grenke
Nickname: Surgeon
Age: 16
Years Climbing: 5
Discipline: Lead
Claim to Fame: Learning how to pop
Favorite Color: Aqua
“If I ruled the world…I would make world peace and stop global warming. Then I would put rock climbing in the Olympics and pay the best builders out there to build a gigantic gym for me and all my climbing friends. After I had my own gym I would pick a new world leader and go climb forever.”
 
Chris Freund
Nickname: Hummingbird
Age: 15
Years Climbing: about 5
Discipline: Bouldering
Claim to Fame: Climbing in skinny jeans
Favorite Color: Red
“If I ruled the world… I would make climbing an Olympic sport and give Team Mountain Goats bye’s to finals.”
 
Sarah Wiehe
Nickname: Wee-hee
Age: 14
Years Climbing: 4
Discipline: Bouldering
Claim to Fame: Pushing through her injury and becoming stronger than ever
Favorite Color: Turquoise
“If I ruled the world…I would make sure everyone had food to eat and a place to climb!”
 
Kyra Condie
Nickname: Secret Weapon
Age: 13
Years Climbing: 2.5
Discipline: Lead, Bouldering, Speed
Claim to Fame: She will be the next Alex Johnson!
Favorite Color: Blue
“If I ruled the world…I would make an indoor deep water soloing gym.”
 
Sammy Stumpner
Nickname: Samwich
Age: 11
Years Climbing: 4
Discipline: Bouldering, freedom of climbing without a harness!
Claim to Fame: Being on speaking terms with the Fire Gods
Favorite Color: Purple
“If I ruled the world… I’d bring peace and chocolate to the world!”
 
Noah Ridge
Nickname: Dragon
Age: 15
Years Climbing: 5
Discipline: Lead
Claim to Fame: Having bigger biceps than calves
Favorite Color: Pink
“If I ruled the world…I’d move to another country.”
 
Conlan Olson
Nickname: CEO (pronounced See-Oh)
Age: 11
Years Climbing: 3
Discipline: Bouldering
Claim to Fame: Finishing 100 push-ups before Noah could do 20
Favorite Color: Orange
“If I ruled the world…I’d create climbing preserves in all my favorite outdoor places.”
 
Karen Leopold
Nickname: ZebraHeart
Age: 18
Years Climbing: 10
Discipline: Climbing, anything, outside, ropes
Claim to Fame: Being the oldest, yet most innocent on the team
Favorite Color: All the colors!
“If I ruled the world…I would like everybody to buckle down and just think. Perhaps we’d figure out what the universe is expanding into, what is the meaning of time and eternity, what is consciousness, and how observation influences reality. Actually, I wouldn’t want to rule the world; too complicated, and no time to climb.”
 
 
Jimmy Grenke
Nickname: Ninja
Age: 14
Years Climbing: 3
Discipline: Bouldering
Claim to Fame: Knowing how to crump and jerk
Favorite Color: Red
“If I ruled the world…Everybody would dance to places instead of walk.”
 
Stuart Lantz
Nickname: StuBeast
Age: 18
Years Climbing: 4
Discipline: Bouldering
Claim to Fame: Being able to tame the beast inside Jack
Favorite Color: Blue
“If I ruled the world…climbing would be the only sport.”
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