Tampa Bouldering Series 6 - First Event

Hey guys! Things have been wild since the last post. I am currently gearing up to host an adaptive climbing clinic in Joshua Tree National Park. I am hosting the event in conjunction with Athletes w/ Disabillities Network and Inner Passage Guiding Service. Our goal is to introduce twenty persons with disabilities to their first outdoor climbing experience. We got huge support from the outdoor community with our sponsors being Evolv, Sterling Rope, Black Diamond, Prana, Mountain Khakis, and Sanuk. It is going to be a really rad event. I will also be shooting photos with Damon Corso, who is doing a spread for Urban Climber Magazine. Also joining us for the clinic will be Jordan Shipman and Jon Glassberg taking video for Louder Than 11.

I started climbing at Vertical Ventures climbing gym about four years ago. I have been really lucky to be surrounded by such a great group of individuals. The guys at Vertical Ventures, Chris Brown, Christian Tartaglia, and Hal Thureson have been big supporters of mine since I started climbing and have pushed and help motivate me into the person that I am today.

I started my full time job in Orlando at Prosthetic and Orthotic Associates in August and have not been climbing at Vertical Ventures much at all as of late spending most of my training time at the climbing gym in Orlando. When I heard the Tampa Bouldering Series vol 6 was coming up I got really psyched to compete, go see old friends, and just have a good time at the old stomping grounds.

The boulder problems were great as usual, and despite a frustrating start I kept it together, finished strong and mangaged to nab first place in my division! Having been way more psyched on outdoor climbing lately this was a pleasant suprise and I am looking forward to the rest of the events. Gym climbing is always harder for me because certain movements are created that I am not physically capable of doing, and there are only one or two other options of how to do the movement differently, if any. I find that when I go outdoor climbing I can usually find a method of alternate movement that works for me.

I picked up a sponsorship by Organic Climbing recently and just got my new foam last week! I am really excited to be a part of the team. They make the best crashpads in the industry!

Also I got some new graphics put on my leg. The photos did not turn out great, but here they are to give you an idea. One is of my place of work and leg sponsor - Prosthetic and Orthotic Associates, and the other logo is of my motto "Never Stop".

Thats all for now, I have tons more stuff to post up.

The one who gets to the top is the one who never stops trying!

I'm out!

Ronnie