A centuries old basic human activity has suddenly become the trendy rage.
Climbing walls seem to be going up everywhere – schools, rec centres, cruise ships. The under-construction University of Victoria athletics centre will feature one prominently.
So could the 2020 Summer Olympics, which will take place in Istanbul, Tokyo or Madrid. Climbing is one of sports shortlisted for possible addition to the Olympic agenda in 2020, with the IOC to vote on that later this year.
Curious sports fans can check out what the fuss is all about — not to mention watch possible future Olympians — this weekend as the Boulders Climbing Gym in Central Saanich, located at Stelly’s High School, hosts the 2013 Canadian youth climbing championships.
Qualifying rounds are today from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the semifinals Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and the finals Monday from 9 a.m. to noon. Eighty climbers have qualified from across Canada. It’s an open nationals, so several U.S. climbers are also competing.
It’s the appetizer for the 2013 world youth championships that take place at the Central Saanich facility Aug. 15-19.
As an indication of how serious climbing is becoming as a sport, top-ranked Canadian junior female climber Alison Stewart-Patterson relocated to Greater Victoria from Kamloops two years ago to be near the Boulders Gym wall, which is considered one of the best in North America.
Brother Robert Stewart-Patterson, North America No. 4 male junior who, like his sister has also represented Canada at the world youth championships, remained in Kamloops but spends many of his weekends on the Island training at the Boulders Gym.
The Stewart-Pattersons are among the top climbers to watch this weekend at the nationals, along with top-ranked Canadian male junior Elan Jonas-McRae of Nanaimo, Pan American youth champion Marc Eveleigh of Calgary and No. 3-ranked female youth Pan Am and Canadian Allison Vest and fellow world championships competitor Elise Sethna, both of Canmore, Alta.
Iain Stewart-Patterson teaches at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops and is also a mountain-climbing guide, so the sport came naturally to his off-spring Alison and Robert.
“You don’t need the competition aspect to love the sport,” said Alison Stewart-Patterson, who has competed in five world youth championships.
“Most climbers just climb outdoors and don’t compete.”
But it’s the competition angle that has the IOC taking a serious look at this burgeoning sport.
“It’s as much a mental sport as a physical sport,” said Alison Stewart-Patterson, who said you have to think through your climbing routes and strategy.
“You don’t have to be big and muscular. Climbing takes in all body types,” said the five-foot-four, 135-pound graduate of Stelly’s High School.
Competing in the nationals, and later this summer in the worlds, at Boulders Gym gives the local climbing stars home-wall advantage.
“You don’t get to have that happen too often and we’re really excited about competing in the championship events this year at the same place where we train,” said Stewart-Patterson.
And after that, who knows?
Maybe it will be onto the Olympics in Istanbul, Tokyo or Madrid in the summer of 2020.
