Archive for the ‘Team’ Category

Team Update June 2017

Friday, June 30th, 2017

Record Number of Invitations to Divisionals!

Congratulations to all of the Team Edgeworks competitors who qualified for an invitation to the 2017 USAC Divisional Championship in Anchorage, AK, June 17-18! Out of nineteen kids on Team Edgeworks who competed at the regional, thirteen qualified for an invitation to the divisional, exceeding our wildest expectations! Although, no one should have been surprised at the strides the kids have made these past few months. They have earned it by  putting in an incredible amount of hard work, dedicating themselves to excellence, and doing it all while smiling and encouraging each other every step of the way.

These are the ten competing in Anchorage this month, wish them luck next time you see them:

– Brette Hume
– Elizabeth Hume
– Sophia Terrill
– Noah Larsen
– Hal Warren
– Ethan Riggle
– Kohle Andrews
– Aiden Hecker
– Jageli Rife
– Halle Rife

Climbing “Homework” for the Dedicated Few.

With the Divisional competition rapidly approaching, a few dedicated climbers have committed to extra practice time during the week to work on longer routes. Some of the Advanced Team climbers who are going to the Divisional have been spending their off day at the new Cirque Climbing gym in Lacey, WA to take advantage of the taller walls. Next sport and speed season we look forward to being able to train for endurance on our own walls!

Upcoming Events

June 10

Team Lock-in. $20/pp, sign up at the front desk.

June 17 – 18

USAC Divisional Championship, Alaska Rock Gym, Anchorage, AK

Social Media

Check the lobby bulletin board, Facebook, Instagram for Team Edgeworks news and information.

Next PCA Meeting

The June meeting is cancelled.

Team Update May 2017

Wednesday, May 31st, 2017

Team Outdoor Trip

Record numbers of kids made it to Vantage on April 29th for the team outdoor sport climbing trip. For some, climbing outside was a new experience.  Even though some kids had done this trip before, team coach and AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Jimmy Grant made sure new experiences were had all around.

Jimmy commented, “I think all of the kids had a great time! Lots of them experienced their first lead climb outdoors, and some even got to clean their first route (removal of the climbing gear from the wall)! Two of my favorite events of today were watching Kohle Andrews lead climb the hardest routes at ‘The Feathers’ pushing his personal boundaries and climbing with style. The second moment was watching Elizabeth Hume lead her first outdoor climb! Her smile was contagious and kept all of us smiling for the whole day. I can’t wait until the next trip!”

Championship Season

The end of April marks the end of the 2017 USAC Sport and Speed Local Season and the beginning of Championship Season. We had an amazing season watching twenty six different Team Edgeworks climbers competing in five different local competitions. Nineteen of those kids are eligible to compete at the Regional Championship in May.

Eligibility for the Regional is dependent on collecting a score in a minimum of two local competitions. The top ten finishers in each category at the Regional will qualify to compete at the Divisional in Anchorage, AK in June. The top six in each category at the Divisional qualify to compete at the National in Kennesaw, GA in July.

The team will be preparing for the championships by maintaining their excellent fitness levels, and concentrating on areas needing improvement that surfaced during the local season. Part of that includes training on higher walls. That means field trips to other gyms. Keep your eyes open for scheduled team trips, and if you can, take some independent trips of your own.

NEW!

Have you  heard of our new Team Parent Memberships? If you’ve been meaning to join, now’s your chance. Parent’s of Team Members can now have a membership at $47/mo. and the joining fee is waived. All the same benefits of a regular membership are included. This rate is not advertised on our website. Sign up at the front desk today!

Team Update April 2017

Sunday, April 30th, 2017

Team Training Notes

by Josh Bennett

In the last few weeks Team Edgeworks has seen HUGE increases in Teamwork and overall fitness. The biggest and most noticeable difference is in their flexibility.

There are many reasons that flexibility is key in climbing. The biggest and best reason is that it enables our climbers to use their feet more efficiently!  Coaches are seeing the kids using their bodies in ways that they haven’t been able to before, and it’s really exciting because it opens the door to more creative and  technical beta.

We are  so stoked to be seeing these gains and it seems like the kids really enjoy it too!

2017 Sport and Speed Regional Registration

Registration for the 2017 USA Climbing: Sport & Speed Youth Regional Championships is now open! Please make note of the registration deadlines and eligibility requirements below and register today!

Important Registration Dates 

April 1 – April 30, 2017

USA Climbing: Sport & Speed Youth Regional Championships registration is now open and will continue until 11:59 PM MST on Sunday, April 30, 2017.

May 1 – May 2, 2017 | Registration Extension Period ($100 late fee)

On May 1st, USA Climbing will post a roster of currently registered competitors and reopen registration to allow all eligible members an additional 48-hours to register for Regionals at an additional $100 fee.

May 2, 2017 @ 11:59pm MST | Registration CLOSES 

Registration for Regionals will officially close on May 2nd at 11:59pm MST and USA Climbing will NOT accept any late or missed registration appeals if a competitor fails to register by this final registration deadline.

Eligibility Requirements

Sport & Speed Youth Regional Championships are open only to USA Climbing Competitor Members who:

•  hold a current USA Climbing Competitor membership

•  have competed in a minimum of, and received credit for, two Local competitions as a USA Climbing Competitor Member or USA Climbing DAY-Member

•  met all registration requirements and/or deadlines

•  have a Bye to the event

The two competition minimum participation requirement will be waived for competitors that wish to compete in SPEED ONLY.

**This is a summary of requirements. Please see the RULEBOOK for more details**

How to Register

Click the link in the email you received from USA Climbing, or go to www.usaclimbing.org

NEW!

Mark your calendar! The Olympic Peninsula Climbers and the Access Fund’s Conservation Team are holding a trail development event on April 15th, 2017 to develop a formal and safe trail to the Elwha Crags eastern climbing area, Waka Beach. Trail building will include things like brush clearing, digging, lots of manual labor, laughter, and a lot of fun (hopefully). More information is coming regarding how Team Edgeworks will be involved in this service event.

Team Update: March 2017

Friday, March 31st, 2017

Team Lock-in A Success!

Mini-golf, Hokey Pokey, Birdie on a Perch, Tyrolean Traverse, Capture The Flag; these are only some of the activities enjoyed by Team Edgeworks at the lock-in last month. The team in it’s newest form that includes Club, Comp, and Advanced Teams came together in one place for the first time on this night, bonding and developing a new team spirit.

Walking from Edgeworks to Tower Lanes seemed like it might be as treacherous as the Fitz Roy Traverse, but the kids travelled like it was a single pitch on the West Ridge of Prusik Peak! Once there, somehow 25 kids made very little impact on the facility, other than cleaning them out of their golf clubs. Everyone made it back safely and announced their presence by playing a rousing game of Hokey Pokey, drawing in other climbers as it progressed.

If climbing by itself isn’t a big enough challenge, many kids faced their fears by traversing a rope from one side of the gym to the other 20 feet off the ground. The Tyrolean traverse requires strength, trust, and determination. All of the team kids display these qualities daily.

Excellent comportment in our gym community and beyond, and helpfulness and encouragement to fellow teammates was tempered by quite a lot of silliness the rest of the night. They deserve it for all the hard work they put in every day. Go Team!

TEAM UPDATE: February 2017

Tuesday, February 28th, 2017

Nationals Bound! 

Congratulations to Riley Hume, Kohle Andrews, and Brette Hume for qualifying to compete at the USAC National Bouldering Championship in Salt Lake City, UT this month. This is not the first time two of these outstanding competitors have qualified for a National competition. Brette has qualified twice and Kohle an amazing five times! Both Riley and Brette started climbing at Edgeworks in 2013, joining team shortly after. Kohle first came to Edgeworks in 2008.

You can watch the event live at http://lt11.tv.

2017 Sport and Speed Season Schedule

Sport and Speed season is upon us. The full schedule for region 101 and 102 has been published on the USAC website. The following local competitions are recommended as there will be coaches at each of these.

LOCAL:

Region 101:

March 11 – Vertical World, Seattle
April 22 – Island Rock Gym, Bainbridge Island

Region 102:

March 18 – Multnomah Athletic Club – Portland, OR

CHAMPIONSHIPS:

May 13 – Regional – Stone Gardens, Bellevue.
June 17-18 – Divisional – Alaska Rock Gym.

TEAM EVENTS:

February 25 – Bowling and Lock-in, time TBA
April 29 – Vantage, WA – Outdoor Trip
August 11-13 – Leavenworth, WA – Outdoor Trip

NEW!

Team Edgeworks is sad to see Head Coach Jon Manz leaving Edgeworks Climbing to pursue new adventures with Rock Gym Pro in Bend, OR. Please read more here: http://bit.ly/2lgWtMY

Jon is Bound for Bend!

Wednesday, February 15th, 2017

Jon Manz

Edgeworks Employee since 2008

Over the past 9 years, Jon has solidified himself as a smart, witty and knowledgeable co-worker, respected route setter, friendly face at the front desk, and valued and appreciated head coach so there’s no doubt that his departure will be felt by the staff, team, and members alike. However, we’re also super excited to see him take on this next adventure and celebrate the fact that, even though he’s leaving Tacoma, his new role at RGP will allow him to maintain a connection to the Edgeworks staff and community. We hope you’ll join us in wishing him all best.

Here are a few words from Jon himself:

“I came to work at Edgeworks in early 2008 by the same path I discovered climbing in 2002, through the help and guidance of good friends. Now, at the start of 2017, I’m moving on to another adventure in the same way. While I’m extremely sad to be leaving Edgeworks, I am beyond excited to announce that I’ll be starting a new position with Rock Gym Pro in Bend, OR.

Rock Gym Pro began as software written for a single gym by a single person, but it has grown into a suite of software that more than 500 gyms worldwide rely upon. As Rock Gym Pro’s offerings have grown, so have their staff, and I’m happy to join their team of awesomely talented professionals as a Customer Support Specialist.

My greatest satisfaction across all of my jobs at Edgeworks has been from providing an environment where new and veteran climbers can build communities around their shared passion. I’m thrilled to start working with gyms around the country, and the world, to help them build those same communities with the help of all of the tools Rock Gym Pro can provide.

I’ll be at Edgeworks for another week, and I’d love it for anyone and everyone to stop in and say hi. I’m going to miss all the fantastic people I see at Edgeworks every day, but I hope you’ll remember, you’re not losing a friend in Tacoma, you’re gaining a friend in Bend!”

Team Spotlight: SPECIAL EDITION

Tuesday, January 31st, 2017

riley

Riley Hume has been a part of the Edgeworks community since January 2013, thanks to his mom Nicole Hume. According to Riley she wanted him “spending less time at the house”! He joined Team Edgeworks in September 2014.

In addition to the problem solving aspect of climbing itself, Riley enjoys being a part of the climbing community. He has taken every opportunity to participate in the community at Edgeworks. He was the first place finisher in the first ever Edgeworks 90 day challenge, he spends time climbing outdoors with members and staff of Edgeworks, he even started working at Edgeworks this year as a routesetter, and will be coaching young climbers to crush!

As part of the team, the trip to Leavenworth this year has been his favorite vacation so far. He “made memories and lifelong connections”. He is especially connected to teammate Hal Warren, Riley’s personal hero. “When life gets to me, he’s always there to remind me of everything I have to fight for”. His greatest supporter, former teammate Amy Arnts, has helped him “find happiness in everything that I do. She teaches me to love myself.”

This season marks the last season that Riley will compete with Team Edgeworks. He’s turning 18 next month, and plans to attend college to become a mechanical engineer while staying on as a weekend routesetter and coach at Edgeworks.

Coach Jon Manz says, “It’s been great to work with Riley for the last 3 years, and to help him grow as a climber, but the most exciting thing has been to watch him step into the role of coaching younger climbers as a youth program instructor. I’ve never had one of my athletes become a coach before, and I can’t think of a climber who’s better suited to shape the next generation of Edgeworks climbers.”

Riley is an interesting person with a few stories to tell. Next time you see him ask him about his two week backpacking trip across the Olympics and the Washington Coast.

Team Update: January 2017

Tuesday, January 31st, 2017

team-blog-banner

Divisional Championship

The weekend of January 14 Seattle Bouldering Project is hosting the Youth Bouldering Divisional Championship. Go to their website and sign up to volunteer. SBP gift cards, drinks and snacks will be provided.
Congratulations to the climbers who qualified to compete at Divisionals this year:
MYJ: Riley Hume, MYA: Hal Warren, FYB: Brette Hume, MYB: Kohle Andrews, Ethan Riggle, Austin Elliott, FYC: Sophia Terrill, FYD: Ireland Kress, Kaela Cameron

2017 Sport and Speed Season 

Sport and Speed season is still a few months away, but it’s a good idea to start planning now. Divisionals will be held at Alaska Rock Gym in Anchorage, which means some of you will be flying to Alaska! If you qualified for the divisional bouldering competition it’s a safe bet you’ll qualify in Sport and Speed as well.  If you missed it this year, don’t rule it out yet! By this summer you’ll be bigger, stronger, faster, and even more psyched!

Fundraising

THIS MONTH ONLY: Discounted Clip and Climb passes have been distributed to all team climbers. Hand these out to all your friends, neighbors, relatives, and acquaintances. For every certificate redeemed in January Edgeworks will donate $10 to the team!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Team members will be available on January 7th from 1:00p-3:00p to belay anyone who redeems their discounted Clip and Climb coupon during that time. Sign up at the front desk to be a part of this community event. ALL team members are encouraged to participate, regardless of age or size. Represent Team Edgeworks and wear your Team gear! I know some of you got some cool stuff for Christmas!

TEAM BUDGET: We’ve heard some good ideas about how to spend all this money we’re raising, including a lock-in, bowling, or a bowling/lock-in combo, a pizza party at Dorky’s arcade, and more. Keep the ideas flowing, and we’ll plan on doing something fun mid-February once the bouldering season is over. Bring your ideas to the January PCA meeting on the 12th.

Next PCA Meeting

January 12, 6:30pm – 7:00pm