St John’s, Newfoundland – The competition climbing season kicked off this week for Newfoundland athletes with the first of two major provincial climbing competitions this winter at the Wallnuts Climbing Centre in St John’s, Newfoundland on Sunday. Not familiar with competition climbing? Well, its taking off in Canada and Newfoundland and will be an event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Last weekend’s Bloc on The Rock event saw 80 climbers compete in Under12, Under19 and Open categories in the Bouldering discipline. This is short wall power climbing without ropes. The Newfoundland Junior Team, sponsored by the NL Section of the Alpine Club of Canada, had members competing in U12, U19 and Open class.
Team members Erinn Locke, aged 16, took first place in Woman’s Open, Mitchell Edwards, aged 18, took third place in Men’s Open. Under 19 Men’s was a sweep with all three spots going to NL Junior Team members along with first place in Woman’s Under 19 and first place in Under 12.
The Junior team now begins preparation for competitions in Quebec with hopes of qualifying for the Canadian nationals in Vancouver in the new year.
MENS OPEN: 1st – Sandy Walsh. 2nd – Joel Harvie. 3rd – Mitchell Edwards.
WOMANS OPEN: 1st – Erinn Locke. 2nd – Sarah Spurrell. 3rd – Racheal Goenaga.
WOMANS U19: 1st – Lily Dubrowski, 2nd – Ezzy Doyle, 3rd – Cheyenne Kelly.
MENS U19: 1st – Nathan Hesketh. 2nd – Michael Reader. 3rd – Cian Waterhouse.
UNDER 12: 1st – Emmett Booth, 2nd – Nolan Bateman, 3rd – Claire Winsor
MEN’S REC: 1st Nicholas Wittering, 2nd Rüdiger Brecht, 3rd Stephen O’Keefe.
WOMAN’S REC: 1st Kaitlyn Noel, 2nd Nicole Hand, 3rd Zoe Armstrong.
Competition climbing in Canada is sanctioned by the Alpine Club of Canada and Climbing Canada and International Federation of Climbing Sports.
