In addition to being one of the drivers in the development of the Kelowna bouldering scene and organiser fo the Rock the Blocs Bouldering Festival, blurr ambassador Staci White took the win in the women's open event at RTB this past weekend. Thoughts and photos from Staci...
I’ve never been a big indoor competition climber, they make me super nervous. Outdoor comps have a different feel. There’s so much stoke for each other, everyone spotting and giving beta when needed. Competitors are cheering and on a high from the great vibes. It’s also a great opportunity to see other strong women crushing and to get inspired.
I have competed in the “Rock The Blocs” comp since it started back in 2013. I took away last year’s open prize for the women and this year I was going for gold again. I made a plan, and I feel like I was able to walk away completing a lot of the climbs I had set out to do. With this comp, though my husband (Andy White) is the organizer, I am not able to see or know what climbs will be on the score card, which made me quite nervous leading up to the day. When I got to the fields, my plan was to get on something I was sure I could flash. I jumped on “Surfs Up”, which came in at V6, and got my day rolling. I knew at that point I had to get on my hardest climb while still fresh. I went over to send a V7 called “Shark Biscuit” on my first go and I was stoked! I felt great, this was something I had climbed once prior to the comp and it was HARD! I then went and rolled off two more 6’s (Master Beta and Full Chub Morning Wheezer) and a V5 (Ribrageous) to finish off the scorecard. I came out with a score of 30 points and 7 attempts total, taking home first prize and some beauty loot.
It was rewarding to see progression from previous comps, where my hardest send had been a V6. I have been alternating my outdoor bouldering sessions with indoor training, specifically training power and compression, which suits the fields perfectly.
It was great to be able to celebrate with friends and our amazing family at Blurr who came up to check out what The Fields are all about.
I already can’t wait for next year’s comp, and hope that we can lure some more strong ladies up to join our field!
