blurr UK ambassador Dan Turner

blurr ambassador Dan Turner climbs like a boss. Fueled by seemingly endless motivation this UK crusher is constantly getting out there and getting it done.  He sends boulders like a teenage girl sends text messages: often.

We at blurr are happy to have Dan on the team, here's an excerpt from a recent interview Dan did with The Depot Climbing Center in Leeds with video:

How And When Did You Start Climbing?

I started around 14 when a few friends, Tim Patty, Sam Duff and Chris Freeman took me to the Penrith Climbing wall. I got obsessed quick. That wall was mad, it was such an amazing scene and for such a small wall its crazy to think it created some WADS; Jungle, Dave Jones, Freemans who have all either climbed Font8B or Sport 8c.

Which Crags In The Early Days?

My early days were spent at the Bowderstone and Reecastle. I kind of grew up on the Bowderstone, it’s such an amazing boulder to progress through the grades. There are endless pointless possibilities to keep you entertained and wanting more.

What Inspires You? Where Does Your Motivation Come From?

Big walk ins, big boulders and big lines. I think I am naturally very motivated, it scares me that one day I might not be motivated, that day will suck.

blurr Ambassador Mike Doyle

We're happy to have a long history with Mike Doyle. Longstanding member of the blurr ambassador team, Mike's contribution extend well beyond the enthusiasm and product feedback he's filtered through to us over the years and out to the broader climbing community, in particular the Canadian competition climbing scene. We're glad you're out there doing what you're doing and that we're fortunate enough to benefit as we're dragged along with you.

Words and images from Mike -

I've been climbing for over 20 years. I started out learning the ropes at Skaha Bluffs in the early 90s before turning my focus to competition climbing in the mid-90s. I have competed all over North America and a few times in Europe and Australia. My own interest in training led me to do a lot of research on the subject and eventually start coaching others. After a few year I was coaching at the Edge Climbing Centre in North Vancouver and even helped coach the Canadian National Team. While the coaching was rewarding, the combination of working full time (Software Engineer), training and coaching caused me to get a little burned out. I took some time and travelled the world, just climbing. Las Vegas, Nevada is where I currently call home and I moved here solely for the climbing. With the current state of technology I was able to live anywhere in North America and, yes, I chose Vegas. As a weekend warrior it's great to rarely have to check the forecast when making climbing plans. 

Mike in Zion.

The blurr brand and corporate philosophy has always resonated with me. From the early days of "Work, Climbing, Training, Travel" blurr has always fit my lifestyle of fashion and function.I've worn blurr clothing into meetings at multi-billion dollar companies, job interviews, countless days out climbing and of course sleeping in the dirt. 

Mike on Necessary Evil.

Mike and Evilution.

Ambassadors Vikki and Spenser from the RV Project

Vikki Glinskii and Spencer Tang-Smith, aka the RV Project, have recently joined our ambassador team here at blurr and psych is high all around. Already, this energentic duo is contributing photo, video and product ideas. The first of which you'll see become a reality in our fall '15 program.

Since stuffing their lives into a trailer over two and a half years ago, they've been travelling all over the continent and have never looked back. This dynamic duo is willing to put it all on the line for the experience. Both resourceful and unflappable they are the epitome of a power couple. Imagine Bonnie and Clyde, but with Canons instead of hand cannons. 

They rolled into Squamish mid June, but not before stoping in Kelowna to check out the Boulder fields, and to shoot the video above. Welcome to the team you guys, very happy to have you involved.

Topo - The Distillery Squamish

blurr ambassador Jack Fieldhouse has been on a developing spree lately and graciously aged to put forward info on The Distillery, an area he developed recently with friends. We've helped pull together the topo and are happy to share with you here.

From Jack -

After recovering from an illness that put me out of the game for much of 2013, I was desperate to climb rock, specifically to establish new rock climbs. Throughout last fall and this past winter and spring I was really focused on boulder problem development. A few of my friends (Israel Cruces, Stu Smith, Scott Milton and Sandra Studer) and I spent a lot of time scrubbing and climbing problems in a new sector north of Squamish. On one of my boulder searches I noticed a nice little shady crag that looked like it had some interesting, featured rock, although at that point it was almost completely enshrouded in moss. Cleaning this crag would be a time-consuming project requiring lots of work. I left it thinking that I might come back to it at some point once I was finished in the new bouldering area. 

Well, then summer came, and as locals know, it was a hot one.  Scrubbing and climbing new problems in a sundrenched talus field with a steep approach hike became uncomfortable and on some days, unsafe.  This was a big disappointment for me as I had set a goal to establish 500 problems this year and was on-pace until the temps really started to become unbearable. 

Reluctantly, I decided to stop working in the new sector.  Feeling a little bummed, I thought about what else I could do to keep myself busy.  A few other shaded bouldering spots came to mind but nothing got me psyched.  So I decided to adjust my goal to include some routes and I started work on the little crag.  My wife, Shannon, came and helped me scrub and equip the first line, which was really cool.  Since having kids we don’t often get the chance to do that kind of thing together and it was fun to spend time that way.  The rest of the lines I did either on my own or with my friend, Alec Fernandes.  Alec had actually noticed the crag earlier as well and when he found out I was developing it he expressed interest in being involved so he joined me and together we developed the remaining easier lines. 

The crag, which I’ve named “The Distillery”, is located just off the trail to the Pillary crag at Area 44.  The routes are at a variety of grades up to 5.11+.  With the autumn temperatures on the way I’m glad to have the crag complete and once again be able to focus on boulder problem development down in the new sector.  I hope people enjoy the routes at The Distillery this fall.  The routes are all bolted, really fresh and haven’t seen many climbers.  We found the routes tricky to grade and they may be a bit “off” on the topo.  If you climb them, please comment on the grades by posting at the following link so we can build consensus.  Thanks, and enjoy!

http://squamishclimbing.com/squamish_climbing_bb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5176

New Ambassadors Andy and Staci White

It's a lot of work this climbing brand thing. Motivation can ebb and flow, thankfully mostly flow.  We've got a great group of people making it all happen here at blurr, with loads of motivation for all things in and out of the office, but we're also fortunate to be able to draw on the motivation of those involved as ambassadors for our brand and fortunate to have just added some seriously motivated individuals in Andy and Staci White. Here's a bit about Andy...

Here's a snippet from the original note Andy sent us -

Over the years, I have always loved Blurr products and think they are terrific. I love that Blurr is a local, Canadian company that produces great products. I feel like Blurr is a brand well worth supporting and I would love to be part of the team!

As far as personally, I've been climbing all over North America for quite a number of years and over the last 7 or so years, have been the driving force in the massive development of the Okanagan bouldering scene. I'm a father, high school teacher, devoted boulderer, head route-setter at Beyond the Crux Climbing Gym in Kelowna, BC, guidebook and magazine article author, and am genuinely entrenched in the sport of climbing, whether it's indoor or outdoor. As I said, I've been one of the main people driving the bouldering development in our region and over the years I have put up hundreds of problems from V0-V12, have written one guidebook and I'm now working on a much larger second guide and have consistently been promoting and developing the region and the sport. In fact, I'm also the founder and organizer of the Rock the Blocs Boulderfest at the Bouderfields in Kelowna which just finished it's second very successful and popular year.

Andy putting his first batch of blurr gear through it's paces.

Check out this video for more on Andy and the scene in Kelowna:

Welcome to the team Andy and Staci, glad you got in touch.