Emma Horan (ACT) and Tom Farrell (NSW) took out the Open A category at the 2015 Bayside Boulder Bash held Saturday 28 February in Carrum Downs, Victoria, each taking home cash prizes of $500. The competition attracted nearly 100 competitors, with about 20 per cent of entrants representing other states: South Australia, Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Tasmania.
Andrea Hah (NSW) qualified for finals in 1st place in womens – one of only two to complete all six qualifying boulder problems (Claire Langmore (Vic.) also topped them all with just one more attempt). In finals, it was Horan and 13-year-old Sienna Wong (Vic.) who topped the most problems (three each), with Horan needing fewer attempts. Wong placed 2nd, followed by Hah in 3rd.
In men’s, Tim Lockwood (Vic.) qualified for finals in 1st place, the only competitor to top five problems. Tom Farrell (NSW) qualified in 2nd place and was the only person to top three problems in the men’s final, securing a win. Daniel Fisher (ACT) topped one finals problem, taking second place before Jarred Jordan (NSW) in 3rd, who also topped one problem in one more attempt.
For highest placed Victorian Tim Lockwood, who hails from the country town of Natimuk, “The class of setting was top notch. Every problem was engaging and had you wanting to get back on as soon as you’d fallen off,” he tells Sport Climbing Victoria.
He was especially thrilled to unlock the slab problem in the final minutes of the qualifying boulder jam. “Really intricate climbing,” he describes.
Lockwood held his own in a field of strong competitors. Jordan was on the Australian Youth Climbing Team from 2012–2014. Fisher competed in World Youth Championships in 2011 and has climbed White Ladder (34) in Nowra, NSW. Farrell is ranked 16th in the 2014 IFSC Bouldering World Cup.
“The World-Cup style final was a first for me,” says Lockwood. “It’s certainly good onsight training.”
“This competition showed me that while they are vastly different, competition climbing and outdoors climbing don’t have to be mutually exclusive. They share similar traits of onsighting under pressure and making quick decisions based on a repertoire of skills.”
In the women’s intermediate category, Rosalyn Blake (ACT), Amy Langmore (NSW) and Tanya Schulze (Vic.) placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. In men’s intermediate, 1st, 2nd and 3rd places were taken by Frederic Bonnet (Vic.), Daniel Teo (Vic.) and Tharatorn Supasiti (Vic.).
Photos from the event are available via Climb Media, here.
For more results, click here.
Photo by Climb Media
