Saturday 10 February, 2018 marked the 2nd State Titles for lead climbing in Australia; the Victorian Lead Titles hosted by North Walls Indoor Climbing in Brunswick. It was a fantastic event with one of our largest ever fields (over 100 competitors).
James Kassay took out the Open A Male division with a solid performance on all three routes. The Open A Female division had a nail-biting finish with Emma Horan, Isabelle Hare and Oceana Mackenzie all reaching the same desperate sloping volume three moves from the top, with Oceana claiming the title on count-back. It was inspiring to see many of the Youth A and Junior competitors mixing it up with their more experienced compatriots by taking on the Open A division as well as their own age category. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for them!
Para-climbing featured for the first time in a Victorian state competition, where Queensland State Champion Eddie Sparks made her mark. After sustaining a brain injury in a climbing accident in 2014 it was inspiring to watch her climb and witness her strength and determination on the wall. When asked if she had any tips for young climbers she responded with sage advice: “Don’t bang your head!” We were glad to welcome Eddie to the competition and we wish her all the best for her return to climbing.
During the event, Sport Climbing Victoria (SCV) announced the launch of the SCV Teams App which is the new resource hub for news, events, information and connecting with other members. As part of this, SCV also announced exciting new membership incentives including 10% discounts at Bogong and the Wilderness Shop, and 20% at Paddy Pallin (Melbourne).
Download the app today and search for Sport Climbing Victoria.
Thanks must go to all the SCV and SCA officials; in particular Jury President Ingemar Johnsson, Head Judge Steph Gooden and Head Setter Will Hammersla, along with their dedicated teams of route-setters and volunteers. Thanks also goes to the event sponsors Edelrid and Expedition Equipment, who made the event possible, and to the North Walls Indoor Climbing Team for letting us put their brand new walls to the test and for hosting such a successful event.
A final thank you to all the competitors and spectators for making it a great event with a fantastic atmosphere and putting some impressive climbing on display. We wish all the climbers the best of luck with the upcoming State Speed Titles and Nationals in Lead and Speed. We look forward to all the action in the year ahead.
– James Gooden, SCV Board Member
For full results, click here.
Keep an eye out on the SCV and North Walls Facebook groups for images coming soon.
Want to relive the action? Watch the forerunning videos that highlight the qualifying routes:
