Written by Anneka Peterson

In 2020, sport climbing became recognized as an olympic sport. However, due to Covid, no one actually competed in climbing until 2021. When discovering that climbing is an internationally recognized sport for the Olympics there are many questions that tend to come up; mainly, how is it judged? Well, like all the other extreme sports, they are based on completion and skill, but there are 3 main categories that Olympic climbing falls under: Lead, Bouldering and Speed.

Photo from IFSC

Olympic Lead: Climbers are given six minutes to ascend as high as they can on a 15-meter wall that's tilted five degrees. They can't see the route before they start, and must also clip their belay rope into quickdraw carabiners along the way for safety. Climbers are awarded points for reaching the highest holds on the wall, with the top hold earning 100 points. 

(most lead climbs are estimated to be at the 5.10b range or higher).

Olympic Bouldering: The bouldering portion is next. In bouldering, a climber attempts to scale shorter sequences (commonly called “boulders” or “problems”) without a rope. The climber will be allowed to attempt a given boulder as many times as they wish within a 4-minute time limit. However, when those 4 minutes are up, the climber must move on to the next boulder. The athlete will be judged on how many zones they can go past (about half way up the problem), as well as how many tops they get (putting both hands on the last hold of the problem).

Photo By Marco Kost

Sender One’s LAX location actually has an Olympic standard speed wall, if you have never seen it before, it's definitely worth checking out 🙂

Speaking of the Olympics, Sender One is having a gym-wide challenge in honor of the upcoming events. We will be hosting the Send-Lympics across all of our 5 locations; do you have what it takes?

Here is how it works:

Our Challenge will be running from July 29th - August 26th

Each gym will have specific challenge climbs, and they will be noted by one of these postcards next to the tag!

An attempt or send will count toward the challenge! Once attempted (or sent) the climber will bring their postcard up to the front desk where our staff will stamp in the corresponding circle to their gym location! 

• "With what stamp?" I can hear you thinking. Not to worry! These will be dropped off at the same time as the postcards!

 As noted on the postcard, there are, of course, prizes associated with this challenge:

• If you complete 4/5 trials, you get 5 raffle entries and a 15% off discount on your next retail purchase!
• If you complete 5/5 trials, you get 10 raffle entries and a 25% off discount on your next retail purchase!

The Raffle:

• Once someone submits their postcard, they will be entered into the raffle! 
• The raffle is for either a Sterling Ion 60m or Evolv Drop Pad! The winner of the raffle chooses their prize!
• An additional way to earn raffle entries is to post an attempt (or send) on Instagram, and to tag @senderone on the post/story! 5 entries for each post (limited to one post per challenge)

Because the olympic climbing athletes must compete in all of the events, they must be incredibly, and evenly, skilled. As someone who is mainly a lead climber, personally, this sounds insane! But hey, so are climbers.

Climbing has gone so far to even be recognized in the Paralympics. Paralympic climbing athletes come from all different backgrounds and disabilities. From vision impairment to physical and neurological disabilities, Paralympic athletes compete with the same vigor and talent as the standard Olympic athlete. Most have a unique set of circumstances and restrictions that they must follow based on their ability, this creates an even playing field between all the competitors of similar circumstances. Athletes are put into Sport Class based on their disability, to allow those with a disability of a similar nature to compete within the same category. This also means that events are specialized to create the most suitable, and safe environment for competitors. Having worked closely with some of these athletes, such as Jake Sanches (pictured on the left), I am continually inspired every day by these individuals. Climbing truly has no limits!

We are so excited to see that another extreme sport has entered Olympic recognition. Who is excited to watch it this year?

Photo by: Jason Chang @theshortbeta | Photo: Michael Hom breaks National Record at Youth Speed QE, Sender One LAX

Team Sender One SNA placed 3rd in the team speed rankings out of 53 teams competing at this event! This will be the second national banner for Team Sender One SNA. From Team Sender One: Michael, Logan, and Taede are heading to Youth Worlds in China in just over 6 weeks! On top of that, Sender One is also now home to 2 National Champions:  Sartaaj - 2024 MYC Speed National Champion! Taede -  2024 MYA Speed National Champion! Below is a list of where more members from Team Sender One LAX and Team Sender One SNA placed at Nationals, as reported by two of our coaches. If you’re interested in viewing overall scores you can visit this link.

Update: As of Friday July 19th, Alexis, an alternate for the World Team has been subbed in and will be attending Worlds in China next month. That means 4 Sender One athletes will be headed to China, instead of 3!

We are so unbelievably proud of our Youth Climbing Teams. If you see any of our athletes or coaches around the gym be sure to congratulate them on their hard work. And if you happen to see Michael, Logan or Taede around, wish them luck as they train for Worlds!

Speed Youth-C

Sartaaj placed 1st and is 2024 MYV Speed National Champion!

Ainsleigh placed 27th in FYC

Shion placed 18th in MYC

Nicole advanced to finals and placed 15th in FYC  

Speed Youth-B

Alexis placed 6th in FYB 

Lilysa placed 20th in FYB 

Matthew placed 23rd in MYB 

Evelyn placed 32nd in FYB

Gavin placed 40th in MYB

Mia placed 51st in FYB

Speed Youth-A

Taede placed 1st and is 2024 MYA Speed National Champion and is going to worlds!

Logan placed 5th in MYA and qualified for worlds though 2nd place in time rank

Maddi placed 9th in FYA

Gray placed 22nd in MYA

Izzy placed 32nd in FYA

Kang placed 34th in MYA

Speed Junior

Emma finished 22nd in FJR (that’s in the nation wow!)

Marcus placed 14th in MJR

Jack made it knockout finals and finished 15th

Zoe placed 21st in FJR

Casey placed 23rd in MJR

Noah placed 34th in MJR  

Boulder Qualification

 Sartaaj placed 24th in MYC

Lilysa placed 37th in MYB

Written by Hailey McFelia | Edited by Alexandra Erdman

Bouldering on the beach during summer and enjoying a picnic! What more could you ask for? So pull out your picnic blankets, put on your sunblock, and beachwear to get ready for our Summer 2024 Crag Cleanup! 

Photo by: Hailey McFelia | Photo of: members of American Alpine Club helping pick up trash 

What can you expect at Pirates Cove? The climbing here is mostly on the beach with a small cliff band and a cave. There are also a few boulders on the parking lot side of the hill that have a few problems on them. A good majority of the problems are V4 and under so it's very beginner friendly. That being said, the climbs are chossy so we recommend bringing a crash pad and some friends to spot you. Even though most of the climbs are over sand it’s best to put safety first. The problems are slightly tall so it will work your mental game. Since the climbs get wet with the tide, the holds can get pretty slimy, sand will get in your eyes, and also holds break here somewhat often.Keep in mind the beach is often packed during the summer, so be respectful of the beach goers.

Side Note: Crag Ethics say we should never climb on wet rock! Especially Sandstone! This is not just for the climbers safety, but those around them. It also changes the climbs as we climb the rock, the sandstone is so moldable and fragile, over time holds change and can even break off. Since it is unavoidable at Pirates Cove (due to the tide) it has become the only crag that has an exception to the “Don’t climb on wet rock” rule. Please climb with caution.

Photo by Harrison Vorhees | Climber: Anna Hazelnut

To find Pirates Cove type "Corona Del Mar State Beach" into whatever navigation app you use. The Pirate's Cove is on the far West Side about as far down Ocean Blvd as you can go. There is free parking to be found on the side streets dotting Ocean Blvd. The entrance to the beach is a downhill road on the SouthWest Side of Ocean Blvd with a sidewalk attached to it. From here if you look straight you'll see a rock formation straight ahead (if you're looking at the bathrooms it's to the right). On the other side of this rock formation is the beach and Pirate's Cove.

We can’t wait for y’all to join us for our Summer Crag Cleanup. Not only is it a way to give back to the climbing community, but it’s a great way to build and enrich our Sender One community! As a thank you for joining us, every participant will receive a free day pass card to any Sender One location. So bring your friends and family and we’ll see you there!

Written by Anneka Peterson

Although Dads can be often remarked on their socks with sandals and corny jokes, they can, in fact, be pretty dang cool. Here at Sender One, we want to take a moment to honor the men in our families that helped raise and guide us through the hard parts of life. How do they always seem to have the answers to, sometimes, the most difficult questions? And why are they always so good at helping us with our math homework? From financial advice, to fixing tires, dads really seem to do it all. However, they are far more capable than we could even imagine! Some even go as far to say that climbers actually make the best dads… here’s why.

Looking back, there are so many dads that have created milestones in the climbing industry. There are countless fathers who seem to continuously test the bounds of what it means to be a dad, and a climber, but here we will take a moment to just name a few.

Climbs such as this take an incredible amount of training and preparation. In this instagram post above we see Tom and his youngest daughter on a makeshift rope swing (climbing dads do tend to make the best rope swings after all). Tom goes on to explain that while he trains around the house, his daughter picks up on what he is doing and often asks how many reps he’s done, and if she can join in too. It's incredible to think that at the young age of 5, their dad has such an influence on them. 

Becoming a father can shift your entire scope of what it means to be a climber. Alex Honnold, the man best known for his free solo of El Capitan in Yosemite and various other technical climbs, says that “‘The biggest difference,..., will have to do with how I spend my time. Having a small child seems more conducive to short bursts of intense training, which lends itself to bouldering and sport climbing’” His expression to start to wind down his training, due to the birth of his daughter shows the amazing balance and sacrifice that Honnold is willing to make for such a pivotal moment in his life – becoming a dad.  In the classic Honnold fashion, he expresses “seems like the kid will be the priority." Honnold also shows an interest in getting his child into the sport once she is able to, no surprise there really. "Using hand jammies is still free climbing, so it’s still acceptable for any child of mine. Plus, I suppose I want her hands to wind up a little less ogreish than mine." 

Personally, my own dad has had his fair share of climbing experience, TRAD no less! Only growing up with my dad as a soft mannered, extremely intelligent software engineer, I would have never guessed that he had an interest in extreme sports such as climbing. I knew of his passion for space exploration and computer parts, and even a little hiking and rollerblading, but never trad. My dad recalls, “My sophomore year of college, I transferred from Oregon State to the University of Utah in Salt Lake City (early 1980s). The U of U is situated near the foot of the Big and Little Cottonwood canyons. Both canyons are filled with a wonderland of granite climbing routes, all less than 30 minutes from the campus. When I first arrived, my cousin - mostly, I think, due to serious prodding by his mom - took me out to try bouldering. It did not go well. When I arrived, I wasn't much of an athlete, and didn't have the upper body strength to get more than a foot or two off the ground. Ironically, my cousin was a fantastic climber. He became well known in the sport, and spent his career marketing climbing gear and clothing” Specifically my dad’s cousin is now working with Black Diamond.

Years later, I saw my daughter have a similar experience going to college in Boulder Colorado. The mountains were right there for her, ready to go explore. And even if that was too far away, the campus athletic center had a huge climbing wall to practice on (those weren't a thing when I was in school!). It's exciting to watch her succeed in the sport and use her talents to share her enthusiasm for the sport with others.

It's incredibly inspiring to see how our dads influence us into who we are as adults. Although my dad didn't continue climbing much after college, I definitely got his “how hard can it be” gene in terms of tinkering and trying new things. Again, Thank you to all the incredible Father’s that raised us and I hope all of you have an amazing Father’s Day.

Written by Hailey McFelia

At Sender One our mission is to connect with others through climbing. We achieve this by highlighting our community via our Cares Program initiatives. Since it’s the month of June you know what that means… PRIDE MONTH! 

Since it’s pride month we are highlighting our Send with Pride initiative today. Send with Pride is typically a monthly meetup hosted at every Sender One location, but for the month of June we like to make it special in order to celebrate. The meetup is designed to provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ folx and allies to create community and meet new climbing partners. We offer that everyday, but we feel it’s important to bring awareness that this is a safe space despite gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. We want you to “Climb as you are”. Here’s some fun ways we plan to celebrate:

Sender One Playa Vista | Thursday, June 2nd
This event is FREE when you RSVP.
Show your pride while we climb! Nail polish, glitter, and temporary hair color will be available for use. Looks and sends will be captured by a photographer in the LGBTQ+ community. Keep an eye on PV’s Instagram to cast your vote for foods! 

Sender One SNA | Wednesday, June 19th 

Make new friends and exchange friendship bracelets along with some sweet treats!

Sender One LAX | Thursday, June 20th

Treat Yo’ Self to some sweet sends and tasty pride treats. The setting team has created a fun pride climb for y’all to enjoy. 

Sender One Westwood | Friday, June 28th

Last but certainly not least, Westwood is serving up homage to their movie theater roots. Did you know that the old theater, that is now our Westwood location, was actually the first theater to start the fun interactive Rocky Horror Picture Show events? So put on your fishnets and bright red lips and let’s do the time warp again! *
This event is recommended for ages 14+ 

Lakewood | TBD

We know you’re super eager to climb at Lakewood…So are we! While we do not have a concrete opening date (we’re getting so close though, just hang tight), we do have a Pride Climb set for you to climb! If we are able to, we will host a Send With Pride meetup. No promises, but stay tuned for any updates via Instagram!

We hope you join us for these events, but any day can be pride day/month at Sender One. We have something pretty rare here in the queer community. There are not a lot of third places that are wellness spaces, more specifically most 3rd spaces for the LQBTQ+ community are not alcohol free spaces. When most people think about pride celebrations they think of the parades and the bars. We offer something that’s difficult to find. We wouldn’t have that community without you! So thank you for making this space and this community so rare and special. 

Happy Pride Month y’all <3

Written by Eric Ho

We asked a couple of Sender One staff, Melissa, Sophie, Brooke, Selina, to share a bit a bit about themselves:

Image: Melissa at Malibu Creek

Image: Selina at Playa Vista

Image: Sophie at LAX

Image: Brooke at SNA