Just been to make a cup of tea and for some reason started thinking about comments that someone (Ben Moon?) made years ago about young guns - to the effect that there was noone coming up, no younger generation of climbers pushing it - just him and Jerry on their ivory tower at the cream of the crop. If I was Ben Moon (I am in my dreams) I reckon I would probably have thought this was true, although after that statement, the likes of Cameron and Smith, Sellars et al all started doing rather well. Anyway, going off on a tangent again - my thoughts at the tea machine were that perhaps we are about to enter a golden age of British rock climbing? There are loads of young guns about at the moment, some of them with great potential - young Feehally (19) is certainly one of them, he is well strong, keen and dead dead young. My point being, if he is this good now, he will be unstoppable in years to come!
So, here it is then, the point of this post - a list of young guns coming through...
Paul B - when fixed, but only 24 and already done 8b!
Ryan Pasquill - waddage.
Tyler Landman - a right tool when I met him, but am assured he isn't now. About 12 but has climbed 8b(+?)
Ned "14st of shoulder" Feehally - 8a+ at 19, 8a and 18, grade extrapolation = 8c @ 22 and Font 9A by 24!!!!!
James Pearsons - loads of stuff, still under 25
Keith "Arms like a shirehorse" Bradbury - 24 (?) 8a+ already and if he stops training and goes climbing potential for so much more.
Dan Varian - North country waddage. Zeke in an afternoon. Nice guy too.
This is by no means definitive. There's loads of people I dont know who would make it on from Wales probably, but anyway - its good that these young punks are going to do some hard stuff (hopefully).
Anyway, following this mornings post, Ned texted and said that he isnt 12st after all, he is 11.5. Such a fat knacker. I honestly dont know why I associate with these fat laden amateurs.
Phwoaaarrrg! am listening to Richie on John Peel from god knows when and its all just got militant!
17 comments:
heh,
uncle is coooming sooouth early june. i have so much hard stuff to throw him at!!! im very psyched cos im sure ill climb well with him pushing me (in a metaphorical sense)!!!
maybe some project will be sent, i hope so!!!
Nibile
ps wow, hes 11 years younger than me!!!
my god this injury has aged me greatly! or not...I only just turned 22 a week ago!
I remember tyler having quite a stab at the british youths of today who are all about comps etc and saying that he was the only person who was getting out and doing anything. Think it was in friction.
That's fine for him to say, sadly the other 99.9% of climbers aren't bankrolled by their parents to climb full time at the world's best bouldering areas.
Hello Bobbin!
It looks like your "great-white-hope-o-meter" is fairly skewed by one negative meeting with Tyler. He is the first candidate by light years since he is a) much younger than all the others and b) has a far superior bouldering portfolio already.
This is only a bouldering related opinion though, in terms of general climbing ability then Ryan is streets ahead of the others - E8 flashes, E7 onsight, F8b+, F8a onsight, V13, V10 flash, E3 multipitch solo at night on drugs, comp wad too. Plus he's got a famous dad into the bargain. Can't think of anyone who can match any 3 of those, never mind the lot.
Your other choices are rubbish, they are either too fat to be any good (Bennett that means YOU!) or too into a nice long evenings soloing at Stanage to do anything hard (Keith).
Plus you should have Smitton in there.
as for richie i'm listening to the simon baker resident advisor podcast. very noodle house, minimal but tres pleasant. Tor tomorrow, need to climb!!!!
what plans for weekend. I'm doing 24hrs on saturday. but we need to go to the tor on sunday or monday. I need to do rooster booster, bens roof and moffattrocity. also when are we improving our ring strenght next?
work was alright, i've got my car back and I now am the proud owner of a sick paul smith suit.
gis a bell later
what jon said.
I thought of the list whilst making a cup of tea and listening to techno at my desk at work, all of which were distracting from the already haphazard creation of what really I should have confined to the depths of my mind under the banner of 'Pointless and trivial - do not air in public', already a very full area.
Paul - sorry. Never mind.
Jon - as ever - wise.
Nige - yes, has far superior ticklist but has had more opportunity to succeed - see Jon prv comment. Good point regards the list focus - and Smitton. Anyway, less specifics - more, this is good, there are keen people making their mark and coming through. Its inspiring to see.
Don't get me wrong, i don't begrudge Tyler his good fortune. So long as he doesn't forget not everyone has a silver spoon dangling out of thier mush.
I'd put Forest Whittaker on that list, if it weren't for the fact he isn't very young..., or british..., or a climber.
Agreed that its inspiring to see, it certainly keeps me motivated to get dirty rat fingers. One day...
I just thought I'd buffer the anti-Tyler feeling. Whatever you think of his personality he is our only current truly world class boulderer. In a "Jerry Moffatt with a fro in the 80's" way that is, i.e. globetrotting and doing all the world testpieces quicksmart while jibing everyone else. Personally I think that how he funds it is irrelevant. If you gave unlimited funds to any other British climber they still couldn't measure up, so its not just a question of having millionaire heritage!
Anyway, isn't Gaskins ageless and therefore a candidate?
P.S. Jon as you well know Forest will be a contender within 5 years. As long as he invents getting younger with time. Which I'm sure he sure he could with the aid of the appropriate Gresham masterclass.
Whittaker's a strong climbing name and he's got the best coaching money can buy. I predict great things, the boy's going to go far. I hear he's on an intensive twice daily muscle-up regime this week...
nige - i'm weighing in at an all time high currently (somewhere in the region of 58 kg's with the frame). Although i reckon most of that is extra beef gained by being a wannabe meat head for the last few months ;).
I think Ty's dig was more aimed at the Brit. team etc. With some of the strongest candidates declaring they're more interested in comps than going outside at the time I can see why, I seem to remember I made some kind of sponsorship/worthless team rant at the time.
Dave Barrans is also a name to put on that list.
Good point on the Barrans. Looking back again, the list is completely sheff centric and based on people who have been going well in my sphere of er, my sphere of crimping. I might re write the list to just say Forest Whittaker and noone else. I once asked Neil Gresham if was going to do a 'Getting money out of sponsors' masterclass when I was drunk. I cant remember what he said.
Well keeping the slocal sphere theme going, we should of course also congratulate the ever green Bonjoy fpr dispatching Revelations in fine style last night.(He's far too modest to tell us himself!).
Hope to make it down there again tonight after 7pm (will be a hot one today so no need to rush...)
see you there!
Hey Ed weren't you there when I did Staminaband too? Perhaps I should cart you around Europe in a special wheeled cage as a my lucky maskot.
Far to modest?! Hahaha. I've never met a modest sport climber, they just vary in how overt/underhand their egotism is. I've a multiplicity of ways to slip my recent ascents into converstaions of any topics.
"Hi jon. Have you seen my shiny new car?"
"Oh my, isn't that wonderful! Marvelous paint job. The shine on the bonnet puts me in mind of that polished smear at the base of the Revelations groove"
Yes I was there on the Staminaband send too.
I would be more than happy to be your lucky charm on a euro road trip, although Colette (the real colette) might have something to say about that!
In the meantime, I need to find my lucky charm. Horseshoes would reduce my power to weight ratio and rabbits feet are essentially festering detritus, but the four leaf clover presents possibilites. I shall have a look for one tonight. That spot under saline drip where everyone takes a slash could be ideal.
Daniel Cattell should be added to this list. I don't begrudge Tyler's attitude one bit. In fact I think it's a breathe of fresh air.
Plus, it's very true that if every young gun was given a bottomless pit of money I doubt many (if any) would reach the standards that Tyler has. Money can buy you love, happiness, sex, but it can't buy you strong fingers and a will to succeed.
PS. I should be removed from the list because I haven't climbed 8B which I think is a minimum standard for being good. Give me time, although with time I age... curses.
I disagree. If lots of promising youths were given the resources and encouragement from a very early age I think we would have more climbers at Tyler's level. I'm not saying this is a good or bad thing.
I don't know what you mean by 'his attitude', i don't know what this attitude is, but if you mean a healthy disrespect for comp/indoor obsessed youth, then I agree it's a breath of fresh air.
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