Coffee Shop Talk

[tbwilsonky]

wait a minute, was there some sort of optimism revival this spring? i thought we already decided everything related to climbing was lame; sans the part where we actually do some of it.

[krampus]

I'm not sure I understand what the issue is. I was waiting for some god forsaken atrocity at the crag (such as 10 gumbies with a boombox). Tape on a boulder problem outside???? (4 question marks) Who cares? Take it off if you don't like it, still probably better than a tick mark right?

If this is all that gets our panties in a wad this year, I suppose that we are lucky.

[stix]

you're right, who gives a fuck. i guess it was silly of me to be irritated by 37 pieces of tape on the rock and 74 tick marks on the same grips that the tape already marked. i suppose i can't change it so i might as well get over it. this is helpful because it's hard for me to get my index finger to land in the right dimple around the arete goin to the chains of dracula '11. i bet it'll be way easier when i put a 2ft long piece of tape coming around the blind arete so i know where to grab. PSYCHED! if anyone doesn't like it....just take it off.

[krampus]

you're right, who gives a fuck. i guess it was silly of me to be irritated by 37 pieces of tape on the rock and 74 tick marks on the same grips that the tape already marked. i suppose i can't change it so i might as well get over it. this is helpful because it's hard for me to get my index finger to land in the right dimple around the arete goin to the chains of dracula '11. i bet it'll be way easier when i put a 2ft long piece of tape coming around the blind arete so i know where to grab. PSYCHED! if anyone doesn't like it....just take it off.

Ha, that's the full story I was hoping for. I honestly envisioned one or two pieces to mark key holds. Sounds like enough tape to annoy anyone, even the dult who put them up. I agree that it's incredibly asinine but I'm sure the guy thought he had a great idea that would have less impact than chalk, however more intrusive as the outdoor climber is not used to seeing tape. I do wish people would use common sense when being stupid, but that is far from the norm. I hope to god this does not become the standard, cus I will always help take them down when I see them. (maybe then, me and the guy who always throws the stick clip stick down the hill can eventually have a beer together, before I punch him in the nuts)

[tbwilsonky]

the really terrible god-forsaken awful thing of it is... someone was climbing at the Coffee Shop.

[Spikeddem]

http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3opb9f/

A+

[JR]

But always the diplomat, I decided to see what others thought. IN your time as a climber, what is the one thing (or two) that has happened that truly had you thinking "really?" and swearing that our 'sport" had finally jumped the shark....

Awesome!!! I love this question pigsteak. Relating sport climbing to the run of a TV show is pretty fun. I am never really sure how sport climbing is doing as a whole because I only sport climb at the Red and a few other places around here(New River and Obed). I will say that it seems that sport climbing has not jumped the shark. Here are a few indicators. It is reported on quite a bit in the "climbing media", Miguels is stuffed(no pun), Sharma is doing it, the "kids" are doing it, Europe is doing it, there is such thing as a roped comp(even though it is super lame compared to bouldering comps).

Having said that...Here is a indicator that maybe sport climbing has jumped the shark. People are having more fun partying at Miquels than actually climbing. There are about the same amount of cars at Miguels at Noon as there are at 10pm. People aren't climbing. They are chill'in. If climbers do make it to the crag, they aren't really climbing much. Chill'in. If they are roped up. They are hang dogging. Chill'in. Whole bunch of chill'in. Chill'in is fun for sure. But you really don't need sport climbing to do it.

O yeah and Roadside being closed by climber owners might be the Fonz jumping a shark. Or maybe "das Crew" policing on other peoples property.....

[climb2core]

I like all that chill'n. You have your pick of the all routes at 9 am and things don't even begin to get busy until noon at most crags.

[dustonian]

or wait until 430 and they are completely empty again. the latest trend I've noticed is slow-moving herds of 6-10 people walking around and spraying together, they'll show up at whatever crag and one person will take one or at most two tries on one route, then the whole herd will continue walking around and spraying and occasionally leaving little souvenirs of trash behind. freakin' weird!!!

[SCIN]

Dude, stay off of that damn Facebook site. You wouldn't have even known about the tape if it weren't for Facebook and you would still think sport climbing is cool.