Interesting thoughts from LT11′s Jordan Shipman as he reflects on feedback gleaned from their coverage of 2012 SCS Nationals:

Based on my experience in the industry, it seems to me these companies have demonstrated little to no interest in supporting these professional-scale events. The desire to invest in the future of our sport is marginal at best.

But is climbing media destroying the sport? Here again I take issue with Beal’s assertions. Sure, there are plenty of examples of terrible writing, self promotion and feel-good bromides but overall climbing media’s endorsement of the culture of consumption is tame or, conversely, anti-consumption.

Jeff Jackson puts the blast back into Rock & Ice’s Tuesday Night Bouldering E-Blast with this response to Peter Beal’s pot-stirring post from last week.

Interesting thoughts as well from Justin Roth:

Whenever I disagree strongly with an argument, I take it as a sign. It means that argument has hit a sore spot. And any sore spot we have within us is worthy of further examination. Beal’s critiques,  and the less-than-tactful means he chose to express them, certainly made an impression on me.

Interesting thoughts from Peter Beal in his latest shot across the bow at the current state of affairs in the climbing industry:

To read the offerings in magazines and online is to recognize that there are no prominent outside voices, pun intended, who are willing to rock the boat in any meaningful sense, to call into question the numerous dubious assumptions built into the marketing-focused image of the sport that is achieving dominance today.

Sasha DiGiulian ends her long relations with Mad Rock and signs with Five Ten:

I had a fabulous relationship with the people there [Mad Rock], but I came to the decision that in order to pursue my career, I had to find a shoe more compatible for my personal preferences. I found this shoe with Five Ten and I am very enthusiastic about this momentous change.

Given the year DiGiulian had and her relatioinship with Five Ten’s new parent company it’s hard to see this kind of move as a surprise.

The then 14-year-old Chris Sharma in a 1996 letter to Prana about a potential sponsorship deal:

By sponsoring me you will be getting tons of free advertisement

Kind of like this post??

Consider this a final update on the most unsavory story of 2011

The adidas Group is set to buy up shoe maker Five Ten for $25 million in cash

• Comments
• Latest