As an indication of the outsized influence Boulders Gym in Central Saanich had during the fledgling years of wall climbing, 12 of the 40 climbers from several nations who competed last summer in the sport’s debut at the Tokyo Olympics had trained at Boulders.
The next generation of internationals, including from the Island, are emerging from the facility with three Boulders climbers representing Canada at the IFSC World Youth Climbing Championships in Dallas, Texas, this week. It is only the second time the youth worlds — past editions out of which came the women’s and men’s Tokyo Olympic gold-medallists Janja Garnbret of Slovakia and Alberto Jimenez Lopez of Spain — has been held in North America following Boulders hosting it in 2013.
Louisa Krusekopf, 19, Braeden Bossert, 18, and Jack Whitney, 17, of Boulders all had top-22 finishes in Texas at the youth worlds. In addition, emerging Boulders speed-climbing star Ethan Pitcher, 21, is a potential for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
“Our sport continues to grow with the speed category being added as a medal event for Paris 2024 along with the bouldering/lead combined event,” said Boulders Gym manager Libor Hroza, former Canadian high-performance program head coach.
“Climbing is also on the list of sports for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where we are hoping there are three medal events with bouldering and lead separated into their own events and speed.”
Boulders opened as an outdoor wall in 1993 when climbing as a sport was little known. The facility became enclosed in 2004 with major upgrades added in 2011.
“We may not be the biggest commercial gym but we are known for having a great competition wall,” said Hroza.
“I came here to visit for what I thought was going to be a short training stint in 2013 but never left,” added the former speed-climbing world record holder out of the Czech Republic.
It was Hroza’s reputation that attracted the 12 athletes to Boulders who eventually became Olympians last year in Tokyo.
“I trained them all at Boulders,” he said. “But the pandemic has killed a lot of the dynamic we had created regarding international athletes coming here to train. I hope it picks up again.”
Also, as the sport grows, there is more opportunity for competitions, meaning less time for long training blocks.
“The sport has evolved a lot and there’s a lot more money in it now,” said Hroza.
“It’s getting easier for the athletes in terms of support and money.”
Those are the opportunities opening up for the likes of Krusekopf, Bossert, Whitney and Pitcher as they plot their future paths in the burgeoning sport.
