History. That is what me made this Saturday January 9. 2016.
The last five years we’ve worked on a development of our sports. Dutch Drytool Event, clinics, courses, qualified instructors, articles in newspapers, online, Facebook pages etcetera.
And now, together with our national federation, NKBV, we’ve put a big step forward in professionalizing the sports.
There are many ideas in how to put a thing into the market. To make a product work.
It actually doesn’t matter too much what this product is like. If it’s a special piece of clothing, an idealistic view, a person, or in our case: a sports.
It all works following the same principles (and common sense).
…and coffee. Coffee is good for everything.
The National Olympic Committee has put guidelines up on how to professionalize, how to get a sports Olympic.
Last weeks I got convinced our own sports is becoming on an Olympic level too. Even in our country, where we don’t even have the roots of our sports around us: mountains.
Not that I’ve really used the IOC guidelines, I’ve more looked into a product design approach, and on how marketing works. Away from the sometimes narrow-minded views we often found in the sports scene.
It’s been a very hard route. A route that will never end. A pilgrimage, where we’ll never reach the actual sanctuary.
Things we haven’t reached yet, for example; are
– proper financial support for our activities
– financial support for our side-activities to build the community
– enough coverage in mainstream media
Some of these ‘failures’ can be linked to simple explanations. Mainstream media is old-fashioned, slow and very conservative. Big sponsors are scared, still have the old-fashioned conservative view on our sports (dangerous, linked to death…).
By being stubborn. Believing our own product. Going on even when people tell us to stop… is what gives us this: the very first real wall, real training facility and real competition.
Something they already have in so many countries, something we know is possible. And now it’s finally here. In a country that doesn’t have any mountains, so: it’s possible everywhere!
This Saturday we guided 16 competitors to their first experience on our Worldcup-style wall.
For some the first time on ‘fruitboots’ (competition iceclimbing shoes), for some even the first time with mixed-climbing axes (instead of iceclimbing axes).
And this is how we shaped the day:
We made two small groups so we’d have enough time to guide everyone personally.
– First we explained the equipment. Then we explained how to get or make this stuff yourself.
Fruitboots, sharp iceaxes, what kind of gloves…
Dennis showing the details of his competition axes.
– Second was drytool moves. How to kick your boots in the wall, how to hold your axes, and special tricks.
All climbers have been climbing with axes before and all of them have climbed many times on the wall of Monte Cervino where we held the Dutch Drytool Event for now 5 years. So the iceaxe tricks were there for the advanced; wiggling your tool in the hole, how to test if the axes is stuck on the right place, exact body placement and movement…
Showing different drytool moves.
– Third was practicing these skills in a few easier routes on the wall.
Tom trying his skills on the wall.
Now we were sure they all had done the moves they’d experience in the qualification. Side-pulls, small pockets, flats holds… But they still would have enough energy left to show their new skills on the ‘ultimate’ route.
We sprayed the holds of this route gold, like they do in Korea. Like on a real Worldcup.
As Dennis injured himself last weekend I was one me to show the men’s route. A little scared to fail I stepped into the route, once making the moves I luckily felt a little better. Short and technical moves where proper axe-placement and foot placement we far more important then lock-off power or finger-strength.
On purpose.
Dennis made the route in such a way that the average strong sportsclimber with no insight in iceclimbing wouldn’t get very far.
You really needed to know how to place and hold your axes.
Ejay shows how small the holds are.
Handle too far off the wall? > you’d simply ‘skid’ off the hold.
Pick not pointed in the right way? > you wouldn’t be able to do a single move.
Want to grab a hold with your hands? > it’d be impressive if you could hold those tiny, rounded, slippery holds with your gloves on.
Dennis warming-up as he figured he could show the route too for the second group of climbers on the day.
After a full day we got a result.
1. The experienced (he’d been climbing iceclimbing worldcups before) Ferdinand Schulte got the first place (he timed out just before the final three holds).
2. The second place was there for three others; Erik van den Goor (who proved climbing on the Dutch Drytool Event brings you proper tooling skills), Tom Philips (who’s not just been climbing but also improving his own tools) and Laurens Machiel (lucky Laurens, who got a sencond chance, following Worldcup rules, after he mis-used his tool and stipped off a hold in the start of the route).
5. The fifth place was for Jorian Bakker, who proved that a little practice and a good coach (Tom) can be useful.
Lucky Laurens.
6. EJay van Baaren who told us it all involves a lot more then just a bit of straight-foreward pulling. Spread the Word EJay.
The first four are sure to get a place in the Finals. The others have to wait…till the second round.
Ejay in the competition route.
In February we will hold a second round where the won’t be a training time, no flash route, just the route, one attempt. To give everyone a second chance to get into the finals in March.
There is a chance Jorian and Ejay will make it to this finals.
Unfortunately Jos, Jeroen, Guido, Berend-Jan, Matthijs and Bas just didn’t make it.
That is the hard thing of competitions. You see them improve, get better, get good…but there are just a few fortunate to reach the finals…
Jeroen just didn’t make it…
The women also climbed. Luckily.
As a woman I was quite disappointed no women registered for the comp. Till the last moment. Sabine (who climbed in the Dutch Drytool Event finals before) subscribed with two friends.
At this moment, level doesn’t matter, it counts that we can actually organise this all. And you, Sabine, Annetje and Inge actually made it possible, made this comp worth organizing.
Also Birgit Hopff joined the female comp, and got to her own surprise the first place! Only she has a German passport so won’t be qualified for the Dutch Nationals.
Ilse practicing the drytool moves for the very first time.
Maybe it wasn’t comparable to a Korean event (this picture of the Korean Nationals says enough I reckon).
One of the Korean structures in Cheongsong during the Korean Nationals. Picture by Gyuhyoung Min on Facebook.
But what we did here is history. Is growth. Is improvement. Is newsworthy.
And I’m proud of it.
Please join us, spread the word and be there on March 5. 2016 to join or watch the very first NK IJsklimmen at Sports-center
Olympos Utrecht!
The results (one more qualification to go before the finals).
Qualifications for the Dutch Championships Iceclimbing
The first ever.
Dutch Championships Iceclimbing.
History. That is what me made this Saturday January 9. 2016.
The last five years we’ve worked on a development of our sports. Dutch Drytool Event, clinics, courses, qualified instructors, articles in newspapers, online, Facebook pages etcetera.
And now, together with our national federation, NKBV, we’ve put a big step forward in professionalizing the sports.
There are many ideas in how to put a thing into the market. To make a product work.
It actually doesn’t matter too much what this product is like. If it’s a special piece of clothing, an idealistic view, a person, or in our case: a sports.
It all works following the same principles (and common sense).
…and coffee. Coffee is good for everything.
The National Olympic Committee has put guidelines up on how to professionalize, how to get a sports Olympic.
Last weeks I got convinced our own sports is becoming on an Olympic level too. Even in our country, where we don’t even have the roots of our sports around us: mountains.
Not that I’ve really used the IOC guidelines, I’ve more looked into a product design approach, and on how marketing works. Away from the sometimes narrow-minded views we often found in the sports scene.
It’s been a very hard route. A route that will never end. A pilgrimage, where we’ll never reach the actual sanctuary.
Things we haven’t reached yet, for example; are
– proper financial support for our activities
– financial support for our side-activities to build the community
– enough coverage in mainstream media
Some of these ‘failures’ can be linked to simple explanations. Mainstream media is old-fashioned, slow and very conservative. Big sponsors are scared, still have the old-fashioned conservative view on our sports (dangerous, linked to death…).
By being stubborn. Believing our own product. Going on even when people tell us to stop… is what gives us this: the very first real wall, real training facility and real competition.
Something they already have in so many countries, something we know is possible. And now it’s finally here. In a country that doesn’t have any mountains, so: it’s possible everywhere!
This Saturday we guided 16 competitors to their first experience on our Worldcup-style wall.
For some the first time on ‘fruitboots’ (competition iceclimbing shoes), for some even the first time with mixed-climbing axes (instead of iceclimbing axes).
And this is how we shaped the day:
We made two small groups so we’d have enough time to guide everyone personally.
– First we explained the equipment. Then we explained how to get or make this stuff yourself.
Fruitboots, sharp iceaxes, what kind of gloves…
Dennis showing the details of his competition axes.
– Second was drytool moves. How to kick your boots in the wall, how to hold your axes, and special tricks.
All climbers have been climbing with axes before and all of them have climbed many times on the wall of Monte Cervino where we held the Dutch Drytool Event for now 5 years. So the iceaxe tricks were there for the advanced; wiggling your tool in the hole, how to test if the axes is stuck on the right place, exact body placement and movement…
Showing different drytool moves.
– Third was practicing these skills in a few easier routes on the wall.
Tom trying his skills on the wall.
Now we were sure they all had done the moves they’d experience in the qualification. Side-pulls, small pockets, flats holds… But they still would have enough energy left to show their new skills on the ‘ultimate’ route.
We sprayed the holds of this route gold, like they do in Korea. Like on a real Worldcup.
As Dennis injured himself last weekend I was one me to show the men’s route. A little scared to fail I stepped into the route, once making the moves I luckily felt a little better. Short and technical moves where proper axe-placement and foot placement we far more important then lock-off power or finger-strength.
On purpose.
Dennis made the route in such a way that the average strong sportsclimber with no insight in iceclimbing wouldn’t get very far.
You really needed to know how to place and hold your axes.
Ejay shows how small the holds are.
Handle too far off the wall? > you’d simply ‘skid’ off the hold.
Pick not pointed in the right way? > you wouldn’t be able to do a single move.
Want to grab a hold with your hands? > it’d be impressive if you could hold those tiny, rounded, slippery holds with your gloves on.
Dennis warming-up as he figured he could show the route too for the second group of climbers on the day.
After a full day we got a result.
1. The experienced (he’d been climbing iceclimbing worldcups before) Ferdinand Schulte got the first place (he timed out just before the final three holds).
2. The second place was there for three others; Erik van den Goor (who proved climbing on the Dutch Drytool Event brings you proper tooling skills), Tom Philips (who’s not just been climbing but also improving his own tools) and Laurens Machiel (lucky Laurens, who got a sencond chance, following Worldcup rules, after he mis-used his tool and stipped off a hold in the start of the route).
5. The fifth place was for Jorian Bakker, who proved that a little practice and a good coach (Tom) can be useful.
Lucky Laurens.
6. EJay van Baaren who told us it all involves a lot more then just a bit of straight-foreward pulling. Spread the Word EJay.
The first four are sure to get a place in the Finals. The others have to wait…till the second round.
Ejay in the competition route.
In February we will hold a second round where the won’t be a training time, no flash route, just the route, one attempt. To give everyone a second chance to get into the finals in March.
There is a chance Jorian and Ejay will make it to this finals.
Unfortunately Jos, Jeroen, Guido, Berend-Jan, Matthijs and Bas just didn’t make it.
That is the hard thing of competitions. You see them improve, get better, get good…but there are just a few fortunate to reach the finals…
Jeroen just didn’t make it…
The women also climbed. Luckily.
As a woman I was quite disappointed no women registered for the comp. Till the last moment. Sabine (who climbed in the Dutch Drytool Event finals before) subscribed with two friends.
At this moment, level doesn’t matter, it counts that we can actually organise this all. And you, Sabine, Annetje and Inge actually made it possible, made this comp worth organizing.
Also Birgit Hopff joined the female comp, and got to her own surprise the first place! Only she has a German passport so won’t be qualified for the Dutch Nationals.
Ilse practicing the drytool moves for the very first time.
Maybe it wasn’t comparable to a Korean event (this picture of the Korean Nationals says enough I reckon).
One of the Korean structures in Cheongsong during the Korean Nationals. Picture by Gyuhyoung Min on Facebook.
But what we did here is history. Is growth. Is improvement. Is newsworthy.
And I’m proud of it.
Please join us, spread the word and be there on March 5. 2016 to join or watch the very first NK IJsklimmen at Sports-center
Olympos Utrecht!
The results (one more qualification to go before the finals).
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