Athletes from around the world will be gathering to Park City to scale the 50-foot wall that overhangs a pool that is 16-feet deep. Utah Olympic Park Marketing Manager Kole Nordman says the event is unlike any other in the world.
“This is actually a really unique event. Our wall is actually completely custom. There might be one other wall that exists like it in the world. This isn’t a competition that these athletes are used to it’s completely unique.” Nordman continued, “It’s not bouldering, it’s not lead climbing, it’s not technically speed climbing because they’re not hooked to any ropes. When they’re bouldering up a 52-foot wall it really extends their abilities to their fullest extent.”
Psicobloc is a Spanish term for crazy bouldering.
“When the event was originally created by Chris Sharma and a few others it was just a crazy idea that they had in the back of their mind. They went to a company called Walltopia out of Australia, I believe.” Nordman said, “They came up with a concept of this psico-bouldering wall really out of his brain and his memory from things that he’s done in the past whether it be in Spain or other places that he’s climbed around the world. They came up with a unique wall that really no one else sees around the world.”
The event has two climbers scale a wall at the same time. The one who finishes the course first wins. 16 men and 16 women will copmete for the championship. Saturday morning from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm you’ll be able to watch the seeding competition for free. At 4:00 pm a vendor village will pop-up with the event sponsors from the climbing community. The ticketed finals start at 7:30 pm.
“It’ll be kina-NCAA bracket style, so it’s single elimination. Head-to-head, you lose you’re out.” Nordman explained “Tickets for the finals are $25 for general admission. We still have pool-deck tickets that are $60, that’s actually really an amazing way to see it. You get a much different perspective than sitting on the grass. But, both tickets and both sight-lines are absolutely perfect to watch these climbers.”
