Stepping things up!

So, the 2011 ABS Nationals was yesterday, and I could go on about how Daniel Woods didn't make finals, or how next generation stars Alex David Johnson and Francesca Metcalf cemented themselves at the top of the American bouldering scene. I'm not. I want to talk about everything else.

A half dozen years ago this was an event seen by only a few hundred people stuffed into a rock gym that should only house, at most, half as many people. For the rest of us, it could take days, if not weeks, to hear about the results. This year I got to watch it live from the comfort of my apartment. The partnership of USAC and NE2C has brought about the key change of a live web stream for ABS Nationals. But that's just the start of the production upgrades for the event.

While NE2C have been live streaming events for a few years now, this is the first one to have instant replay. It may not be a major breakthrough in sports broadcasting as a whole, but this was the first time it had ever been used in climbing. This is an important step forward to bringing in new spectators as it allows them to immediately re-live those "Did that really just happen?!?!" moments.

Speaking of those moments, there were plenty to be had on the custom built 20' high Vertical Solutions walls. Those walls are as much works of art as they are competitive climbing structures, and they will be featured at all the UBC stops this year. Including a stop in the famous... what? I'm not suppose to spill the beans? Even though John Stack already did it at the end of this article? Ok, fine. I seriously can't wait to get on these walls myself in August and September.

The list goes on. Top tier lighting, the best running commentary I've heard at a climbing comp so far, and interviews with the climbers themselves. This was, without a doubt, the most well produced climbing comp ever put on in the US. The only ones I can think of that would be on the same level is the Asian X-Games. I really hope the IFSC picks up the ball and runs with it.