By Malika Andrews |
He’s 30 feet up in the air, browline covered in sweat and powdery chalk coats his calloused hands.
For sophomore Joe Gifford, this is a typical afternoon at the Circuit Bouldering Gym. He began rock climbing at age seven and never looked back.
On Sept. 8, Gifford traveled from Portland to Gijon, Spain to compete in the 2014 World Games where he placed 45th out of 75 in speed climbing while representing Team USA.
To qualify for Worlds, Gifford had to qualify for the U.S. National team. To achieve this, he had to score well at nationals or the Pan-American Championship, the competition between Canada, the United States and South America.
In 2012, Gifford placed first in the Pan-American championship in the junior age group (ages eighteen and nineteen), earning his spot on the United States National team.
“There is a lot of really stout competition here,” Gifford said. “The guys I am competing against are really good and are paid to climb. This is something I do more for fun. I do it because it is awesome. They just have a little more motivation because they are getting paid and I am self-motivated.”
The goal of speed climbing is to climb a set route as fast as possible and obtain as many holds as possible, holds being the grips attached to the climbing wall. Every hold is worth a point and each climb consists of 30 or 40 holds. The higher one climbs, the more points one earns. In addition to speed, there is a focus on strength and endurance.
“I did alright,” Gifford said. “I wish I could’ve done better. It was challenging, a lot of endurance-based climbing. You have to be super fit just to stay on the wall. It is intimidating.
“I just try to stay confident and try my best.”
The 2014 Games are not Gifford’s first world-level competition. He has also competed at the World games in Austria, Colombia, Italy, and multiple games in France. Gifford is sponsored by Fiveten and Climbtech, which mostly provide him with climbing gear and gadgets. His parents are his primary financial supporters in the sport.
“My parents have been invested in my rock climbing since I was young,” Gifford said. “My one love in life is rock climbing and so they are very supportive. They want me to have a good time and want to see me do well.”
While in Portland, Gifford works out in Howard Hall and bikes the 14-mile round trip to the Circuit five or six times a week.
“Really, the best way to get good at rock climbing, is to rock climb,”he said.
Gifford also works as a mentor and instructor to children at the Circuit.
“Coaching is super fun, it’s really awesome to teach kids to climb and see their progression in the sport,” said Gifford, “I am blessed to be able to travel all over the world and meet awesome people. It’s awesome to share that with the kids at the gym.”
Malika Andrews is a sports reporter for The Beacon and can be reached at andrewsm17@up.edu or on Twitter @malika_andrews
