Polls and Competitions

[HSagar]

How do you get the poll option to work?

I want to know why people don't compete in competitions -
Are they fun? Too busy? Too cut throat?
You can always e mail me too.

Heather

[Fred]

:?: How do you get the poll option to work?

Heather,

A poll can only be created with a new thread.
1. start a new topic
2. type in your message and title as per usual
3. at the bottom of the screen, type in the poll question (e.g. what type of fruit do you like best?)
4. then you need to add the answers to the poll. One at a time you input the answers and click "ADD" (e.g. bananas, apples, strawberies)
5. leave the number of days field blank


Please see your original message for a sample. If you start another thread I can delete this one.

[martha]

You should add one answer to this...

'I do compete' for those who do.

[seanT]

Since we did our first comp at GZ nearly 10 years ago, I have seen interest in indoor comps come and go. So here a few thoughts

Advertising...we didnt get any posters for the tour de bloc event on the weekend and so had no idea it was going on. Comps we have not advertised for over the years are generally poorly attended. Comps we advertise for tend to have more participants.

Format....I have found that Nova Scotia climbers are not so serious about competition as in other parts of the country so strict format with witness's and such seem to turn off people.

Prizes...This doesnt seem to matter to most people who turn up (but getting some sweet loot or pocketing cash is always nice).

Venue...I hear a lot of rumbling about the congestion at the Rock Court ie people landing on your head.

Weather...Lets face it we have killer outdoor climbing in NS and if the weather is good most climbers here would rather be out pulling down then sucking chalk dust for a box of power bars. And because you can climb outside year round here it is really hard to plan a indoor event.

Having been climbing in comps for some 15 years and having fun in just about every one I ask myself the same questions as you Heather, it is frustrating when you put so much effort into organizing a event and are psyched to see people show up, pull down, and have fun and then only 20 people show up. It is especially frustrating when you KNOW that there are so many climbers in the NS region. Imagine how I feel shutting down the gym for a day or two, buying cool new holds just for the comp and then only 20 people show up.(huge revenue lost...Sean goes hungry!!!) A lot of people think gym owners have a obligation to do comps to "give back" to the community and I agree with that in some respects, that is why I keep doing it year after year and dont really care so much if we lose money. (Last years Massacre we were -$800 after all was said and done)
Bottom line comps are fun for some people not so fun for others and outdoor climbing will and should always take priority.
Word out!
SeanT
PS This years Massacre will be Royal Rumble format start training now.

[ben smith]

advertising seems to be important esp. word of mouth. I only ran 2 comps so far- one saw a big turn out, one- not so much. the difference was that I promoted the first comp for a solid 2/3 months talking to people and bothering them until they agreed to come pretty much just to shut me up. the difference is that that was not a part of the TDB so I could make up my own schedule and promote the comp for longer before hand becasue I didn't have to commit to a national schedule. also I was in the gym every day with the regulars and since I had a stake in the comp I was promoting it to a point almost of annoyance- but everyone knew about it- even kids who were only in the gym for 1 day. thats, I think, where 90% of the effort of organizing a comp should go but organizers and setters tend to forget it (me especially) and think that if they put tons of work into route setting and getting badass prizes then people will come- This is a sure way to burn out on comps- thats what happened after the second comp I ran- bad ass routes and really bad ass prizes but not enough advertising= poor turn out and me being pissed off and burnt out.

[Fred]

our first TDB comp at UNB was pretty much the same. We heckled everyone to come compete and teased them with a list of all the great door prizes we would be giving out.

my 2 cents. Start advertising weeks ahead of time. Make use of this forum and other forums in Quebec, Ontario etc to advertise your comps. We can sticky your threads and make them stick out with big letter and pretty etc.

also, get peoples emails when they register at your comp. Then for future comps you have mass email lists available to spread the word.

As for me not competing this weekend in Halifax... I'm not much of a competition climber. I enjoy a local comp once in a while but I am not likely to travel to go to one. Keep up the good work Nick and Heather.

[The Mitt]

Ok Here's what I don't like about comps.
- The ones I have been to have been over crowded.
- If the weather is forcasted to be nice I want to be outside.
- I have to give up a whole day.
- Competition is not why I climb so I don't really relate to people who are into comps.
- I'm an average climber (at best) chances are I'm not scoring any schweet SWAG.
- The gym scene here seams to be cliquish (not in a mean sort of way just like minded people climb together in places that they like and don't seam to climb at each others gyms)
- Its always bouldering and not routes, the bouldering comps seam played out (probably cause I'm too old, fat, and weak)

What I do like.
- Great intro to new climbers.
- Get to see the new guns doing some really hard cool stuff that I will never be able to do (not sure which column this should be in)
- Get to climb with people I have not climbed with in awhile or ever.
- Maybe score free SWAG.
- Opportunity to try and recruit for the stoners (BTW we need more women, and rope guns. or better yet female ropguns who like to run it out)

That's really how I see comps. I hope this does not offend anyone cause its really not aimed and anybody or even a negative post, just why I don't do comps.

Mitt

[tracstarr]

i like competition myself, but i've found I almost always get myself hurt when climbing in them. I just try too damn hard and push my body... usually the fingers too far. The prizes are cool, but they get repetative and one can only have so many chalk bags and water bottles. myself, they don't matter as much.

what i would like to see are some comps that are rope only... lead climbs. BG use to mix rop with bouldering, which was great fun.

anyway, hopefully my finger will be better for the next round... i'd like to make it out.

[Fred]

what i would like to see are some comps that are rope only... lead climbs. BG use to mix rop with bouldering, which was great fun.

It would be so cool if we could set a lead comp route at the Gagetown wall with spectators etc. onsighting. That would be cool. I'd be all over something like that.

[martha]

Hell yes, that would be super sweet! I'd be stoked on a roped up comp.

lucky for us SJ is having one after christmas.

[PeterA]

what i would like to see are some comps that are rope only... lead climbs. BG use to mix rop with bouldering, which was great fun.

The comp at NBCC is going to be rope only, and possibly with a bit of leading.

[patzer]

I was intending to check this one out, but I was still feeling sick from my cold, and I decided my fingers shouldn't be pushed much until they heal...

I think maybe a lot of people were also busy that particular day getting ready for all the Halloween parties Saturday night. There was several other people from my usual group who would have gone but for that.

That said, I generally like the competitions I've been in, however the usual format leaves me somewhat underwhelmed. I think it is has something to do with the finals stage, and me not competing in them any time soon.

I won't let that stop me from having fun though... I'll be at the one in March as long as my thesis doesn't get in the way!

[jnnfr]

Although I've climbed in the last few comps held in Halifax, my main reason for not competing in the past has been a lack of confidence - I sometimes feel like I'm not good enought to be competing. But lately I've stopped worrying about it, and now I'm just in it for the door prizes!!

Maybe more emphasis on novice climbers/problems would increase attendance a bit??

[Fred]

The funnest non-TDB comp format that I ever participated in was one with 40 boulder problems and you climb all of the problems you can possibly get. Your score is the total score. No finals. Becomes a bit of an endurance challenge and allows you to climb the fun novice, intermediate problems.

my 2 cents

[sand]

I have done only one comp a UNB last Feb and it was like Fred descirbed it, it was a lot of fun, putting emphasis on all levels and just having fun. I am not really into competing, I like to climb just for fun and last weekend, I would have gone, but it was nice outside, I had some unfinished business in LOC so I went out for some bouldering. I went to watch the Finals, it was nice to see and I like to hang out and see my friends, meet new people. Some people say that climbing comp are a great experience and could make me a better climber, it might be true, I love the sport and really want to get good at it, I should stop being scared of comp...

[Holly Reid]

Agreed Fred & Sandrine, that format was a lot of fun.

For me, it tends to be a combination of what different people said... I do compete some, and enjoy it, but for me, location is the biggest factor, as well as the gym itself (layout and such, like seanT said). Like Jnnfr mentioned, lack of confidence plays a role for me as well (though I've gotten pretty good at ignoring that)... good prizes seem to help (LOVE my Arcteryx fleece ), as well as a good bunch of climbers (seems to get a fair number out that I wouldn't see otherwise). I guess for me it's mostly mental... if I can't do as well as I think I should (which will probably never happen) then it's more frustrating/disappointing than anything else. That being said, I'll still compete.

Sandrine - hope to see you up this year as well!

Holly

[Annie]

I hate when the marks are posted online. I find that really intimidating, especially as a beginner/not-so-talented climber. I enjoy the friendly format at UNB (only place I've seen a comp.) and the routes are great, but if I find them hard, I'd rather not have that posted for others to see. I've had a few other people mention this as well.

[sand]

Holly, should be there for the next comp at UNB and it will be nice to see you again! I talked with John for the banff film fest/comp and the movie nights may be on fri/sat, I'll get to see them all

[Holly Reid]

Awesome Sandrine! Should be a really good time. It'll be great seeing you again too!

Annie, I agree with you that when just starting out it might seem intimidating to have your scores posted, however, I think it's nice to be able to see how you're doing compared to others. You might end up with a closer score than you think (to someone you may think climbs much stronger than you), which ends up boosting confidence, rather than discouraging you. And it's especially nice if the scores are really close between first & second, or second & third, etc.

Holly

[ahdont]

the scoring system is always a big factor whether i will participate or not. i am not a very competitve person, but to get into a competition, i want to try as hard as i can to see how i perform. in hong kong, they have this 5 minutes only per route system, and i hated it so much. is like asking someone to calcualte pi until the 20th decimal in 3 seconds. although it may be possible but it won't be fun.
cheers,

ahdont