Ashima Hits The New York Times

Posted May 13, 2012 at 10:54 am · Comments { 6 } ·

Climbing phenom Ashima Hiraishi hits the front page of the New York Times’ Sports Section with an accompanying video featuring her on Crown Of Aragorn (V13).

Posted In: Asides, Bouldering, Youth Climbing
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6 Responses to Ashima Hits The New York Times

  1. Rami James May 13, 2012 at 11:00 am #

    I really hope that she keeps going so strong well into the next decade. She’s a total phenomenon!

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  2. A-man May 13, 2012 at 10:10 pm #

    Yea. I wish there was some way to convey to the general public how difficult it is to do what she does.

    That said, the article really does the sport justice;

    “Up close, bouldering is slow, even ponderous, a sport that allows for long stretches of hanging out, talking with fellow climbers, sitting around and contemplating holds and pinches. A group of climbers might stay at one chunk of rock for hours, staring at it and plotting the smartest way up.”

    Climbing is such a misrepresented sport, so it is refreshing to see an article in the NY Times with such quality descriptions of the sport.

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  3. Rami James May 15, 2012 at 3:42 am #

    It has become much more popular and in the lime-light over the last decade.

    That she even mentions her hopes that it will be in the olympics is a perfect example — the world is starting to really notice and take rock-climbing more and more seriously.

    I’m really glad! It’s about time!

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  4. texasclimber May 15, 2012 at 5:50 pm #

    even the new york times agrees with me…. tiny effing hands

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  5. bill May 15, 2012 at 11:54 pm #

    This is great publicity and will help the sport. There will be more and more kids climbing at a younger age and this will produce v-very hard sends on a more common basis. The difference between most 11 year olds and 21 year olds is technique and weight. If an 11 year old has climbed for 5 years and has developed technique, she will be very good at 63 pounds with tiny fingers to boot. Once she is full grown at 120 pounds, like college gymnasts versus younger Olympic gymnast, it might be a different story. But, congrats to her, this is really good for the sport!

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    • A-man May 16, 2012 at 1:18 am #

      “Once she is full grown at 120 pounds, like college gymnasts versus younger Olympic gymnast, it might be a different story.”

      It will indeed be a different story. At 21 years old she may find it hard to run some of the old V13s she is doing now, but I’m sure she’ll still be making incredible accomplishments in her climbing. She’ll be doing other V13s or putting up new trad routes in beautiful mountain ranges or something…

      I’d say climbing is like wine. It’s flavor becomes more complex with every year. And it continues to get you drunk for a lifetime.

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