Earlier this year I announced a partnership with PCI that was met with decidedly mixed reviews. While that partnership is still developing (perhaps a bit slower than expected), PCI is continuing to evolve and better define their mission. In this guest post from PCI founder Kevin Jorgeson he shares a bit more on PCI’s mission as well as their developing Pro Clinic series.
Back in January, we unveiled a non-profit we had spent 1.5 years building, Pro Climbers International (PCI). Anyone who has ever tackled a large writing task, business idea, or climbing project can relate to the process of turning the intangible into something real. PCI is a living, breathing, growing organization. Our mission and programs continue to crystallize and materialize. With that said, I’m proud to share a video we created in collaboration with Louder Than 11:
PCI works in three core areas: Athletes, Community and Environment. Each area has its own set of programs. However, I believe our most meaningful programs emerge when these core areas intersect. The PCI Pro Clinic Series is born from our talented athletes working with the broader climbing community.
PCI’s Pro Clinic Series is a one-of-a-kind instructional tour, connecting the sport’s most inspiring athletes with the next generation of climbers. Each event features three PCI athletes working for a weekend of youth clinics, adult lessons, product demos, posters signings, raffles and slideshows. The goal is to share our passion, plain and simple.
Our first clinic is being held in Portland, OR at The Circuit on September 17 and 18th. This is the first of three clinics in Portland, all centered around the ABS schedule.
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This ensures the youth climbers of the Pacific Northwest will be as prepared as possible for ABS Nationals in February! These events are not just for the kids. We also offer adult lessons in small groups of 4 with each athlete. To top it off, we are giving free slideshows for those who couldn’t make it to the clinics. We will raffle off some great prizes from each of the athlete’s sponsors and give all the money raised to the Access Fund!
PCI’s membership base is growing and now includes Tommy Caldwell, Sasha DiGiulian, Thomasina Pidgeon, Daniel Woods, Alex Johnson, Alex Honnold, Lynn Hill, Alex Puccio, Carlo Traversi, Ethan Pringle, Mayan Smith-Gobat, Chris Webb-Parsons, Paul Robinson, and more.
All of the above members have expressed interest in teaching these clinics. Our goal is to host 30 events in 2012, but the larger question is, are you interested?
[poll id=”113″]
If you have any questions or are interested in booking a PCI Pro Clinic in your home gym, please contact me at kevin@proclimbers.com.
Thanks!
Kevin Jorgeson
Pretty psyched about this!! Can’t wait to see you guys in Dallas.
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^ Cosign on Dallas/Grapevine, and a vote for the SF Bay Area!
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Yes, I can’t wait as you guys brand and market yourselves more and more, so we get some of that rock star glitz that has really benefited participants of other outdoor sports like snowboarding and surfing. Nothing radder than $30 tshirts and $70 hoodies. Maybe tag your name onto a bouldering mat and some pro model shoes so you can pump up the price on those items too?
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Why shouldn’t the most dedicated full-time athletes in our sport be able to at least partially support themselves through sharing their passion? It’s not the 70’s anymore.
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Hello Ike,
Having also participated in surfing and snowboarding over the years, I have witnessed firsthand what hype and aggressive marketing can do to a ‘core’ sport and I find it loathesome. Crowds, huge amounts of posing, stupid antics and lame egos. I’m not interested.
The bouldering crowd seems to want to push bouldering in this direction by bombarding us with huge amounts of spray, videos, and big fake numbers. Fortunately, joe blow on the street isn’t that impressed by a guy climbing 9 feet. The other saving grace is that bouldering has nothing to sell besides a pad and a pair of shoes. Oh, and a Louder than 11 Tshirt, get yours today!
America… land where athletics entitle you to something now? How lame. Let’s try some advanced marketing techniques to get some saps to pay for us to go into the desert/woods/mountains and recreate.
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I guess what you’re saying Dave is that if a sport doesn’t garner enough attention to allow athletes to support themselves and progress the sport then don’t try and force it. If this happens the the sport becomes diluted and loses it’s “core” trying to become something it’s not, correct?
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@df216178fa74585614e813c12e820d62:disqus, You sound bit like a person who’s pissed that their favorite Indie band is becoming popular.
Why do some people so strongly dislike PCI? I’m not super excited about big climbing comps, marketing or climbing in the olympics, but I’m all for growing participation in the sport that I love. I love introducing people to climbing and I think PCI is doing that and some other good thinks as well. Obviously there are reasons to dislike the idea of growing the sport, but why such cynicism? I’m pretty sure the “core” of skateboarding and snowboarding is still readily accessible. Just get a couple friends and go find a fun place to shred. If it’s the actual activity that you love (not the feeling of exclusivity) commercialization can never ruin that.
As for LT11: feel free to dislike their style, but they’re really just a good group having a lot of fun and putting out a TON of free climbing media. They’ve all been great guys when I’ve met them and I have zero problem supporting them.
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LT11 t-shirts are destroying climbing as we know it! Save the Howard’s Knob!
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Yes, I can’t wait as you guys brand and market yourselves more and more, so we get some of that rock star glitz that has really benefited participants of other outdoor sports like snowboarding and surfing. Nothing radder than $30 tshirts and $70 hoodies. Maybe tag your name onto a bouldering mat and some pro model shoes so you can pump up the price on those items too?
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Down here in Houston we may not have as many rock as others, but we have a thriving, dedicated and determined community of folks who routinely drive 3.5 hours just for a day at the nearest rock… even the ones that own absurdly lard gas-gussling trucks!
We’d be stoked to have an event down here, or even near here.
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PCI looks like a fun college mock up business model. in reality, we’ll see when dad gets sick of no roi.
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Wow, that was different.
I have discovered that there are those that want to keep an activity they love out of the limelight because they feel that they would lose something they consider theirs. Commercialism, in their eyes, cheapens the activity and brings a circus atmosphere to its events. But the reality is that crass commercialism as annoying as it may appear to be, serves to promote a sport. Yes snowboarding events have become crowded and glitzy but do you know what? there isn’t a slope in winter that isn’t filled with kids shredding and enjoying their boards.
However, what we are talking about here is a small association to help promote a sport we all love, to help the athletes we all admire and constantly learn from, and to make the environment an issue that is closely related to this sport. I don’t think anyone needs to apologize for selling t-shirts that underwrite an activity they are passionate about. No one is putting a gun to anyone’s head here, no one has to buy anything. But if you love the sport and admire the climbers you do not mind kicking in a few bucks to help. What is wrong with making a living from the activity you are giving your life to and which so many are passionate about?
David I appreciate your point of view but couldn’t disagree more with it. I get a kick out of wearing the same climbing shoes Paul Robinson wears and thinking that my buying them has in some small way helped Paul go to South Africa and do amazing things we can all be thrilled with and inspired by. I love my black Petzl t-shirt for similar reasons. I also have Red Sox t-shirts, Patriots t-shirts, Celtics t-shirts, Bruins t-shirts, I Luv NY t-shirts, and I’m with Stupid t-shirts…what’s the big deal?
I for one wish PCI nothing but success and I’ve already promised my nephew that he is going to go to one of their workshops. Climbing is Life!
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Wow, that was different.
I have discovered that there are those that want to keep an activity they love out of the limelight because they feel that they would lose something they consider theirs. Commercialism, in their eyes, cheapens the activity and brings a circus atmosphere to its events. But the reality is that crass commercialism as annoying as it may appear to be, serves to promote a sport. Yes snowboarding events have become crowded and glitzy but do you know what? there isn’t a slope in winter that isn’t filled with kids shredding and enjoying their boards.
However, what we are talking about here is a small association to help promote a sport we all love, to help the athletes we all admire and constantly learn from, and to make the environment an issue that is closely related to this sport. I don’t think anyone needs to apologize for selling t-shirts that underwrite an activity they are passionate about. No one is putting a gun to anyone’s head here, no one has to buy anything. But if you love the sport and admire the climbers you do not mind kicking in a few bucks to help. What is wrong with making a living from the activity you are giving your life to and which so many are passionate about?
David I appreciate your point of view but couldn’t disagree more with it. I get a kick out of wearing the same climbing shoes Paul Robinson wears and thinking that my buying them has in some small way helped Paul go to South Africa and do amazing things we can all be thrilled with and inspired by. I love my black Petzl t-shirt for similar reasons. I also have Red Sox t-shirts, Patriots t-shirts, Celtics t-shirts, Bruins t-shirts, I Luv NY t-shirts, and I’m with Stupid t-shirts…what’s the big deal?
I for one wish PCI nothing but success and I’ve already promised my nephew that he is going to go to one of their workshops. Climbing is Life!
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http://vimeo.com/22861085
Consult this video around the 0:35 point to see how much these guys know about the environment that they intend to save. I’m pretty sure that’s not a fox!!!!!
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I don’t think the point is for climbers to be able to accurately identify the species of animals they encounter while driving down the road while filming a clearly non-serious video
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Now you’re being a dweeb David.
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First of all, different David. Maybe I need a more unique name.
And, you think I’m a dweeb? Your gay ass wants to send Paul Robinson on a trip to Africa and it puts a spring in your step that you wear the same shoes as him! Loser!I think my post adequately shows it is laughable that these kids claim they are going to do something for the environment, when they are retarded enough to think that is a fox. My point is they don’t know shit about shit.
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Clearly–that is a fox. I don’t know why you can’t tell . . . its just like this fox:
http://tigerspictures.net/White-Tiger.jpg
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Different points of view, not surprising. It is baffling to me however, that so many people want climbing to ‘grow’ whatever that means. More people? Really? I am hard pressed to think of a single thing that more people has made better. I am not out to deny anyone the same outdoor recreation that I enjoy but the fact is more crowds means more problems, and these problems are already apparent at popular climbing areas. Just look at the Red River Gorge and the weekend shitshow Miguels has developed over the last few years. The paving of Indian Creek, etc.
Do you really want to spend your weekends standing in line for climbs so you can share this great joy of climbing? Look at surfing… too many surfers, not enough waves = poisonous vibe in the water. How many more incidents like the Motherlode Suckerpunch are we going to see as more people want to be Rad at the Red? Because the crags are what is for sale. The climbing lifestyle is what’s getting pimped out here, so the people have to go there to get into it. So when I see the crags getting pimped so someone can climb and not have a job (we won’t address the pro climber trustifarian issue here) yeah, I guess you could say I am not thrilled.
The whole stewardship thing is kind of funny anyway, weren’t those v14 cockroaches arrested for graffiti a couple years back?
Anyway, despite my lite duty rant about my favorite indy band getting popular, I think climbing will stay small and weird. Despite it’s appeal, climbing is actually hard unlike snowboarding, rocks are sharp, the sun is hot, gas is getting more and more expensive, and climbing is so boring to watch that even your belayer isn’t paying attention.
So there it is. The PCI and their fancy new clinics are ways to extract money from newbies who don’t know better. I’ve run into a handful of pros over the years at the gym and they were always approachable and you could chit chat with them about whatever. Now you get to pay for that privilege. Good for climbing, a real step forward.
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This may come as a shock to you Dave, but there have been hundreds if not thousands of professional climbing schools for decades where newbies pay to get taught by pros, there are pros that can be hired for private lessons, that is nothing new, it exists everywhere there is climbing. There are organized climbing excursions led by pros in every part of every continent, that is nothing new, but somehow a small little enterprise like PCI is sending the sport head-on into oblivion. Dave I’m really glad you’re not in charge of fun!
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I wrote a blogpost about this very topic……
http://professionalhaters.blogspot.com/2011/04/im-sponsored-and-imma-get-rich-beeyotch.html
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Damn! And you’re proud of that? But one thing is right, you are a hater, an annoyance, a mindless troll and the most wonderful thing is that you will affect nothing! Hate on loser!
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Whatever you say, Paula. Just keep wearing your pretty little Paul Robinson shoes. Where are you gonna send him on a trip next??? I bet Paul is waiting for his itinerary from you with baited breath!
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Dunno, thought it was kinda funny…
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I think Dave’s post holds some merit. I don’t think his delivery is going to make any converts, but the reality is that climbing does have some hurdles to accessibility that many other sports do not have. I think this may be part of the reason why so many folks these days are staying indoors, or staying on sport climbs, etc. For me, I don’t mind if climbing becomes increasingly popular, as long as the correct ethics are emphasized. It seems like organizations such as PCI are doing exactly this, promoting climbing while maintaining an emphasis on stewardship and the environment. So I say more power to them. As someone else already said, nobody is holding a gun to the consumer’s head, so let them spend their money as they wish. I’d rather it go to the Access fund and Kevin Jorgeson’s pockets than to some bigwig at Nike. On a side note, I know that I will always be able to get my kicks because I’m primarily a trad climber and hell will probably freeze over before Beacon Rock is swarming with gumbies. Plus, new crags area always being discovered, let alone bouldering areas…
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http://www.proclimbers.com = Go Daddy holding page that reads
“NOTICE: This domain name expired on 08/16/2011 and is pending renewal or deletion.”
Real professional.
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Oops!
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Fixed
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LOL
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This is sure an interesting topic to discuss. To be honest, at first I wasn’t sure how I felt about PCI, but the more I think about it, the more I kind of like the idea. With all of the access problems arriving with the explosion of the sport, educating both existing climbers and future climbers about their impacts on the environment will become more critical, particularly at “destination” areas which will no doubt see the largest increases in traffic. Keeping impact at a minimum, whether it’s brushing off your tick marks (which no one does but SHOULD, I don’t want your crappy beta), or leaving the boombox in the car can only help alleviate the problems that are already arising.
Most can agree that many of the destination areas will be turned into designated permit areas as the sport grows and overcrowding continues (Torrent Falls, Roadside, Gunks, etc.), which is eerily similar to backcountry permits for backpackers in popular areas. But this happened before PCI, and before bouldering videos and t-shirts exploded on the scene. It seems that a group that advocates for user responsibility can only help preserve the quality of these places, not make it worse.
David does have a very valid point in that there is simply not enough rock to go around in a lot of places. Sure, new cliffs and bouldering fields are developed, but that will require exploring and hiking, something that only the dedicated few will continue to pursue, while most people remain close to the road. And for anyone that has “discovered” a new area, you always find that you weren’t the first to climb there, and yet overcrowding continues at main areas. I mean, if you knew that a route like Chris Snyder was a 4 mile trip into the woods, you’d hike it. But if Ro Shampo required that trek, would you? Probably not.
Long rant, but I guess the gist of it is, climbing is going to continue to grow for the foreseeable future, and we need to do all we can, whether it’s the AF or PCI, to minimize our impacts on the environment, and on each other. The more people who are reached with the right message, the better off we’ll all be.
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I completely agree. The growth of the sport is inevitable and we need organizations like PCI with proper values to steer it in the right direction and help avoid negative turns. Climbing is inextricably linked to the outdoors, however some climb only for the sake of movement and athleticism and don’t connect with the natural and wild side of it. PCI reminds all of us of that connection and helps to steer the sport and industry as a whole in that direction. While growth is inevitable and outdoor areas ARE crowding, I would expect that anyone complaining about this would NEVER put their money where their mouth is and stop climbing outdoors to lessen impact if they were truly worried about it. We all love it too much and should support PCI for trying to make sure that the sport grows with this impact in mind.
The sponsorship scene is another animal entirely. I don’t blame professional climbers for wanting to be able to make a legitimate living doing what they love. It seems as though some climbers (like that one super negative guy on these posts) are jaded by seeing the trend of rich kids living the dirtbag lifestyle. This exists in places like Boulder if you ask me but the country is not all like this. We should give each other a little credit. Everyone with money is not going to try to get sponsored just because they can pay for leverage. Besides, this isn’t PCI’s aim. If someone want to try for it, they should. Ultimately, I think PCI helps to make sure it’s done with the right values in mind for both athletes and sponsors.
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Definitely some good, constructive points being made. Thanks to everyone that has shared their opinion positive or negative in a non suburban wankster fashion. I know I enjoy the discussion and the various points of view.
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Their website seems to be functional again… it also has zero mention of these new pro clinics. slick!
Oh yes, long live that Suburban Wankster! Someone has to tell it like it is, and to help bring climbing to the previous level.
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keep it simple stupid. pci is trying to tackle too many subjects, it seems they lost touch with the basics, how to keep a website up, and how to update a calendar of events. After recent event, I hope they’re background checking these kids purchasing the title of Pro and giving clinics.
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‘LT11 t-shirts are destroying climbing as we know it! Save the Howard’s Knob! ”
Best comment ever!!
More apt would be that the pics of john in shades and a tank top are making old schoolers cringe across the globe.
Gripping gorgeous granite grinning
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