As part of the interview series “Athletes ask Athletes”, professional climbers have their say. You are directing a question to a colleague. The nominated person answers the question and in turn nominates another person - and so on. Stay tuned.
The series started with a question from the Swiss professional climber Petra Klingler an Adam Ondra, This article will be continuously updated and with the interview questions and answers we publish on instagram.
Petra Klingler asks Adam Ondra
What is the most important thing/object you will take with you to the Olympic Games in Tokyo?
Petra Klinglers question to Adam Ondra
Adam Ondra asks Seb Bouin
"Why do you rate your routes so difficult?"
Adam Ondras question to Sébastien Bouin
Sébastien Bouin asks Ben Moon
How do you keep the shape after 30 years of hight level climbing?
Sébastien Bouins question to Ben Moon
Ben Moon asks Patxi Usobiaga
"If having a good mental attitude for redpointing is the key to success, what are your top tips for getting in a good mental attitude?"
Ben Moon’s question to Patxi Usobiaga
Patxi Usobiaga asks Yuji Hirayama
"What is your way of staying healthy and fit?"
Patxi Usobiaga's question to Yuji Hirayama
Yuji Hirayama asks Alexander Megos
You focused on the Olympics this year and I know it’s not over yet. What do you learn from this Olympic preparation/focus for your daily life and for you life in general?
Yuji Hirayama's question to Alexander Megos
Alexander Megos asks Kilian Fischhuber
"If you compare the bouldering world cup of the two last seasons with the beginning of your career, would you say our sport did an logical evolution or was it a development that came from the media to make our sport 'higher - better - faster' because we are a consumer society? Would the sport have developed in the same direction without social media or do we need spectacular things, because otherwise we don’t watch for more than 15 seconds?"
Alexander Mego's question to Kilian Fischhuber
Kilian's answer
“When I started climbing in 1995, the sport was actually very different than it is today. When the first bouldering world cup took place in 1999, I was just old enough to start. Back then the boulders were rather short routes or imitations of difficult rock climbing movements. Small handles, small steps and lots of pulls. That has now been reversed. The handles are getting bigger and the trains are getting less. Today, the discipline of bouldering also influences route building in the lead, for example when short passages are strung together with spectacular trains.
Bouldering and route building has emancipated itself from rock climbing and has developed in a direction that tends to move away from rock climbing. But I don't think that this development has primarily to do with social media. At least it has its origins before the FB and IG were founded. The "creative, modern, unconventional" bouldering and route construction has become independent, through the search for new movements and movement sequences as well as the use of new materials, shapes and surfaces. Social media have spread this trend, made it accessible to a wide audience and thus accelerated it.
In principle, I am a fan of this development, but I think that you have to think about how you can steer diversity in ways without restricting creativity. "
Kilian Fischhuber asks Manuel Hassler
“The style of route construction and the choice of walls (slopes) can be decisive for the results in competitions. How will you deal with it in the future, also to avoid the appearance that you have 'screwed' for or against a certain person? "
Kilian Fischhuber's question to Manuel Hassler
Manuel's answer
The inclination of the different wall profiles usually defines a certain style. The flatter the profiles, the easier dynamic problems can be made.
It is always very difficult to set an undynamic style in a gently slopy wall that is spectacular at the same time.
That is why I am of the opinion that steep walls should definitely be present at every competition in order to create a natural diversity of styles in route construction.
This would allow the diversity of movements in route construction to be regulated automatically and much more easily, in order to present the competition in a “fairer” way for all athletes at the same time.
Next episode of our interview series Athletes Ask Athletes
Manuel Hassler nominates British climber Johnny Dawes, known for his dynamic climbing style and bold ascents, and asks him a question. More on that shortly. Stay tuned!
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Credits: Titelbild IFSC / CMA