Power Struggle 7 Bouldering Comp Highlights
by Guest Blogger Mike Bowsher
Another stellar show was put on at Prime Climb’s Power Struggle 7 on May 4th, 2013! It was a great showing for a comp that was previously cancelled due to a snow storm in February. The Prime Climb setters went back to work for the third time this year stripping down the bouldering wall to make a blank canvas on which to craft some tricky problems for the competitors to pull on. Click on the video below to check out the highlights from the competition!
Setters hard at work, preparing for the comp!
Ty Landman eyeing up the 3rd final’s problem…right before he cruised through it to become the champ yet again!
Women’s Finalists: (L to R) Adelia Wong, Molly Gaynor, Isabelle Fauss
Men’s Finalists: (L to R): Bryce Viola, Ty Landman, Augie Kone
If you are a competitive climber and didn’t make it to this year’s competition, I highly recommend making it to next year’s. These comps are NEVER a disappointment when it comes to the qualifying round and the finals showdown. Also, there were some great prizes for top finishers in designated categories and raffle prizes (shown below).
(photo courtesy of Prime Climb’s Facebook page)
Be sure to go check out the Prime Climb Gym sometime soon to climb on the problems that were shown in the video!
For more of Mike check out his blog or follow him on Twitter and Instagram (bowshaaa)!
Pint Night for Save the Bay
Denali and the Mews Tavern invite you to help us Save the Bay! On Thursday, June 6th Denali in the Wakefield Mall will be hosting a Pint Night from 5:30-7:30PM with all benefits going to Save the Bay: Narragansett Bay.
The night will feature beer and wine tasting from Wakefield mainstay the Mews Tavern. Even though the restaurant will be closed that week for upgrades the good folks at Mews are coming to Denali for this great cause. Food for the evening will be provided by Wildwood Caterers. Guests will be entertained by live music from the soulful sounds of Fieldhouse/BMG/Chrysalis recording artist Matt Hartke. With your $15 donation to Save the Bay guests will also get a pint glass to take home.
Guests may also purchase tickets to take a spin of the Denali Prize Wheel or to take a chance on one of the raffle items. The Prize Wheel will include items such as Denali Water Bottles, $5 store Gift Cards, Patagonia Frisbees, and Patagonia Sun Sticks. A few of the items already in line for the raffle include a Patagonia bag, $25 gift cards to Wakefield Bookstore, and $100, $75, and $50 gift cards to Denali. Visit our facebook event page to invite your friends to come along.
Save The Bay: Narragansett Bay protects, restores and improves the ecological health of the Narragansett Bay region, including its watershed and adjacent coastal waters, through an ecosystem-based approach to environmental action; defends the right of the public to use and enjoy the Bay and its surrounding waters; and fosters an ethic of environmental stewardship among people who live in or visit the Narragansett Bay region.
Gear Review: Salomon X Ultra Mid GTX Hiking Shoe
Product Tested: Salomon X Ultra Mid GTX Hiking Shoe
Best uses for product: Hiking
What you used the product for: Hiking in Connecticut and New Hampshire
Favorite aspect of the product: Light weight, Gore-Tex, feels like a sneaker
It looks like a boot and feels like a shoe. When I signed up for the Peak Ultra 50 Trail Marathon I knew right away the pair of shoes I wanted for the event. For trying to cover 50 miles in one day I need something light weight and waterproof. While the Peak Ultra is still to come I have put my X Ultra Mids through many miles of trails in Connecticut and New Hampshire.
On a recent hike up the Tripyramids in New Hampshire I was hiking along old logging roads, through snow, up steep rock slabs, down loose rock slides, and through muddy streams. My feet never got wet until I was walking knee deep through some rapids. Up until that point my shoes had gotten wet many times but never felt weighed down or wet on the inside. Often times if I don’t Nikwax a boot and it gets wet it immediately feels heavy. Between the Gore-Tex inner bootie and the water resistant textile this shoe keeps you dry.
Another great aspect of the X Ultra Mid is how comfortable they are. I can wear them at work all day and then go out for a 2.5 hour hike afterward. At the same time I also have worn them for a 9 hour day hike. The cushioning and support are great for hours of wear. They are light weight and flexible so I have found it easy to jog down trails while training.
So far I have been extremely pleased with my Salomon X Ultra Mid Hiking shoes and I look forward to hiking/running 50miles in them soon. I have a narrow foot but need to wear men’s shoes so you may notice in the pictures that I have them laced pretty tight. As long as I have them laced well my feet are perfectly fine. For sizing I went with what I get for hiking boots which is generally a half size larger than my sneakers. This allows for more room when my feet swell after many hours of hiking.
Local Hikes with Emily: Fort Wetherill
Zach and I decided to head over to Jamestown for a hike through the old fort on the beautiful Sunday morning of last week. Fort Wetherill is located in Jamestown, RI on the high granite cliffs across the water from Fort Adams in Newport. It is a former coastal defense battery and training camp of many wars. The current state park is about 61.5 acres and has been a fortification site since 1776. But in present day you can have a lovely family picnic, go fishing or learn how to scuba dive and snorkel.
We parked the car in one of the many little lots and headed out on the many little trails, skirting around the cliffs near the seaside. We found some interesting little critters swimming about, and a really cool dried out sea urchin to add to our little hiking collection. We turned from the sea and hiked towards the old fort.
When coming from the island’s coast, the fort seems to spring up out of the ground. The old concrete walls are smothered in graffiti these days, and are crumbling in many places. Inside, the old limestone bricks are dripping with little stalactites as the graffiti continues into the dark damp tunnels and rooms. We brought flashlights to do some exploring but you really must be careful you don’t fall down a hole or trip over something unpleasant. We weaved in and out snapping pictures of the modern art as kids were running around playing zombie apocalypse (the perfect setting for such a game!).
Hunger drove us back to the car and we drove home for a late lunch. After our tasty lunch we decided hit up the new Rockspot Climbing Gym in Peacedale. I have been a few times with the Denali crew and it is such a blast! We got our gear on and our climb on for the rest of the afternoon before meeting up with the Denali crew for dinner at Mews Tavern. I’m still getting the nack for the lingo so I couldn’t tell you what type of routes we did but we had so much fun! Bouldering was our favorite especially the wall with the fun slide on the second floor. If you haven’t been, I highly advise it! That’s all for now, happy trails!
Employee Spotlight: Ashlee Griffin
Your Name & Store:
Ashlee Griffin – Enclave, New Haven (a few doors down from Denali, New Haven)
Hometown:
San Antonio, TX is my birth place, but I live in New Haven, CT
How do you spend your days?
If I’m not at Enclave, I love to be home, or I travel to a lot of different places. I am very spontaneous. So my days can take me anywhere at a moment’s notice
What are your hobbies?
I love to read. Something about learning more about the world excites me. I also model from time to time. I’ve been in many different shows for the past few years. I also love to draw, and I’m learning how to play the piano. Just to name a few….
The best meal I’ve ever had was?
I really can’t say there was one meal that was the best because I feel like every meal I have is the best. I just love to eat.
What superhero power do you wish you had?
I guess I would have to say the power to read people’s minds. I think that would be kinda cool.
Piece of gear that you couldn’t live without?
I just picked up a pair of Vibram FiveFingers a month ago and I have to say I wear then 2-3 times a week. They’re the most comfortable pair of shoes I own to date.
If you could be any animal what would you be?
I would have to say an elephant. I have this big love for elephants
Dream vacation?
I always wanted to visit Greece and Italy. Have you ever seen those places, they’re beautiful!
If you were to write a book about yourself, what would the title be?
“Always the Elephant in the Room: Spenser Vol.1”