Latest BLOG entries from the sport's most exciting athletes! http://deadpointmag.com/ Copyright 2009 Dead Point Magazine. All Rights Reserved. “When there’s nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire.” That provocative first line from a Stars song sparked a revelation last month as I zipped though downtown Boulder, past familiar faces and favorite spaces. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/9-abbey-smith/26-blog-5 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:24:33 EST I just took a three-year break from Hueco Tanks. I had been going down every season, but I guess I just got tired of dealing with the rules. But that was a long enough time for me, so I had to go back for some more. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/7-jason-kehl/25-blog-5 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:33:24 EST My journey to the Five Ten Cup began with me sprinting shoeless through the Minneapolis airport listening to the demanding “Final Boarding Call” that was being announced on the loud speaker. I thought I had a ten hour layover, but it turns out I read the time wrong and had less than forty-five minutes. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/10-alex-johnson/24-blog2 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:19:58 EST Traveling all the time can get exhausting man...I am not even kidding. It's the life, no doubt, and I would really never change up my situation for anything, but some times...you get worked. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/5-joe-kinder/23-blog-4 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:41:28 EST The holidays always make me nostalgic. It's a time to reflect back. To think about rigs past, rigs present, and rigs future. It's uncertain what the future holds for us but there is one thing that has always been a constant in my life. Hunting gimmes. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/8-mikey-williams/22-blog-4 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:42:03 EST The weather in Fort Collins is usually really nice, but has been extra good lately, and I just spent two awesome days climbing up in Poudre Canyon this weekend. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/10-alex-johnson/21-blog-1 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:50:06 EST My trip to the Philippines turned out to be one of my greatest adventures of all time. I left Vietnam all alone, heading to a remote country I knew nothing about, hoping to meet some cool locals, have a good time, and stay alive. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/6-chris-lindner/20-blog4 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:44:01 EST “It’s like you’re the lone captain on this big ass ocean liner, man. And it’s like god damn, I need people to cook the food, I need people to run the motors, I need people to make sure we don’t go into the rocks and so forth, like that.” Mark Borchardt American Movie: The Making of Northwestern (1999) http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/7-jason-kehl/19-blog-4 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:47:55 EST I've now been living the rural, domestic, midwestern life in Southern Illinois (De Soto to be exact) for the last month. My days consist of waking up at 7 am to dark roast french press coffee and working at my laptop until I'm drained of creativity and can no longer sit on the hard wooden chair staring at text on my glowing screen. With only four decent restaurants 20 minutes or more away, I've been forced to tap into my domestic side... http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/9-abbey-smith/18-blog4 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:32:54 EST Moving and moving and moving!!! ALWAYS on to the next place. Right now I am in transit once again. I have been having some AMAZING climbing days and gotta say man….I got my game on. The past few months I have completed goals I have dreamt of making a reality. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/5-joe-kinder/17-blog-3 Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:15:04 EDT I couldn't help but notice that I am the weakest climber with a blog on the internet. I find this fascinating. So I asked myself: "Why am I the best climber I've ever seen?" It really is baffling. I share none of the traits of other good climbers. I can't do a one arm pull up, I rarely train, I can't climb v10 and I don't smoke weed. The answer my friends: Tactics. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/8-mikey-williams/16-blog-3 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:34:14 EDT Ever feel like you life is a video and you’re watching it thru your own eyes, but the only problem is that the fast forward button doesn’t work? http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/7-jason-kehl/14-blog-3 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:06:47 EDT About three weeks ago, my first trip to South-East Asia was born, and along with it came some serious adventures. Here is a little play by play action: http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/6-chris-lindner/13-blog-3 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:35:06 EDT On September 24, at 6 am, I pressed reset as I escaped during the early morning light and headed east on 1-70. The options were (and always are): keep working vigorously to follow my creative pursuits unleashed, or buy a one way ticket to South America to start over, or get an office job and gain financial security but lose my independence and sanity. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/9-abbey-smith/12-blog-3 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:36:06 EDT In Boulder this season was deemed “surgery summer,” as it was hit by a vicious injury wave that sent sport climbers, boulders and traditionalists to the operating room. At any given point, there were multiple climbers hobbling around the café lugging a boot and swinging on crutches. The sight brought back disturbing images of my destroyed ankle that confined me to crutches for two and a half weeks and on a rope for several months last summer. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/9-abbey-smith/11-blog-entry-2 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:30:06 EDT Ernest Hemingway once said, “Auto racing, bull fighting, and mountain climbing are the only real sports ... all others are games.” I never thought I’d live to understand that quote. Growing up in Colorado’s Front Range, it’s impossible to ignore the alluring beauty of the Rocky Mountains spanning the western skyline. For some reason climbing made sense. It just clicked. Now 10 years, later I can’t imagine stopping. And I’ve managed to align my passion for climbing, writing and traveling—and actually make a living doing it. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/9-abbey-smith/10-blog-entry-1 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:24:50 EDT For those of you unfamiliar with the deeply embedded culture of the sport climbing underworld, a red tag is a way for a climber to lay claim to a piece of rock real estate. An insignificant chunk of rock is found, cleaned, bolted, chalked, and a red ribbon is attached to the first bolt. This is like a ‘no trespassing’ sign. It lets other climbers know that the route has not yet been redpointed by the prospective first ascentionist and that they should stay off until the route has been ‘opened’ to the public. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/8-mikey-williams/9-blog-entry-2--the-red-tag Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:12:30 EDT Despite popular belief, midsummer is not the climbing season at the New River Gorge. It’s hot and so humid that chalked holds acquire a toothpasty consistency. It’s hard to breather on the hike in and out and even harder when you’re struggling to recover on a sloping, pasty jug halfway up Lactic Acid Bath. But if you can push through and climb a bit anyway, you’ll find yourself feeling double strong in the fall which is the actual good climbing season. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/8-mikey-williams/8-blog-entry-1 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:06:58 EDT It’s been a long time since I’ve competed in an indoor climbing competition and for good reasons. I grew up plastic climbing, and although that was not all I did, it was a great means for me to get strong and squeeze my way into the climbing world. I was involved in some of the first bouldering competitions that swept over the nation, eventually peaking with the PCA. It was a great time for competition, there were killer new walls, like The Front in Salt Lake City, and The Spot, in Boulder, where new faces came up to battle it out against some of our sports greatest heroes. After years of competing, putting myself against the wall in that one moment in time, I grew weary and was in search of other pleasures from climbing. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/7-jason-kehl/7-blog-entry-2 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:01:31 EDT I have been doing a lot of traveling lately and one thing that I am always noticing is how emotional I get when flying in a plane. My theory is; this heightened emotional state is caused by a subconscious fear of death and being out of control of your own survival. So that would explain how, when I reach a cruising altitude of 39,000 feet and the fat kid at the end of the movie saves the day, I’m doing all I can to hold back the tears and avoid public humiliation. These are cheesy movies that I would never watch, but somehow in that world, up in the sky I’m as soft as a teenage girl. It’s interesting how your surroundings can subtly change your emotional state in a major way. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/7-jason-kehl/6-blog-entry-1 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:54:40 EDT The past few weeks have been mostly spent at home in Las Vegas. Mt. Charleston is the summer retreat and has been the source of much frustration. I’m not a fan of climbing in hot weather, and the hot and humid monsoon season that usually happens during this time in August is of no help. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/6-chris-lindner/5-blog-entry-2 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:48:45 EDT On an opening remark, I’m extremely psyched to be onboard with this cutting-edge Dead Point Magazine concept. I'm a huge connoisseur of new movements in the climbing industry, and I'm always willing to help out as much as I possibly can. I'm going to start this first blog with the last week or so of my life as a professional rock climber. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/6-chris-lindner/4-blog-entry-1 Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:32:52 EDT YEEEERRR!!! I have been steady climbing here in Rifle and doing it UP! It’s nice man…real nice to feel strong and have your game on. The feeling of walking up to a route with confidence and intent…is BAD ASS. I have recently climbed Stockboys Revenge 8c (or 8c+) put up by Andy Raether. This route is TOTALLY Rifle…knee-bars and non-holds…It’s nice and broken up with no pump factor really…good for all you bouderers out there. Andy is one of the only cats out there bolting the last bit of real estate in Rifle Canyon…Dude goes to work! http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/5-joe-kinder/3-blog-entry-2 Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:00:00 EDT This is my second year living and climbing as a professional-full-time-climber. I am sincerely grateful for my life right now….I don’t wanna sound cheesy, but YO….this IS THE LIFE KID!!!! The first year, I was doing alright with income and having all the time in the world to climb, but the second year I have taken a different approach and now understand the lifestyle my boy Dave Graham has been living since we finished high school. There is TONS of freedom, TONS of time to travel and do basically ANYTHING you wanna do. Wanna project your dream route? No problem. Need time to train in the gym? WORD! Time to take a trip? Of course. Planning a trip is always one of he greatest endeavors you can do as a climber. It allows you to get out of your area and experience the other rock, get your ass kicked, and really be challenged. This lifestyle is really healthy. http://deadpointmag.com/blogs/5-joe-kinder/2-july-17th-2008-recap Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:35:10 EDT