USA Climbing and the CWA Competition Advisory Committee: What You Should Know
This year, the Climbing Wall Association (CWA) and USA Climbing (USAC) formed the new Competition Advisory Committee, to include indoor climbing gym operators in discussions of the industry, the future of competition climbing, and how to strengthen collaboration.
“It has been a pleasure getting to know the gym owners on the Committee,” said Marc Norman, President and CEO of USA Climbing.
“As a group, we have worked in the spirit of collaboration toward solving the challenges in front of us, and I look forward to building on this foundation.”
-Marc Norman, President and CEO of USA Climbing
Garnet Moore, Executive Director of the CWA, has been working alongside the USAC to ensure that gym operators can make more informed decisions about the competitions they host.
"I'm looking forward to helping grow the sport of climbing through competitions," says Garnet.
The Committee has met bi-weekly since February 2024, identifying USA Climbing’s Youth Series Qualifying Events (QEs) as their primary focus for the 2024-2025 season.
The Committee proposed the following changes, which are implemented in USA Climbing’s 2024-2025 Rulebook and policies:
Changes to Qualifying Events
- Existing sets
- Format flexibility
- Climbing permitted on routes and boulders during the week of routesetting
- L2 routesetting waiver
- Guaranteed registrations for hosting gym
Changes to Divisional Championships
- Rotational Redpoint Format
Starting us off, the CWA has produced a robust budget as a starting point for gyms interested in hosting competitions. This work is just the beginning of the many resources that will come out of this collaboration.
Downloadable Content:
Sample Budget for Climbing Gym Comps
The Joint Committee consists of:
CWA Representatives:
- Michael Lary – Source Climbing,
- Drew Sloss – The Climb Gyms
- Ian McIntosh – Mesa Rim
- Andrew Hou – Uplift Climbing
- Dave Hudson – First Ascent
- Aaron Stevens - Climb Iowa
- Mike St. Laurent – Triangle Rock Club
- Alice Kao – Sender One
CWA Staff:
- Garnet Moore
USAC Board Representatives:
- Deanna Labriola
- Connie Lightner
USAC Staff:
- Marc Norman
- John Muse
For more details on the committee or upcoming changes, please reach out to info@usaclimbing.org.