Set&Send Boulder Comp

 

Set & Send Boulder Comp is a novel climbing competition that emphasizes on routesetting. Set & Send took place on June 20, 2023, in Sofia, Bulgaria, a day before the start of the 2023 edition of the World Indoor Climbing Summit conference.

 

Notably, the kick-off evening for WICS 2023 featured a different kind of bouldering competition – Set&Send. With its was novel format, the comp provided spotlight on routesetting as a major part of comps along with the athletes performance. Moreover, climbers and routesetters teamed up to work together on setting the problems on three signature Walltopia boulders featuring the latest panel designs from the company – the wooden boulder, the bamboo boulder and the stone boulder.

The boulders’ geometry is designed with both simplicity and versatility in mind, as part of the modules within the harmonized system. This system allows any climbing gym using the same modules to replicate the problems (with route setters’ copyright applying). Additionally, the boulders’ visual design, created by long-time Walltopia designer Margarita Kozhuharova, incorporates natural aesthetics. By blending veneers, dual textures, and LED lights, the design creates an intriguing and challenging climbing experience. Specifically, there are three walls divided into five sectors: the Wooden Boulder, Bamboo Boulder, and Stone Boulder. Furthermore, the silhouette lines extend onto the Climbmat flooring, ensuring a cohesive design.

Set&Send is a friendly commercial competition designed to create an engaging, easy-to-follow format that stands out from official competitions. Its goal is to shine a spotlight on routesetting while maintaining simplicity for spectators. Furthermore, the event is designed to be easily understood without needing prior explanations, as each zone or top scores a specific number of points, making it straightforward to track. Additionally, the event fosters a collaborative atmosphere, where competitors and setters work together, creating an inclusive experience for both participants and viewers.

The competition featured:

• 3 Harmonized boulder walls divided into 5 climbing sections of similar size.
• 5 teams representing 5 climbing hold brands
• 5 routesetters x 2 routes each – one for males and one for females
• 10 pro climbers x 2 in each team – a male and female climber
• Every routesetter teams up with two climbers – male and female of their choice. They work together on the route-setting with the setter being the “captain”

There were 5 teams consisting of a routesetter and a male and female climber, representing 5 different hold brands – Flathold, Kilter, Sup’R, Cheeta and HRT. The route setters received a 3D model of the boulder they would be setting on a couple of months prior to the competiton. They could make their own hold selection from the sets of the brand they represent that wold be produced specifically for the comp.

ROUTESETTER:
Dirk Uhlig Germany

CLIMBERS:
Lucia Dörffel Germany
Boyan Kirov Bulgaria

ROUTESETTER:
Niklas Wiechmann, Germany

CLIMBERS:
André Neres, Portugal
Cloe Coscoy Professional climber, USA

ROUTESETTER:
Pierre Broyer France

CLIMBERS:
Brooke Raboutou USA
Shawn Raboutou USA

ROUTESETTER:
Tsukuru Hori
Japan

CLIMBERS:
Alex Totkova Bulgaria
Mateo Laporte France

ROUTESETTER:
Gautier Supper
France

CLIMBERS:
Nika Potapova Ukraine
Slav Kirov Bulgaria

The setters had the morning and early afternoon to set the problems, and climbers were allowed to assist. Each team could forerun their own problems but could not climb the other team’s problems. However, they were permitted to watch the setting and forerunning, making the competition not fully onsight. While this approach wasn’t ideal for conserving climbers’ energy, it helped create a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where everyone enjoyed a climbing session together.

The competition started at sundown to avoid the summer heat. To ensure fairness, lots were drawn to determine the climbing sequence. Male and female climbers from each team climbed together, with the “owner” of each boulder climbing last to avoid revealing the beta. Despite the problems not being onsight, the combination of excellent setting and world-class climbers led to surprising outcomes. Moreover, the audience was highly engaged, cheering throughout the event. The thrilling competition remained unpredictable until the very last send, making it exciting for everyone involved.

Female climbers:

1. Lucia Dorfell
2. Brooke Raboutou
3. Cloe Coscoy

Male climbers:

1. Boyan Kirov
2. Slav Kirov
3. Shawn Raboutou

The awarding for the routesetting was separate and was decided by a gentlemen’s vote between all comp participants – setters and climbers. Each of them voted anonymously for their favorite problem in the following three categories:

Most creative problem (the one that was most difficult to read) – won by Dirk Uhlig – HRT holds
Most attractive problem (the one that was most attractive to watch) – won by Gautier Supper – Sup’R holds
Most aesthetic boulder (the best art piece on the walls) – also the most difficult to decide as apparently all problems looked amazing on the walls. Three setters split the prize – Tsukuru Hori (Cheeta holds), Dirk Uhlig (HRT) and Pierre Broyer (Flathold)