Youth Rock Climbers Will Defy Gravity in Ogden Competition

Ogden, UT (December 13, 2015) – Over 240 top-tier youth climbers from Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah (ages 8-19) will be competing at the Front Climbing Club in Ogden at this year’s American Bouldering Series (ABS) Divisional Championships. Athletes will compete January 9-10 for a chance to advance to the USA Climbing ABS National Championships.

“We're incredibly excited at the opportunity to host the 2016 USA Climbing Divisional Championships” said Shad Burnham, CEO of The Front Climbing Club. “This year's event is already shaping up to be bigger than ever, with over 240 athletes from across the Western US attending.”

The Front Climbing Club boasts over 15,000 square feet of state-of-the-art bouldering terrain. Set in the heart of Ogden, The Front is located in what was once the old American Can Company. This venue provides a unique climbing experience with its large windows so that climbers can find inspiration by gazing at the Wasatch Mountain range where local legend Jeff Lowe started his career as a climber.

“Ogden has a rich climbing history, from George and Jeff Lowe pioneering much of modern rock and ice climbing techniques and equipment in the 60's on the cliffs and ice of the East Bench, to the Ogden Climbing Festival, now in its 9th year” said Burnham. “With such a supportive outdoor-oriented community, Ogden is an obvious choice for such a large event.”

The event format is an onsite qualifier round on Saturday the 9th with a final onsite round on Sunday. Competitors will have 4 minutes per route with a total of 4 routes per category in the qualifier round. The final round will consist of 4 “problems” or technical routes per category with 4 minutes allotted to each problem. Competitors will not be able to view the course prior to their round and will be scored based off a combination of factors: how high they climb and how many attempts they make to climb each problem.

In preparation for this event, nationally acclaimed setters (individuals who install the holds on the wall and dictate the movements of the routes) will be flown in a week prior to the event from all over the country to set the routes for the competition.

For more information about the American Bouldering Series or to see the schedule of events go to www.usaclimbing.org

This event is free and open to the public.

Press passes will be issued at The Front Climbing Club the day of the event. Please RSVP to:

The Front Climbing Club

Shad Burnham | CEO

Shad@frontogden.com

(801) 393-7625