We're excited to introduce you to a new community offering – Crosstown Throwdown Bouldering League!
Focused on community try-hard & friendly competition for climbers of all levels, this league really is for everyone. Register and compete weekly, alternating locations between Spire and The Mountain Project (TMP). Compete as a team of 3-5 people or sign up as a solo participant to be placed on a team with other rad folks. Wherever it fits in your team’s schedule, enjoy fresh sets curated specifically for you. Record your scores through the KAYA app, keep an eye on the competition, & get together with the entire league at the end of the 5-week season to throw down at Full Gravity Day. If you’re not feeling FGD, complete your boulders the week following and we’ll have an end of league party at The Mountain Project with food, raffle, and awards. Don’t miss this awesome opportunity to connect with local climbers & compete for glory!
Details:
Register online at Spire (Pre-registration required)
Create an account on KAYA, join the Crosstown Showdown Challenge (use the code emailed to you), then create or find your team
Open Climbing at the sponsoring gym during the week of the set - We'll set on Thursdays, so League problems will be available from Thursday evening around 5pm through the following Wednesday! Come in with your team whenever it works for you. Climbing together is strongly encouraged but not required.
Record your top 3 climbs each week on KAYA.
When:
Week 1 (Spire Main Facility) – Thursday October 8, 5pm – Wednesday October 14
Week 2 (TMP) – Thursday October 15, 5pm – Wednesday October 21, 5pm
Week 3 (Spire Training Center) – Thursday October 22, 5pm – Wednesday October 28, 5pm
Week 4 (TMP) – Thursday October 29, 5pm – Wednesday November 4, 5pm
Week 5 (Spire)– Full Gravity Day November 7 – Wednesday November 11, 5pm
Wrap up party (TMP) – Friday November 13 – raffle, awards, food.
Cost:
$30/person. Registration closes Thursday October 8th.
If signing up as a team, you will create and sign up for the team in KAYA.
If signing up as a solo, simply register yourself as a "Solo Participant" and we'll assign you to a team.
Benefits:
An exhilarating 5 weeks of competitive communal bouldering!
Access to Spire and TMP (during the week of the set; must have a current membership at either gym)
Free rental gear if purchasing a day pass (at Spire)
20% discount on FGD sign up.
A raffle ticket – you could win sweet prizes at the league end party!
Free T-shirts from our very first boulder league available – Limited quantity so they are first come, first serve!
Rules:
No substitute climbers
Climbing as a team is strongly encouraged but not required.
Honor system - record your own sends on KAYA
Only boulders noted as “League Boulders” are eligible during the week of the set, and each climb may only be counted once. Please do not log other boulders in your KAYA account during the competition as this may affect your score.
Must be 14 or older to participate
Scoring:
This league is unique in that climbers at every level can compete together & against one another. You and your teammates don't have to climb at the same level, nor will you be at a disadvantage competing with or against climbers who climb higher grades! It's all about performance, progress, and consistency over the course of the league.
We will use RELATIVE scoring. A competitor's score is directly related to their handicap (registered max grade). If a climber has a V5 handicap they will receive 100 points for a V5. For V6 they will receive 110 points. For V4 they will receive 80 points. Each grade deviation is +10/-20 points.
Climb as many problems as you like & record your top 3 sends every week
Each team member’s score will be totaled, and the team score will be the average of the total team points divided by the number of team members.
A team member that does not show up will receive a score of zero and will affect the team average. Showing up each week counts!
Flashes (topping out on your first attempt) are worth 5 extra points.
One point is subtracted for each failed attempt of a climb. So, if your handicap is V5, and you send on your second try, you will receive 99 points for that climb.
We reserve the option to adjust your Vmax as needed. If you're consistently climbing above your V-max, we'll bump it up a grade to more accurately reflect your ability.
Weekly climbs must be submitted before the next week's start date. This means scores must be in by Wednesday night each week.
FAQ
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Easy! Head to spireclimbing.com/crosstown-showdown and register. From there, you will need to download the KAYA app, enter the event code (you’ll be emailed this after your register), and create or find your team. If you don’t have a team, no worries, just sign up as a solo participant and we’ll find a team for you. You can also chat with us at Spire or The Mountain Project & we’ll happily help get you registered.
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You do not have to be a member to climb in the league, but you do need access to the gym. If you are a member at either gym, you can access either gyms during the respective set week. If you are not a member you will need a punch card or day pass at each respective gym.
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Teams of 3 to 5 are welcome. The score will be an average of all team member scores. Make these teams up however you like! Co-ed not necessary. Bonus points for the best (PG rated) team names.
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Don’t have a team? Enter as a solo participant and we’ll hook you up with some cool folks!
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Not a problem! The way this league is set up (see SCORING), V1 and V9 climbers can compete together on the same team! There’s no real advantage to all being at the same level, nor to climbing a higher Vmax than someone else – it’s about progress, performance, and showing up. Climbing with more experienced folks is a great way to learn & progress.
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The location alternates between Spire and The Mountain Project each week, starting at Spire the first week. We encourage y’all to come in and climb as a team, but it is not required. You can compete anytime between Thursday at 5pm and the following Wednesday.
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No, but to secure a team score for the week, you will need at least one team member to compete. However, a score of 0 for any team member will be averaged into the total team score for the week, so it benefits your team to have all members record a score each week.
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Points are scored using a handicap system based on your self-reported ability level. This ‘V-max’ represents the hardest bouldering grade you would typically be able to climb in one projecting session (think 5 tries); a V3 climber who sends V3 will earn the same score as a V7 climber sending V7. Equally, the V3 climber sending V4 will score the same as V7 sending V8.
As you get stronger throughout the season, understand that this Vmax may need to be raised; that’s a good thing! If you consistently perform above or below your Vmax week-to-week, we’ll adjust it for you. -
Where do I log scores in Kaya?
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You will! More than this, you may even have an advantage as you progress over the course of the league -it may be harder to push from V8 to V10 than from V2 to V4. We’ve built the league in the hopes of giving everyone an equal shot at success. More importantly, it’s about climbers of all levels getting together to try hard and grow in the sport & have a good time.
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You should absolutely share beta! If you’re not already in-the-know, ‘beta’ is a catch-all term for how to climb a boulder problem – where hands and feet go, how to position your hips, how to move from one hold to the next: your game plan. Visualizing well = moving well. Share your knowledge!