Senior Athletes: ACA pilot program

The ACA is launching a pilot program to provide additional competition experience for senior competitors intending to attend the CEC HP competition and/or NACS. We will open 3 senior male, and 3 senior female spots at the Hangar competition with no senior points awarded to those competitors. If you're interested in competing, please send an email to paigeboklaschuk@albertaclimbing.org outlining your intentions to compete at the HP competition, NACS competitions, and your current commitment to training and competing by Friday, January 26th. Paige will inform you whether you've been selected on Saturday, January 27th. 

Several registrations close this week

We’ve got several competitions coming up, and the registration for the 2024-FEB-03 Youth Rope Local at CCC Hangar closes on January 27th 2024. Also on the same weekend, the Alberta Speed Provincials are being held at CCC Rocky, and the registration closes on January 28th. Don’t miss your chance, register today! The ACA has implemented a new late registration policy as of January 1st 2024.

Volunteers needed: CEC Speed Nationals @ CCC Rocky - 2024-FEB-17&18

The CEC speed nationals are being held in Alberta this year, and we’re hoping our climbing community steps up to volunteer at this event. Check out the event page for information, and sign up for a shift if you’re interested in helping. CEC events are the premier showcase of the nation’s best climbers, and you can’t get a better view than a volunteer on the floor!

Keep an eye out for information about the ACA provincial speed championships on that event page as well! We’ll share details as the planning shapes up. Registration is still open, so head over to secure your spot.

Thank you for a great comp in Lethbridge!

Another comp in the books! Thanks to Randy, Alana and everyone at Coulee Climbing for hosting this weekend! Thanks to Trent and the rest of his route setting crew! Thank you to all of the volunteer judges, isolation coordinators, and everyone who helped and offered to help us; we really can’t do this without you! We saw a lot of new faces helping out this weekend. Thank you to the coaches for working with us and advocating for your athletes!

Last but not least, thank you and congratulations to all of our athletes! For many of our athletes, this was either the first competition or the first finals, and for some their first podium! We saw incredible effort all day, and we couldn’t be more proud of EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. You’re developing your skills and your hard work is paying off in different ways. Keep up the good work.

We’ll get the podium pictures posted on our social media channels soon, just catching up.

2024-FEB-24: Registration Open

With a few competitions in the books and a few more on the way, get ready to sign up for the Jr,A,B bouldering competition at Blocs in Edmonton on February 24, 2024. You can register on our member portal, and check out the event page for updates as we finalize the details.

While you’re over there, don’t forget to register for the Jr,A,B,C,D ropes competition at CCC Hangar on February 3rd and the Provincial Speed championship at CCC Rocky on February 4th.

Feel free to reach out with questions or comments, communications@albertaclimbing.org

Volunteers needed: Lethbridge 2024-JAN-20

Attention all volunteers - we needed some extra time to determine the format and schedule based on registration counts for this competition. Now that the tentative schedule is posted on the event page, we’re looking for help from you to ensure our athletes get the best possible competition experience. Sign up to volunteer here. If you’re new or have questions about volunteering, trust that you’ll be fully supported!

If you haven’t registered yet - don’t wait till the last minute! Registration is open to all C & D athletes, as well as specifically indicated A & B athletes. Registration closes on Wednesday January 17th at 12pm noon.

Reach out to communications@albertaclimbing.org with questions.

Reminder: Coulee comp is open to identified B & A athletes, along with all C & D

With the 2024-JAN-20 bouldering comp at Coulee Climbing in Lethbridge approaching, we wanted to remind some of our B & A athletes that competed at CCC Chinook in December: you may be qualified to register! Check out the event page to see if you qualify, and head to the member portal to register before the deadline at 12pm noon on Wednesday January 17th. Since the registration for this event is restricted, B & A athletes have an even greater chance to compete for the podium. Top 6 in each category go to a finals round, and our B & A categories currently have between 4 and 10 registrants.

Extended Registration: Lethbridge 2024-JAN-20

We’ve extended the registration deadline for the 2024-JAN-20 bouldering competition at Coulee Climbing in Lethbridge till Wednesday January 17th at 12pm Noon Mountain Time. Check out our member portal to register. All youth D & C athletes can register, along with those specifically indicated from B & A categories. Check out the event page for more details as we finalize the plans. We’ll be posting volunteer sign ups, schedule, and more this week.

If you have questions, email us communications@albertaclimbing.org

Thanks to everyone for a great comp in Canmore

Thank you to Elevation Place staff for hosting an amazing competition for our athletes! We also want to thank our route setting team, who made some really great problems in qualifiers and finals. We couldn’t pull this off without an army of volunteers - almost 80 volunteer slots were filled! And finally, we want to thank the coaches and congratulate ALL of the athletes for putting on an amazing performance this weekend. No matter the outcome, we keep seeing amazing camaraderie and sportsmanship that is unrivalled in the sporting world. You’re all working really hard towards your personal and team goals, and should be incredibly proud of your work so far this season.

Qualifier videos are up: 2024-JAN-13 Canmore EP

We know you’re eager to review the qualifier videos for the 2024-JAN-13 EP Canmore rope competition, so go check them out here. We’re excited to see you tomorrow. Check out the event page for updates.

Reminder: Registration closes soon - 2024-JAN-20 Bouldering

The youth local bouldering competition at Coulee Climbing in Lethbridge is coming up, and the registration closes on Saturday January 13th 2024. This event is open to C & D athletes, as well as those specifically indicated from A & B. Check out the event page for updates, and don’t miss out on registration if you plan to attend.

Reach out to communications@albertaclimbing.org with any questions.

Important Update: 2024-JAN-13 EP Canmore

With the cold snap and snowfall in Alberta taking hold, the ACA has received several inquiries about the status of the 2024-JAN-13 Rope Local at Elevation Place in Canmore.

The competition will not be cancelled. The ACA can’t control the weather, and expenses for the competition have already been committed. However we appreciate that some people may not want to travel in these conditions.

The ACA will refund registrants, who wish to withdraw due to the extreme weather, 50% of the registration fee ($42.00). Registrants that wish to withdraw need to email communications@albertaclimbing.org by 5:00pm Mountain Standard Time on Friday January 12th with the athlete’s name and clear direction to withdraw.

The process for refunding partial transaction amounts is a bit more complex; please be patient as we work with everyone to fulfill the partial refunds that are requested.

Competition Committee applications open

The ACA is putting together a Competition committee to help organize competitions. This committee will help develop the Competition schedule, formats and rules for the ACA that can best support our athletes and their growth. It will also help develop resources for host gyms to better support them when organizing events. We are looking for the following positions on the committee:

• Gym owners or Managers – looking for up to 2

• Athlete reps, one male and one female.

• Technical rep – This can be a current official or a coach.

• Member at large – This is someone in the community such as parent, coach or competition organizer.

This committee will be chaired by Sebastian Powell – IFSC Event delegate and joined by Paige Boklaschuk – Performance Chair on the ACA board. If you are interested, please email your application to Sebastian Powell at sebastian@bolderclimbing.com by January 26, 2024. Please include a cover letter outlining your experience in competitions and how you can contribute to the committee.

Volunteers needed: 2024-JAN-13 EP Canmore

We’ve opened up more judging spots for the youth local competition in Canmore. There are almost 200 athletes registered across 5 youth categories, and Elevation Place has very limited viewing space. Only registered athletes, coaches, volunteers, and officials will be allowed on the climbing floor. Sign up to help judge and experience what my friend Sylvain Vanier calls “the best seats in the house”!

Reach out to communications@albertaclimbing.org with questions or comments.

2024-JAN-13 EP Canmore - last day to register

It’s the last day to register for the Youth Rope Local competition at Elevation Place in Canmore on January 20th 2024. The ACA has a new late registration policy in place, so don’t be late if you plan to register. Head over to our member portal to secure your spot. The event page on our website has been updated with more scheduling details. We also opened up the volunteer sign up, and need your help to have a successful competition for our athletes.

Volunteer sign-up: 2024-JAN-13 EP Canmore

Volunteers, we need your help! Sign up for the best seats in the house, and help our athletes experience the best competition possible. We have an amazing group that will help newcomers and seasoned vets.

New: Specific A&B athletes eligible for 2024-JAN-20 Comp

This post contains important information for Youth B & A athletes. Please read the entire post.

The ACA is constantly evaluating its competition circuit and reviewing feedback received from athletes, parents and coaches. Because of this we are excited to offer a pilot program into the January 20 Lethbridge Youth C and D competition to introduce a second tier for Youth A and B athletes. Our membership continues to grow year over year, and we are looking for ways to manage our numbers and the diverse cross section of athletes that comprise our membership.

This pilot is meant to gauge interest in a second competition tier that allows athletes to gain experience in ACA sanctioned competitions as well as the opportunity to perform well amongst their peers. It is the first step the ACA is taking towards a multi-tiered system which is currently a reality with some of our partner Provincial and Territorial Sport Organizations (PTSOs). The success and feedback received from the participants and their parents in this pilot will be used to evolve this program in future years.

The competition will be a full scramble qualifier (30 to 45 problems athletes can try over the course of 2 ½ to 3 hour) and the top 6 in each category will move on to a 5 on 5 off final. The scramble format will offer a diverse range of problems to challenge all of our athletes.

We would like to invite the following Youth A and B athletes to register for the January 20th Lethbridge Bouldering Local:

- Youth A Females who placed 23 or below at the December 9th Boulder Local at CCC Chinook

- Youth A Males who placed 20 or below at the December 9th Boulder Local at CCC Chinook

- Youth B Females who placed 18 or below at the December 9th Boulder Local at CCC Chinook

- Youth B Males who placed 13 or below at the December 9th Boulder Local at CCC Chinook

The 2023-DEC-09 results are found here.

Registration closes January 13th at 11:59 PM, and the new ACA late registration policy will be in effect for all athlete classes.

INELIGIBLE ATHLETES WILL BE DEREGISTERED WITHOUT WARNING

Reach out to us communications@albertaclimbing.org with questions or comments.

2024-FEB-04 Speed Provincials open, plus more

Another big update today. We have opened the Speed Provincial competition registration. It will be hosted at the Calgary Climbing Centre Rocky Mountain location on Sunday February 4th 2024. Details will be posted on the event page.

The Youth Lead Local on Saturday February 3rd 2024 will be at the Calgary Climbing Centre Hangar location. The registration is open, and details will be on the event page as they come in.

Don’t forget about the two January competitions that are closing soon: Youth lead local in Canmore on January 13th 2024 and the C&D bouldering local in Lethbridge on January 20th 2024. Register for them on our member portal as well before time runs out! The ACA board has approved a late registration policy that is now in effect.

If you have questions or comments, feel free to reach us communications@albertaclimbing.org

2023-FEB-03 Comp Open plus more!

We’ve opened up the registration for the 2023-FEB-03 Youth rope local competition at Calgary Climbing Centre (specific gym TBD). Register on our member portal. Details will be posted on the event page.

While you’re over there, don’t forget to register for the Youth rope local at Elevation Place in Canmore (closes January 6th). This is open to all youth ages (Jr,A,B,C,D). Check out the event page for more details as the planning takes shape.

The youth bouldering local at Coulee Climbing in Lethbridge is also open for youth C & D ages until January 13th. Details will be updated on the event page.

We’ll be opening up the Speed Provincials soon. They will be hosted by Calgary Climbing Centre on the first weekend of February. This event includes all youth and senior age categories. Details to be updated on the event page soon.

To top it off, we want to remind everyone that the ACA announced a new late registration policy that takes effect in January 2024.

2024-JAN-20 Registration Open & Late Registration Policy

We’re excited to open up the registration for the Youth C & D Boulder Competition at Coulee Climbing in Lethbridge on January 20th 2024. Check out the event page for details as we finalize them. We’ll need volunteers, so look out for that in the next few weeks.

The ACA board would also like to share the updated late registration policy. See the note from our President, Mark Kozak:

Late Registrations

A significant amount of work is required between the close of registration for a competition and the start of that competition. This includes entering athletes into the scoring system, start lists/running orders, etc which require the registration list. Late registrations cause significant disruptions to this process for the volunteers working on competition organization, who often have limited time. At the same time, the ACA wants to be reasonably inclusive of all athletes where possible.

As of January 1st, 2024, there will be a late registration fee of $100 for registration requests after the close of registration for a competition.

Please note, even with the late registration fee, late registration requests may be denied at the discretion of the competition organizers 3 to 4 days before the start of the competition due to finalization of running orders and other activities associated with competition organization. Requests for late registrations will be denied within 2 days of the competition.

In short:

DON'T REGISTER LATE!!

Thanks,

Mark Kozak

Alberta Climbing Association President

Feel free to reach out to us communications@albertaclimbing.org