Periodically, the Spot’s General Manager, Howlin’ Dan Howley, would interrupt the action to announce some Asian-themed form of entertainment, such as Kendo sword fighting or the classic crashpad sumo wrestling. The two swordsmen who battled for our amusement were in full regalia: protective jackets (keikogi), wide-legged pants (hakama), and armor (bogu) including chest, arm, and leg protection, as well as wire-cage face masks. Their swords were bamboo, in case any of you were worried. Later, I saw them toting chalk buckets and trying the problems while still in their heavy gear. 

When the climbing was done, many of the competitors filed upstairs for Avery beer, Chinese food (which was mostly polished off by spectators while we were climbing) and later, pizza. Howlin’ Dan manned the mic from atop the Fontainebleau boulder and whipped the audience into a frenzy with hurled schwag and the raffle call — about $1500 worth of gear from sponsors (bentgate.com, backcountry.com, Flashed, Trango, BC.com, MontBell, Neptune Mountaineering, Verve, Sender Films, Serac Adventure Films, Metolius, and Avery Brewing) was given away. In the crowd below, grown men could be seen diving for chalk and DVDs like greedy children swarming the contents of a split piñata. 

The results are slated for posting at thespotgym.com by Wednesday, December 5. The third installment of the Spot Bouldering Series III, will be The Gun Show, on January 19, so bring your guns and check out the afore-mentioned website for more on the rest of the series.