Finals:
Spurred on by DJ Underground Chuck, the packed Front cheered on finals competitors as they threw themselves at the course-setters’ challenging problems. The women’s finals were another testament to some spot-on route-setting by USAC staff: entertaining movement and a great blend of styles. In the end, the audience had no clue who finished first. 

Women’s #1 served as a strong warm up for the field of 20 women who made it past Qualifiers. Finals #2, at V5, included big moves and balancey reach-throughs.  Number three (V8) worked around a corner into a hard rock-over move on a sloper that spat women to the mat. Angie Payne was the only competitor to establish over the sloper and work into the bulge’s crimp undercling and on to the finishing crimp sequence. This proved to be the clincher for the Boulder climber, in the end. Women’s #4, the longest problem, utilized a steep section of wall, by traversing into a burly undercling match to the lip, where only a handful of climbers were able to pass. This problem was graded V9. Alex Johnson and Alex Puccio – known for their thuggish, dynamic climbing in the comp circuit — were the only women to complete #4.  They finished second and third respectively, based on their performance in the qualifiers.  Here’s the wrap: 

1 Angie Payne 4069.23
2 Alex Johnson 3831.36
3 Alex Puccio 3831.36
4 Cicada Jenerik 3570.63
5 Portia Menlove 3418.78
6 Kate Reese 3409.79
7 Natasha Barnes 3306.89
8 Alexandra Balakiyero 3283.92
9 Cheryl Pirozzi 3124.06
10 Ally Dorey 3115.07
11 Sydney McNair 3111.08
12 Tori Maisey 3048.15
13 Emily Harrington 3039.16
14 Melissa LaCasse 2948.25
15 Noella Nykyforuk 2871.33
16 Nadya Vorotnikov 2871.33
17 Kasia Pietras 2871.33
18 Lani Adamson 2847.24
19 Amy Cockerham 2778.86
20 Jody Hansen 2697.95 

2006 Sendfest Gallery