Jamie Emerson is not strong. Explain why this statement is true/false.
I wouldn’t consider myself a strong climber. I think America is far behind the world standard — myself included. I feel like the attitude in America, right now, is that V12s and V13s are hard boulder problems. I think it is really nothing to climb a problem of that grade!!! And I am not talking about some newly established, overgraded sit start. I am talking about things like Nagual, No More Greener Grass, Spectre, etc. We should really be talking about flashing these problems. The strongest climbers in the world are establishing problems that are truly in the V15 — or even V16 — range. These problems are hard. I tend to think that most Americans haven’t heard of problems like Entlinge, Call of the Wild, Madiba, Hydrangea, or The Story of Two Worlds. It seems like these problems represent the cutting edge, or what Gill would call B3 [B3 represents a boulder problem capable of being climbed by one person, and represents the highest of difficulty standards].

What climber from the beginning has inspired you the most?
I actually saw a presentation by Todd Skinner eight years ago, at Michigan State. I was blown away by his motivation and enthusiasm. I really felt a connection. It is so sad that he passed away recently. Our meeting was so brief, yet his impact will last a lifetime. I wish I could have had the opportunity to thank him.

Why do you climb?
I can't imagine a more perfect outlet for athletic expression. I love being outside and I love pushing myself. I can’t really state it anymore simply than that.

Why do you live in Boulder, Colorado?
When I finished school I had the option to live anywhere in the country. I think Boulder is the best climbing town in America. There are more hard problems, strong climbers, and better weather here than anywhere else. It is so motivating that at anytime of the year there is some place in Colorado that has good conditions, strong climbers to climb with, and hard problems to go try.

Why do you go on climbing roadtrips?
I love seeing new places, and testing my ability against different challenges. It's really motivating to try and climb problems people consider to be testpieces. I want to be a wizard of rock climbing and the best way to do that is to climb as many different styles as possible. Traveling does wonders for motivation.