THE POWER SERIES
Introducing The Power Series Bouldering League
This year we are reformatting our Climbing League to be two separate Leagues held throughout the year. That’s right! Twice the amount of fun. The first League will be bouldering specific (The Power Series) and will begin on May 18th and run until the League Finals which will coincide with our Annual Summer Bloc Party (June 27). This will be followed by a roped climbing specific league this fall. That’s not all, we are going to be changing a few things regarding the format of both leagues as well.
Here is what’s changing:
- Mondays will be the official night for League BUT you are welcome to come in any day of the week, any time of day to get your score for the week.
- We are lifting the restrictions on teams. As long as you have two friends that want to climb together, the three of you can be a team.
- You will now gain points per hold or zones rather than a “send or no send” score structure.
The Power Series will bring 6 weeks packed full of bouldering! Whether you’re new to climbing or a seasoned pro, this friendly competition gives you the chance to challenge yourself, meet other climbers, and show off your skills. Plus, you could win free memberships along the way!
Preregistration is currently open. Sign up before May 1st to get an exclusive League Shirt AND a discounted entrance fee of $40. Registration will still be available after May 1st at $45 and will NOT include the League shirt.
Read below for more detailed information on the series.
What is it?
The Power Series is a weekly series of low-key, team-focused, climbing competitions hosted by Gripstone which are open ONLY to Gripstone members. Starting the week of May 18th, participants will be able to compete once a week (Any day of the week) for the first 5 weeks. The season then culminates in a Final event held on Saturday, June 27th (During the Summer Bloc Party) which will feature a Bouldering Competition, after which we will present the season awards.
Custom Power Series medals will be awarded for the top 3 individual category (recreational / intermediate / advanced) podium finishers. Each member of the season’s top 3 Teams and 1st place finishers in each category will also receive 1 month of FREE Gripstone membership!
When is it?
While Monday evenings will be the official night of Climbing League, participants are able to come in Monday – Sunday to get their score for that week. Climbers can only participate ONE time each week. For example, if you come in to compete on Tuesday morning, you are not able to improve your score on Wednesday. While climbers are encouraged to climb with their team, you can also compete on separate days if schedules don’t align.
Week 1 – Monday, May 18th – Sunday, May 24th
Week 2 – Monday, May 25th – Sunday, May 31st
Week 3 – Monday, June 1st – Sunday, June 7th
Week 4 – Monday, June 8th – Sunday, June 14th
Week 5 – Monday, June 15th – Sunday June 21st
Week 6 – FINALS Saturday, June 27th. No regular week competing.
Who Can Compete?
Current Gripstone Members, who are at least 14 years old, are welcome to participate in The Power Series Bouldering League. The 6-week competition will separate climbers into three different skill-based categories for individual scoring.
Categories:
Recreational– V0-V2
Intermediate – V3-V5
Advanced – V6-V10
*There are NO gender categories, it is ONLY skill-based
**Membership must remain active for the duration of the entire season to be eligible to compete
Pricing
Pre-Registration is now open and closes at the end of the day on Friday, May 1st. Click the “Register Here” button on the website to sign up.
[PRE-Registration costs $40/Climber AND Includes an exclusive Gripstone Bouldering League shirt]
Regular Registration opens Saturday, May 2nd and will close on the Sunday of the First Week of League (May 24th)
[REGULAR Registration costs $45/Climber. It DOES NOT Include the Bouldering League shirt]
Why Should I Participate?
While this is a fun way to compete in a low-stress setting, there are some awesome prizes to win. Each team member on winning teams as well as 1st place finishers in each category will win 1 month of free membership and extra raffle tickets based on your podium spot!
Those that pre-register will get an exclusive Gripstone Bouldering League Shirt on the first week of competing.
There will be a finals party (in conjunction with the Summer Bloc Party) on Saturday, June 27th. All league participants will get the opportunity to participate in the EXCLUSIVE Summer Bloc Party raffle. Each League participant will receive extra raffle tickets simply by competing in The Power Series. All members will also be getting free food & drink that comes with the usual Bloc Party.
How are the Categories Determined?
We will be using Dynamic Bracketing for the first time. You sign up for the category you most align with but at the end of the season Brackets will be determined based on the data set of everyone’s scores. This means you can be bumped higher or dropped into a lower category if you are vastly outperforming or underperforming the category that you initially choose. This prevents “sandbagging” (people intentionally climbing easy to win lower categories) and promotes a more equitable competition.
There will be no category requirement in team registration. You can sign up as a team of 3 climbers.
Individuals categories will be determined by the following:
Recreational– V0-V2
Intermediate – V3-V5
Advanced – V6-V10
*There are NO gender categories, it is ONLY skill-based
**Team scoring is NOT determined by category. They will be scored as a whole vs. all teams competing
What is up with the Team Component?
Each team will consist of 3 members. We are lifting the team requirements. Find 2 other team members and make a team. It’s that simple. Teams will accrue points each week via the team members’ individual results. The final weekly score will be the average of the team members’ individual scores. We will use the weekly team scores to calculate the final season score.
*A Climber can ONLY be on ONE team, they may not be members of multiple teams.
*If you need help finding a team leave it to us! We will put together teams of individuals.
Format of Each Event
There will be 9 boulders each week. Scoring will be points per hold (Like the flash comp). We will provide Route Maps so you can determine what your score is. This way you are rewarded for trying harder climbs.
Climbers may attempt each boulder as many times as they would like, there is no penalty for falls. However, the number of attempts that it took a climber to top may be used to break ties. There is a 2 point bonus for flashing a boulder (completing it on your first attempt). Each attempt should be from the (marked) Start to the (marked) Top in one attempt, without falling, or using holds or volumes that are not part of that climb.
Your weekly score is the total points earned from all 9 boulders. Your season score is the summation of all of your weekly scores minus your lowest week’s score. (everyone gets a “drop week”)
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!