2011 ABS Nationals
Competitors Angie Payne and Alex Johnson congratulate Alex Puccio after she flashed women's final 3 and won ABS Nationals. Photo by Caroline Treadway.
On the warm, windy evening of Feb. 12, an anxious crowd swelled outside the Scarpa warehouse in Boulder, Colorado to watch the final round of ABS Nationals, one of the biggest bouldering competitions in the U.S. When the doors opened at seven pm, the crowd spilled in and spectators dashed to grab seats, quickly populating the vast warehouse. A vibrant rainbow of patterned spotlights swept across the swooping plywood walls – made specially for the event by Vertical Solutions – and the DJ pumped tunes while the last competitors trickled into isolation. When the lights dimmed and veteran MC Scott Meckler introduced the competitors who made it to finals, the crowd exploded the quiet buzz that been building all day. Read the rest of the story here!
