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nvrws
climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 4, 2006 - 05:36pm PT
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I was hoping maybe Mr. Bachar could give us lowdown on the wheres and whens of these fine shoes. Seems to me I was in the valley in the early 80's when I saw him with a single pair of shoes and several of the SAR guys were trying them out on Columbia boulder. I've always wonder if that was the first time they were used in the valley.
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Blitzo
Social climber
Earth
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John Bachar testing the first pair of Fires on The Bead, Lower Cathedral Rock. 1982.
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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The Fire was cool, but these are like ice...
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Lurking Fear
Trad climber
Bishop, California
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John,
Do you think there will ever be as big an improvement as when we went from EBs to Fires? I know those spectres are way more comfortable, but I don't ever remember needing to buy a pair of shoes as much as when Fires came out. I still remember when my friend pulled his pair out of his pack. You could tell they were good by the way he was holding them. I had to have them.
Andrew
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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No. But maybe...Does it matter?
Today...before the storm. Yow! ,jb
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Mimi
Trad climber
Seattle
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Double wow!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Yah,
then there were those "sticky rand" Fire models that the likes of Moffat and Lechlinski had...
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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nvrws - I got my first pair in the Fall of 1982 in Camp 4 from Miguel Angel Gallego. It wasn't 'till spring of '83 that me and Mike Graham started selling them in Yosemite Mountain Shop. I remember their first order was for 265 pairs and there was a line 75 yds. long in front of the Mountain Shop before it opened that day. They sold every last pair in about two hours!
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Those things were so popular and climbers were so in love with them. I'll never forget this story: Lisa Schassberger and I were climbing Hung Like a Horse in Veedauwoo in the early 80s, when a guy on the climb next to us decked from 50' up. We got our climb sorted out and ran over to help the guy. He was in bad shape--bleeding out of his mouth, eye sockets and ears. Something was FUBAR with one of his feet and he was in and out of conciousness. By the time the EMT's got there he couldn't even remember or say his name and things weren't looking good. The EMT's worked on his head and strapped him to a backboard then started looking at his foot. They cut of his pants with some bandage scissors and when they started to un-lace his Fires he yelled, "DON"T CUT MY FIREs!" It was the only lucid tung he had said in 90 minutes.
We loaded him into the litter, rigged the lowering system and about thirty minutes later began to ease him off the ledge to where the ambulance was waiting. The whole time he was in and out of conciousness, couldn't remember his name or where he was. As we began to lower him he again regained some composure, strained up with all his strength and shouted, "DON"T FORGET TO BRING MY FIREs".
Mike and John, good job on branding those things!
Mal
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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LOL Malcom.
Gargoyle Dick Cilley and I were in San Diego on a road trip with Walling when Russ's generator started smoking.
We pulled over and the 'Gar's first order of biz was to extract himself from the smokin' van,
with nothing else in hand but his Fires.
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aldude
climber
Monument Manor
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Yo John, Maybe you could resize that outrageous Cottage Dome photo...make it BIG!!
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nvrws
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 7, 2006 - 01:15pm PT
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John,
Thanks for the info. I know I had to have a pair straight away. Something like 70-80 bucks at the time. Alot of money for me, just a few yrs past highschool etc. Sure made a difference in the fun factor though. I think I still have my orignals, metal grommets and no laces to the toes. Ahhh the memories. thanks.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Similar story. A friend was climbing in the Gallatin Towers some time after Fires were available in Bozeman. He was leading on doubles, pulled a chunk of roof loose, and it knocked him off and sent him to the deck, cutting both ropes. Broke his back and ankle. The EMT's were getting ready to cut off his Fire shoe, and, he argued with them to not, but, they wouldn't listen so he leaned up with a broken back, unlaced it and took it off his busted foot himself.
Wish I still had my first pair...(sold at a gear swap many moon ago). Lead my first hard friction route in them, and, really seemed to bump me up a grade or two, at least in confidence.
-Brian in SLC
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George Bell
Trad climber
Colorado
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I remember buying my first pair and immediately driving to Indian Rock in Berkeley to try a boulder problem. I still couldn't do it! But a year later I could do it in sneakers. Moral of the story: the barrier exists only in your mind.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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When I was in England I bought 5 pairs of EBs, they were cheap there. A few months later Contacts came out, so I had my best fitting EBs resoled with the Contact rubber. Custom! My first day out with them we were over at the base of El Cap, monkeyin' around...
Next morning I realized I left my prized shoes up at El Cap...I ran up there, but they were gone. So me an' my buddy swapped the one pair of shoes we had, his new Fires. We went up on Shakey Flakes, sending the shoes down the trail line. I got the crux lead (then rated .11c) and floated it.
I never could wear any of those darned EBs again...
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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I appreciate Malcom's statement to John Bachar and Mike Graham concerning the branding of the Fire.
But, those shoes really were a great advance.
I recall one day out on a bouldering circuit in Joshua Tree and just ticking off favorite boulder problems one by one, plus a bunch of new ones.
The coup de gras was approaching a short overhanging problem I'd never seen, which Todd Skinner and party had set up on top rope. I walked it (no rope).
It was the shoes.
No it was me.
Okay maybe it was the shoes.
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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I still have a few pair of the first generation Fires sitting on a shelf in the garage, just cant seem to throw them away.
Last month I bid on a pair of Fires on Ebay. They were still in the box and never used. I wanted them just for sentimental value. I think they sold for $30, I should have bought them, still kicking myself.
I replaced my oversized Chouinard Canyons that I had bought at Kelty in Glendale during there closing sale with a pair of Fires. I ran around Stoney like I owned the place. Still remember the smell of the rubber and leather as I pulled them out of the box.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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They're what I'm now climbing in while my blue Kauks are being resoled...
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nvrws
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 7, 2006 - 07:25pm PT
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Batrock. those Chouinard canyons were the most painful shoes I ever had on my feet. They were worse when ya had to wear em on opposite feet after the inside edge was worn. LOL
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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nvrws,
Tell me about it. Talk about narrow. I was probably 10 when I bought them. I had to talk my dad into driving me and my brother up to Williamson Rock to go climbing and try out my new shoes. I have a picture of myself in my Canyons at Williamson Rock holding my dads old Stubai rock hammer, still have the hammer.
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