Hollywood Hans on yet another meaningless speed record

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steelmnkey

climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
Jun 26, 2008 - 03:55pm PT
Mike - I've hung out with Hans, stayed at his place in Wowona, he's stayed at my place, I did some work for his speed book. He's a great guy, always energetic, always encouraging, always upbeat. How can that be bad?

I think he just gets a load of crap from some people for the some of the same reasons Steph gets slagged.

Arguing that "speed climbing" is stupid is a lot like busting on people for taping or pulling on gear. Doesn't hurt anyone or change the route, so who cares what other folks do to get their jollies? That's the good thing about climbing... it can be so many things to so many people. You can get what you want out of it.
tuolumne_tradster

Trad climber
concord, california
Jun 26, 2008 - 03:58pm PT
I see Hans at the Touchstone Concord gym almost every week. He teaches a training class for climbers aspiring to do the Nose. In fact he was there 2 nights ago. He always seems upbeat & friendly.
Jaybro

Social climber
wuz real!
Jun 26, 2008 - 04:42pm PT
Hans is as nice and encouraging a person as you could ever meet. I'm not into the speed thing, except to avoid a bivvy, but it works for him. WTF?
I wish him luck! I bought today's chronicle.
Jay-DNB5hourscartocar,48marathonsandultraswithneveraspeedclose to2:20,buthappyasapiginshitaboutitregardless-bro
stevep

Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
Jun 26, 2008 - 04:57pm PT
And certainly his partner, Yuji, has little to prove to anyone, as his accomplishments pretty much go across the spectrum in rock climbing.
the Fet

Knackered climber
A bivy sack in the secret campground
Jun 26, 2008 - 05:05pm PT
"Hans is as nice and encouraging a person as you could ever meet." plus generous, and always interested in helping others enjoy things.

It seems less than 10% of people are negative about Hans though and that's ok, because some controversy makes things more intersting and helps gets the message out.

I think a lot of the knee jerk reaction to speed is it's about beating other people. While that's not what it's about. If you are faster you can do more, the more you do the more you can enjoy. e.g. you could do 1 multipitch climb in a day. Or you could be efficient (not rushing, just moving purposefully and not wasting time) and do 3 multipitch climbs that day or a climb 3 times as long. Plus there is the benefit of having goals to strive for, having goals makes life much better.

Some Hans' quotes:
Pushing for speed puts a task under the microscope. This allows you to see the best way to do that task.

Being aware of time is the first step to using it more wisely.

Go fast, enjoy more.

Check out these tips:

http://speedispower.com/tips/
Karl Baba

Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
Jun 27, 2008 - 12:59am PT
Hans's style isn't my style but I love the guy. If you know him more than just from a distance, you immediately see how he takes his embrace of "competition" and turns it into a way to support everybody else just as strongly as he supports himself. He's an inspiration.

And man, in a sport where guys climb 5.15, do one finger pull-ups without end, and other amazing stuff, like that a couple of 40ish guys can go kick it up El Cap light years faster than even the fast 20 year olds, that's proud!

peace

karl
davidji

Social climber
CA
Jun 27, 2008 - 01:38am PT
What you said Karl!

Hans is motivating and inspiring, and he's an amazing athlete. I wish them the best on the record attempt.
bhilden

Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
Jun 27, 2008 - 03:00am PT
The SF Chronicle Link reports that the Huber Brothers reportedly spent $2 million dollars in their last October attempt to get the Nose record. A full-time climber with $2,000,000? Now that is a record we should all aspire to.

Bruce
Karl Baba

Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
Jun 27, 2008 - 10:19am PT
It was the film crew and movie project
k-man

Gym climber
SCruz
Jun 27, 2008 - 12:36pm PT
I agree eKat.

Tell me about a record that isn't "meaningless."

The Book of World Records is full of records, most of them completely meaningless. Some records are interesting, like
the fastest 100 meter dash, or a record season for a football team. But in the end, everything can be said to be meaningless.

Reminds me of the quote: Even matters of life and death aren't.

That said, if there is anything meaningful in life, setting personal goals and achieving them is right up there on the list.
wombat

Trad climber
NY, NY
Jun 27, 2008 - 01:59pm PT
let the kids play!

saw the Huber movie last week and was stoked. was good fun to seem them pushing and trying to do something different and cool on the rock. i liked the comment about how speed makes you focus more, like soloing.

On the weekend, ran up a cpl moderates that I know pretty well at a much faster pace than normal. and guess what? It was fun! let the haters put that in their pipes and smoke it!

cheers
klinefelter

Boulder climber
Bishop, CA
Jun 27, 2008 - 02:39pm PT
So, is there some standard for recording the time on these attempts? When the last record was broken by just three minutes, it seems there could be some contention about how this is done. Do the climbers keep track, or are there witnesses at bottom and top? What happens when the record is beaten by 15 seconds?

Just curious.
scuffy b

climber
watching the flytrap
Jun 27, 2008 - 03:00pm PT
Klinefelter:

When the record is broken by 15 seconds,
much beer will be consumed.
Jaybro

Social climber
wuz real!
Jun 27, 2008 - 03:00pm PT
Certified observers on the bottom with atomic chronometers, in Satelite phone contact with the sanctified videografer on the summit whose other job is stretching the finishing line tape across the predetermined, notarized, stopping point, as well as numbered bibs W/GPS for each aspirant, is pretty much the Norm.
Raydog

Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
Jun 27, 2008 - 07:54pm PT
I really enjoy Hans contribution to the sport.

I admire anyone who climbs but have to say
that if it were I?

I'd go for, like tons of stuff and camp
anywhere I wanted. Watch day craggers race
by - clock out early on a ledge - crack an
oldE and, smoke a bong load and toast Walt.

haha!


Han's rips, IMO.


tolman_paul

Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
Jun 27, 2008 - 08:09pm PT
It's interesting when you look back at the first NIAD, and then the time being reduced shorter and shorter over the years, how most of the folks achieving those ascents were some of the nicest climbers around. It also seems like each time the record gets proken, the previous record holders are really jazzed for the folks that did it faster.

I'd hate to see some formalized rules about timing, as these records are unoficial.

To those that have never strived to move quickly over stone, or taken a minmalist approach, you're missing out. Next time your running laps on your favorite route, see how fast you can do it. Getting up a 30' tr problem in say under 10 seconds is pretty fun once you have the moves wired.
Jaybro

Social climber
wuz real!
Jun 27, 2008 - 08:31pm PT
I have really enjoyed, somtimes felt empowered even, by doing stuff fast (for me, anyway) ; Steck Salathe camp to camp in 8hrs(didn't take a watch when I soloed it) DNB in 5, the man in under 8 c4 to c4 on bikes, Keeler in 17 CTC, other sh#t too. But really, I'm kinda with Raydog on this one, I and I be with him on one of those big ledges, witnessing this history goin' down, Mon.
Nefarius

Big Wall climber
Fresno, CA
Jun 27, 2008 - 08:38pm PT
The method for "timing" is pretty simple really. It's mainly based on good faith, for one. It's not the olympics, folks, and I loathe the day that anything "climbing" is treated as such.

Start the clock as you leave the ground, clock stops when you reach the tree. Simple. It's the method all have used.

Funny how Alex and Thomas' filming and budget, etc. are being blown way out of proportion. The money was for the film and all that it included, the crew, equipment, rigging, etc. Alex and Thomas are the nicest, most humble guys anyone could hope to meet. It's refreshing to be sitting with them in the meadow or the bar and see how genuinely interested/psyched they are in other people's projects/progress, as they approach them.
Mighty Hiker

Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Jun 27, 2008 - 08:54pm PT
As John Salathe famously said of the Steck-Salathe, when informed that someone had climbed it in only a few hours, they hadn't climbed the "same route". It's an interesting thought experiment - if all Nose speed climbers used only hexes, stopper, EBs etc (a la Bridwell, Long and Westbay), and used the same tactics, what would happen? Heaven forbid that climbing be so formal and rules-oriented, but it is something to think about.

I always hope that people doing these things are having fun, and would do exactly the same if no one was watching, or even knew what they were doing.
Jingy

Social climber
Flatland, Ca
Jun 27, 2008 - 09:00pm PT
My understanding is that Yuji is doing most, if not all, the climbing. Hans is doing plenty of climbing too, but some jugging, going by Toms El Cap Report 06/26. It really doesn't matter to me of the ethics of this event. I can sit back an admire both teams, Thomas/Alex, Yuji/Hans.. It's all great climbing. It pushes the sport forward a notch.

Proud to be associated with this activity. I can't think of many other sports/activities that provide the thrill that this one does.

Who's gonna be there Sunday? Whoever is, I'll see you there! Bright and early.
Messages 41 - 60 of total 83 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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