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Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Back in the mix
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 11, 2007 - 09:30pm PT
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The ML thread got me thinking to when I was just cutting my teeth climbing and I'd hear these stories of this super strong d00d from Colorado who would send hard v10 barefoot, party like a rockstar and party like a rockstar.
Many a try on the Guerin Traverse at Josh (without success) led to a greater appreciation for his climbing talents and while I've never had the chance to meet him, in my mind, he's a real american hero.
Let's hear some stories!!!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jun 11, 2007 - 09:37pm PT
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like a rock star...
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jun 11, 2007 - 09:39pm PT
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skip & dick (a fellow rock star)
the quote:
"we stay in shape like this by doin' plenty of drugs!"
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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Jun 11, 2007 - 09:40pm PT
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he and Cilley made a formidable team, both on and off the rock - Skip's a cool guy for sure, an amazing talent.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jun 11, 2007 - 09:46pm PT
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pig pen 1st try
.. an evening stroll for 'im really.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jun 11, 2007 - 09:55pm PT
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..both moffat & kauk have revered the guy's talent with the stone.
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Jeremy Handren
climber
NV
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Jun 11, 2007 - 11:56pm PT
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One of my favorite stories from the 80's is that Todd Skinner was hanging around hueco when he heard that Guerin was going to come down from Boulder and try to onsight Todds new testpiece, Tarts of Horsham. Not being a man to leave much to chance, Skinner promptly rapped down the route and scrubbed off every trace of the chalk from the top half of the route. He then dabbed white on a set of sucker holds leading off into no mans land. I wasn't there but some friends told me that Guerin put up a mighty struggle, even managing to battle past the bogus sequence onto the upper half of the route, where he finally succumbed to a herculean pump.
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
real eyes realize real life
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Jun 12, 2007 - 12:21am PT
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i don't know who skip is, but anyone calling themselves "skip" is cool in my book.
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Blowboarder
Boulder climber
Back in the mix
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 12, 2007 - 02:15am PT
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ba-hump!
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Oli
Trad climber
Fruita, Colorado
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Jun 12, 2007 - 03:40am PT
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Skip Guerin is/was not only one of the finest climbers in the country but a real gentleman in most respects and certainly to me. I was amazed by his mastery of the boulders, often in bare feet. Few have had his kind of foot strength. Chappy tells me Kauk had that kind of foot strength, and I believe it, but Skip is most definitely a legend, a shy kind of guy mostly -- although he did, as has been said, party in his way. That might have been a way of trying to break through his shyness. Who knows? If I had the energy, I would like to write a book that speaks in detail of all these remarkable talents, with input from everyone... There needs to be a hall of fame of climbers. That's actually what I wanted to name my history of free climbing, but Wilderness Press changed it to something more colorful. By the way, the original text for that book was twice as long as what they finally cut it down to. Someday I might put out the whole book, add a lot, revise, and rename it A Hall of Fame of Climbers... Skip will have a big chapter.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jun 12, 2007 - 12:10pm PT
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Fuchin' Skip, what an amazing talent.
He is alive and well doing fine carpentry here in Boulder.
Man the guy can really work with his hands; in the 80's he drove a Lancia, then an Alfa Romeo, bothy tweaky Italian sports cars and he could fix anything, almost anywhere, with whatever tools were lyin' around.
He's been working with Sibley and Paul says he is the same with woodworking.
His climbing skills yield a kinesthetic awareness, mastery of power and able boldness second to none.
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Watusi
Social climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Jun 12, 2007 - 12:35pm PT
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I had many a great adventure with Skip and crew!! I'm really glad to hear that he is well and all!! Peace! MP
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand.... man.....
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Jun 12, 2007 - 06:19pm PT
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Skip is da'Man! Great guy, great talent...... just keep him away from Wilford or Cilley, unless you want to spend some time in the slammer!
Moffatt and Skip:
Afterthought edit: didn't Skip "onsight, flash, a vue, (or whatever the kids call it) Acid Crack out here in Josh? On TR and off the sofa? Basically walked to the base having never seen it... took off his leather coat.... tied in.... and floated it.... with no prior knowledge. What is that called these days besides rare??
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slobmonster
Trad climber
berkeley, ca
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Jun 12, 2007 - 08:36pm PT
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I remember sharing a few carpools to the Creek w/ Skip when I was living in Telluride. A quiet guy, obviously having seen a lot, and his face told its own tales, no words needed. Strong as f8ck. Had a great little Cattle Dog. Anyone know how he's doing these days?
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mission
Social climber
boulder,co
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Jun 12, 2007 - 08:46pm PT
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Skip is fine, living in Boulder with Airlie Anderson and doing his thing.
Some of his test pieces around here were unrepeated for many years: Silly Putty on the Twin Owls; Animal Magnetism, which is a giant off-width roof above Highway 36 on the way to Lumpy Ridge; and Sheer Terror in Eldorado, which was recently repeated by Hank Caylor. Skip doesn't say much, but his routes speak for him.
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James
climber
A tent in the redwoods
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Jun 12, 2007 - 09:21pm PT
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Russ.
The "kids" these days call it sick.
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AKDOG
Mountain climber
Anchorage, AK
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Jun 12, 2007 - 09:53pm PT
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Climb the Spook Book in the Needles with Skip and Moe, after we got down He spotted some friends trying Sirocco. He walks over and on sites the first pitch in his bare feet. F-ing strong
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duncan
Trad climber
London, UK
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Jun 12, 2007 - 10:51pm PT
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Skip, barefoot, on something at The Needles, 1984. Can anyone help me with the route?
I remember it as a run-out 5.12 on little sharp edges.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jun 12, 2007 - 10:53pm PT
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Duncan:
'Looks like a timely post of Sirroco, the climb AKDog spoke of in the previous post.
He also did "Rock Warrior" on the Black Velvet wall in Vegas barefoot.
He got published in one of the mags, wrote a little piece on barefoot climbing, in which he was pictured pulling the Rostrum roof barefoot.
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Jun 12, 2007 - 11:19pm PT
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I think Yabo got the 10th
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