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Boycott "Smith Rock 1986" documentary


pope

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"On Saturday December 9th, Backcountry Gear will be hosting long-time Smith local Mike Volk's video presentation of his documentary "Smith Rock 1986: The Birth of U.S. Sport Climbing." Witness the explosion of Sport Climbing at Smith Rock in the mid 1980s."

 

What's the occasion? A celebration of the castration of America's proud rock climbing traditions? What's being documented? The history of our slide down the slippery slope to climbing without courage? The abandon of the "leave no trace" ethic in favor of manufactured bolt trails? The narcissism of pretending to climb grades that you can't really handle without an obnoxious, rap-placed bolt every six feet? Bad hair styles, lycra and the invitation of multitudes of gumbies who would rather alter the vertical environment than seek a true adventure?

 

Join me in missing this one.

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Some people just can never accept change, preferring to hold onto their outdated idealisms.

 

Outdated? Because the masses are either ignorant, clueless or uncaring?

Are you the mighty trend-monging philostopher who dictates which "idealisms" are outdated?

 

Change is inevitable, you can either accept it or become embittered by it.

 

Mr. E. seems to say: "everything new is good."

Go ahead, love that Cheese Wiz, plastic Christmas trees, paper wedding dresses, and how about that new war in Iraq!

Accept it all, go with the flow, and live in a pleasant cave of passivity, or hang onto your heart-felt ideals and strive for change. Thus a response to this subject.

 

 

The choice Pope has made is clear.

 

Bravo, pope.

 

hippies.jpg

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Is that Bob Marley on the left hand side????

 

Darn hippies complaining all the time - go take a bath and get with the program ... change is inevitable, yes; good, not always, but no one can deny that the explosion of climbing at Smith grew this sport into what it is today. Which is pretty cool if you ask me.

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Funny you say this Pope, because I think I have actually seen you climbing at Smith before.........

 

Or are you just one of the typical" talk the talk but don't walk the walk" hippie pretenders?

 

I don't like everything about Smith, like glue-on holds bnd chipped routes, but I do see that there is a place for sport climbing.

 

Let me ask you Pope, since you are so high and mighty about climbing traditions, why not go back to bare feet, climbing with a hemp rope and only using passive protection? Why not just tie knots and place those instead of stoppers? Got any cams? Can't use hose because they are "new" and it "changes" the sport. Allows too many "gumbies" into trad crags....

 

Ever places a knifeblade or Lost Arrow, Pope? Can't do that. You are scarring the rock permanently. What about the via feratta you've professed about on cc.com? Ban that too? If that isn't defacing the rock, then I don't know what is.

 

Your drivel is mindless. Think things through before you start spraying about something you read or someone else's opinion you decided to assume. Otherwise, no one will take you seriously. Practice what you preach and maybe you will get somewhere. You may think that sport climbing is bad, but you do it. Maybe your ethics aren't in line with what you believe? You deal with it. Don't push it on me...... :rolleyes:

Edited by ryland_moore
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don't think that was directed at me, but i love climbing at smith, though i like the trad lines more than the sport stuff (mostly 'cuz i'm a real shitty technical climber and there's no better place to be confronted by that than on sport routes)

 

bolts have their place in the world, IMHO - some of my favorite lines, like young warriors at beacon, are mixtures of both trad and sport

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Holy crap, have you been holding this one in since the 80's? Keep taking the Exlax, it will help.

 

Easy solution to this one, don't go to the show like you are planning and avoid the "manufactured bolt trails" by just never going to Smith.

 

Personally I don't think climbing would be where it is today without the history and change that happened at a place like Smith. You can bitch and moan about how horrible bolts are but they dun happened. Deal.

 

In the meantime read this article, maybe it will make you feel better to read about hardmen sending crazy hard routes in very elegant style.

 

http://www.alpinist.com/doc/ALP18/end-of-beginning-boulder-segal-abbey-smith

 

 

 

 

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You're right Ryland - it is. I haven't climbed with Pope as much as Dwayner, but in my experience they walk their talk. I'm not saying I hold the same opinion (I've clipped hundreds of bolts myself, with hundreds to go), nor am I saying they aren't asking for the CC.com dog-pile when they post something like this...but that's really how they roll.

 

Hope you're doing well :)

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True that, SC. I just hate when people who profess one thing but are not following it themselves. I am just as guiltyf this as the next guy, but if you are going to go out on a limb for something, then you better be able to back it up. Plus, he should look into who he is talking about boycotting. An amazing group of guys at backcountry gear who support cc.com and provide quality service and gear in a sea of big-box REI retailers....

 

I'd have more respect for someone who professed they believe in chipped routes, placed glue ons, andd retro-bolted everything if they actually did, then someone talking one thing but doing another......Hey Eddie! :)

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I am not trying to silence dissent. I welcome it and think it has its rightful place in any conversaation or debate. just that if you are going to provide the dissent, that you can back it up or be careful the way in which you provide the dissenting opinion so that itdoes not make you look silly. I am sure Pope is a great guy, just think he takes it a little far in his preaching when he himslef is guilty of what he speaks out against....

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Easy solution to this one, don't go to the show like you are planning and avoid the "manufactured bolt trails" by just never going to Smith.

 

Ummm...I think that's what he's saying he's doing. Regardless if you agree with him or not, ya gotta admire the guy for his conviction.

 

Umm, if what someone else says is true and this guy climbs at Smith, then no, I don't think we should admire shit about his conviction. Sounds pretty hypocritical to me.

 

Personally, I think if you can't admire the beauty of many of the Smith routes than you are missing out. Yes, many are over-bolted and chalked out, but the lines are amazing. I think it would be a shame if lines like To Bolt and Just Do It were never done.

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There are plenty of lines at Smith that are not sport routes. I don't share Pope's perspective, but I don't doubt his sincerity or character. Pope's suggestion is in the fine tradition of peaceful protest.

 

This is the Climbers Board, not Spray, and as a moderator I'd ask everyone to discuss the ideas rather than trash the personalities involved. Passion is fine, but insult is inappropriate.

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