Chalk Talk | A Climbing Industry Podcast

On our upcoming hip-hop collaboration, weight training for climbing, and living vicariously through other Chrises… Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on itunes! Show Notes for episode with Kris Odub Hampton: * We geek out for a minute or two about how great podcasts are * Kris’ many hats including hip-hop artist, mural painter, climber, blogger, trainer, etc. * How he got into hip-hop growing up in an “all white, very racist neighborhood” * The pitfalls of commercial art * How helping locals with training plans became Power Company Climbing * His new training app * How to personalize your training plan; What works… * What about those climbers who never train and crush everything? * The basics of training * Living vicariously through other Chrises while recovering from an injury (see photos below) * Weight training for climbing and when to incorporate it Related Links and Sponsors for Kris Odub Hampton: * Power Company Climbing | http://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/ * Power Company Climbing Facebook * Soundcloud link for Kris’ recent hiphop album | https://soundcloud.com/kris-hampton-1/sets * More of Kris’ Music | http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=32810 Related Chalk Talk Podcast Episodes for Kris Odub Hampton: * Ep.13 w/ Neely Quinn “Training for the Masses” * Ep.10 w/ Ander Rockstad “In a Nutshell” * Ep.5 w/ Justen Sjong “Training your Mind, Breath, and Finding Success” Videos featuring Kris Odub Hampton: An example of workout video from Kris’ upcoming training app… Photo Gallery of Kris Odub Hampton: Thanks for listening and be sure to leave a review for Chalk Talk, A Climbing Industry Podcast on itunes!

On our upcoming hip-hop collaboration, weight training for climbing, and living vicariously through other Chrises… Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on itunes! Show Notes for episode with Kris Odub Hampton: * We geek out for a minute or two about how great podcasts are * Kris’ many hats including hip-hop artist, mural painter, climber, blogger, trainer, etc. * How he got into hip-hop growing up in an “all white, very racist neighborhood” * The pitfalls of commercial art * How helping locals with training plans became Power Company Climbing * His new training app * How to personalize your training plan; What works… * What about those climbers who never train and crush everything? * The basics of training * Living vicariously through other Chrises while recovering from an injury (see photos below) * Weight training for climbing and when to incorporate it Related Links and Sponsors for Kris Odub Hampton: * Power Company Climbing | http://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/ * Power Company Climbing Facebook * Soundcloud link for Kris’ recent hiphop album | https://soundcloud.com/kris-hampton-1/sets * More of Kris’ Music | http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=32810 Related Chalk Talk Podcast Episodes for Kris Odub Hampton: * Ep.13 w/ Neely Quinn “Training for the Masses” * Ep.10 w/ Ander Rockstad “In a Nutshell” * Ep.5 w/ Justen Sjong “Training your Mind, Breath, and Finding Success” Videos featuring Kris Odub Hampton: An example of workout video from Kris’ upcoming training app… Photo Gallery of Kris Odub Hampton: Thanks for listening and be sure to leave a review for Chalk Talk, A Climbing Industry Podcast on itunes!

 On how he coaches the some of the best athletes, why he began working on his book Beyond the Face, and a little inspiration from the world’s top athletes Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on itunes! Show Notes for episode with Heiko Wilhelm: * How he got his start as coach of the Austrian Climbing Team * Expounding on the virtues of the climbing community * how he approaches coaching athletes who are already at the top of their game * The secret to Austrian success * Dealing with athlete burnout * How Anna Stohr’s finger injury is healing and if she’ll compete in Munich * About his new book, Beyond the Face, and what inspired hime to make it * How he prepared and conducted his interviews with 30 of the world’s top athletes * Some of his favorite moments and inspirations from the book Related Links and Sponsors for Heiko Wilhelm: * Beyond the Face website | http://www.beyond-the-face.com/ * Beyond the Face Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/beyondtheface Related Chalk Talk Podcast Episodes for Heiko Wilhelm: * Ep.22 w/ Alton Richardson “Telling a Story” * Ep.11 w/ Mina Leslie-Wujastyk “A Healthy Perspective” Photo Gallery of Heiko Wilhelm: Thanks for listening and be sure to leave a review for Chalk Talk, A Climbing Industry Podcast on itunes!

 On how he coaches the some of the best athletes, why he began working on his book Beyond the Face, and a little inspiration from the world’s top athletes Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on itunes! Show Notes for episode with Heiko Wilhelm: * How he got his start as coach of the Austrian Climbing Team * Expounding on the virtues of the climbing community * how he approaches coaching athletes who are already at the top of their game * The secret to Austrian success * Dealing with athlete burnout * How Anna Stohr’s finger injury is healing and if she’ll compete in Munich * About his new book, Beyond the Face, and what inspired hime to make it * How he prepared and conducted his interviews with 30 of the world’s top athletes * Some of his favorite moments and inspirations from the book Related Links and Sponsors for Heiko Wilhelm: * Beyond the Face website | http://www.beyond-the-face.com/ * Beyond the Face Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/beyondtheface Related Chalk Talk Podcast Episodes for Heiko Wilhelm: * Ep.22 w/ Alton Richardson “Telling a Story” * Ep.11 w/ Mina Leslie-Wujastyk “A Healthy Perspective” Photo Gallery of Heiko Wilhelm: Thanks for listening and be sure to leave a review for Chalk Talk, A Climbing Industry Podcast on itunes!

On pushing forward after an injury, this season’s World Cup experience, and how she manages to stay so busy Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on itunes! Show Notes for episode with Shauna Coxsey: * How the finger injury that kept her out of the European Championships has been affecting her during this 2015 World Cup season * At what point is it worth it to risk injury? * How the field of strong female competitors is changing the game * Her transition from being a “climber” to being an “athlete” * What she’ll do with her time in between now and the Munich WC in August * Her other, off the wall, projects including: The Women’s Climbing Symposium, Climbers Against Cancer, and The British Mountaineering Council * The IFSC Bouldering World Cup from her POV Related Links and Sponsors for Shauna Coxsey: * Shauna’s Website | http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/ * Women’s Climbing Symposium | http://www.womensclimbingsymposium.com/ * Climber’s Against Cancer | http://www.climbersagainstcancer.org/ * British Mountaineering Council | https://www.thebmc.co.uk/ * The Circuit Climbing and Performance Magazine | http://www.thecircuitclimbing.com Related Chalk Talk Episodes: * Ep.28 w/ John Ellison “Climbers Against Cancer” * 2015 World Cup Roundups w/ Jackie Hueftle: Toronto, Vail, Chongqing, and Haiyang * Ep.11 – “A Healthy Perspective” w/ Mina Leslie-Wujastyk Videos featuring Shauna Coxsey: Photo Gallery of Shauna Coxsey: Thanks for listening and be sure to leave a review for Chalk Talk, A Climbing Industry Podcast on itunes!

On pushing forward after an injury, this season’s World Cup experience, and how she manages to stay so busy Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on itunes! Show Notes for episode with Shauna Coxsey: * How the finger injury that kept her out of the European Championships has been affecting her during this 2015 World Cup season * At what point is it worth it to risk injury? * How the field of strong female competitors is changing the game * Her transition from being a “climber” to being an “athlete” * What she’ll do with her time in between now and the Munich WC in August * Her other, off the wall, projects including: The Women’s Climbing Symposium, Climbers Against Cancer, and The British Mountaineering Council * The IFSC Bouldering World Cup from her POV Related Links and Sponsors for Shauna Coxsey: * Shauna’s Website | http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/ * Women’s Climbing Symposium | http://www.womensclimbingsymposium.com/ * Climber’s Against Cancer | http://www.climbersagainstcancer.org/ * British Mountaineering Council | https://www.thebmc.co.uk/ * The Circuit Climbing and Performance Magazine | http://www.thecircuitclimbing.com Related Chalk Talk Episodes: * Ep.28 w/ John Ellison “Climbers Against Cancer” * 2015 World Cup Roundups w/ Jackie Hueftle: Toronto, Vail, Chongqing, and Haiyang * Ep.11 – “A Healthy Perspective” w/ Mina Leslie-Wujastyk Videos featuring Shauna Coxsey: Photo Gallery of Shauna Coxsey: Thanks for listening and be sure to leave a review for Chalk Talk, A Climbing Industry Podcast on itunes!

 On circuits in the climbing gym, re-defining how we talk about climbing, and the idea of quality Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on itunes! Show Notes for episode with Tonde Katiyo: * A bit of background on Tonde Katiyo * How his focus as a head routesetter has changed since moving from the Seattle Boulder Project to Allez Up in Montreal * His explanation of circuits in the bouldering gym and how they can benefit everyone * How to stay creative * There is no difference between commercial and competitive climbing * The history and theory behind the RIC (Risk, Intensity, Complexity) Scale; an elegant way of viewing problems * How how composes his routesetting crew and what he is searching for in a team * How do you define quality? * How to manage diversification of problems while maintaining quality * How he learned to make changes to a program without backlash from the clientele * His work with the routesetting group L’Ouvre-Boîte that he helped found Related Links and Sponsors for Tonde Katiyo: * “The Fundamentals of Routesetting” by: Louie Anderson * L’Ouvre-Boîte | www.ouvreboite.eu * The Allez Up Website | www.allezup.com/en/ Videos featuring Tonde Katiyo: Photo Gallery of Tonde Katiyo: Thanks for listening and be sure to leave a review for Chalk Talk, A Climbing Industry Podcast on itunes!

 On circuits in the climbing gym, re-defining how we talk about climbing, and the idea of quality Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on itunes! Show Notes for episode with Tonde Katiyo: * A bit of background on Tonde Katiyo * How his focus as a head routesetter has changed since moving from the Seattle Boulder Project to Allez Up in Montreal * His explanation of circuits in the bouldering gym and how they can benefit everyone * How to stay creative * There is no difference between commercial and competitive climbing * The history and theory behind the RIC (Risk, Intensity, Complexity) Scale; an elegant way of viewing problems * How how composes his routesetting crew and what he is searching for in a team * How do you define quality? * How to manage diversification of problems while maintaining quality * How he learned to make changes to a program without backlash from the clientele * His work with the routesetting group L’Ouvre-Boîte that he helped found Related Links and Sponsors for Tonde Katiyo: * “The Fundamentals of Routesetting” by: Louie Anderson * L’Ouvre-Boîte | www.ouvreboite.eu * The Allez Up Website | www.allezup.com/en/ Videos featuring Tonde Katiyo: Photo Gallery of Tonde Katiyo: Thanks for listening and be sure to leave a review for Chalk Talk, A Climbing Industry Podcast on itunes!

On the Haiyang event overall, the return of Rustam and LeNeve, and who stands to win it all in Munich Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on itunes! This is the third of Chalk Talk’s 2015 IFSC Bouldering World Cup Roundups. I can’t tell you how excited I am for this season of World Cup bouldering. There are more Americans involved than ever. USA Climbing has been attempting to fundraise for athletes along with some athletes reaching out to the community with crowdfunding efforts. The European contingent is looking strong with Jule Wurm and Jan Hojer winning the European Bouldering Championships, Adam Ondra is competing, and Anna Stohr is back after nursing a finger injury last season. The plan is to produce an episode after each of the World Cup competitions with analysis, feedback, and awe from myself, Jackie Hueftle, and anyone else I can wrangle worth speaking to about this season. So, check back after each World Cup event for more coverage here on the 2015 World Cup Roundup!   Show Notes for episode with 2015 World Cup Roundup: * The overall for the 2015 IFSC Bouldering World Cup in Haiyang, China * The trouble with Men’s problem 4 * The return of Rustam Gelmanov’s (RUS) climbing antics * The rundown of the Men’s problems * The strength and depth of the Japanese team * Nokano’s (JAP) unfortunate technical on Men’s 2 * The surprising performance and podium of Petra Klinger (SUI) * Women’s Overall * Melissa LeNeve’s (FRA) super try-hard on Female 2 * Who stands to take the overall podium after the last comp in Munich and who’s poised to swoop it out from under them Related Links and Sponsors for 2015 World Cup Roundup: * IFSC Website | www.IFSC-Climbing.org * The Circuit Climbing and Performance Magazine | www.TheCircuitClimbing.com * www.OnBouldering.com | for great Bouldering World Cup coverage Videos featuring 2015 World Cup Roundup: Click play to see Melissa LeNeve win the try-hard award in Haiyang, China: Full video here: Photo Gallery of 2015 World Cup Roundup: Thanks for listening and be sure to leave a review for Chalk Talk, A Climbing Industry Podcast on itunes!

On the Haiyang event overall, the return of Rustam and LeNeve, and who stands to win it all in Munich Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on itunes! This is the third of Chalk Talk’s 2015 IFSC Bouldering World Cup Roundups. I can’t tell you how excited I am for this season of World Cup bouldering. There are more Americans involved than ever. USA Climbing has been attempting to fundraise for athletes along with some athletes reaching out to the community with crowdfunding efforts. The European contingent is looking strong with Jule Wurm and Jan Hojer winning the European Bouldering Championships, Adam Ondra is competing, and Anna Stohr is back after nursing a finger injury last season. The plan is to produce an episode after each of the World Cup competitions with analysis, feedback, and awe from myself, Jackie Hueftle, and anyone else I can wrangle worth speaking to about this season. So, check back after each World Cup event for more coverage here on the 2015 World Cup Roundup!   Show Notes for episode with 2015 World Cup Roundup: * The overall for the 2015 IFSC Bouldering World Cup in Haiyang, China * The trouble with Men’s problem 4 * The return of Rustam Gelmanov’s (RUS) climbing antics * The rundown of the Men’s problems * The strength and depth of the Japanese team * Nokano’s (JAP) unfortunate technical on Men’s 2 * The surprising performance and podium of Petra Klinger (SUI) * Women’s Overall * Melissa LeNeve’s (FRA) super try-hard on Female 2 * Who stands to take the overall podium after the last comp in Munich and who’s poised to swoop it out from under them Related Links and Sponsors for 2015 World Cup Roundup: * IFSC Website | www.IFSC-Climbing.org * The Circuit Climbing and Performance Magazine | www.TheCircuitClimbing.com * www.OnBouldering.com | for great Bouldering World Cup coverage Videos featuring 2015 World Cup Roundup: Click play to see Melissa LeNeve win the try-hard award in Haiyang, China: Full video here: Photo Gallery of 2015 World Cup Roundup: Thanks for listening and be sure to leave a review for Chalk Talk, A Climbing Industry Podcast on itunes!

On the artistic, but problematic wall design, some heavy hitters not making finals, and what to expect for next week’s IFSC Haiyang, China Bouldering World Cup. Make sure to watch the IFSC Bouldering World Cup in Haiyang, China | Semi-Finals: June 26th, 2015 6:30pm PST Finals: June 27th, 2015 3:00am PST  Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on itunes! This is the third of Chalk Talk’s 2015 IFSC Bouldering World Cup Roundups. I can’t tell you how excited I am for this season of World Cup bouldering. There are more Americans involved than ever. USA Climbing has been attempting to fundraise for athletes along with some athletes reaching out to the community with crowdfunding efforts. The European contingent is looking strong with Jule Wurm and Jan Hojer winning the European Bouldering Championships, Adam Ondra is competing, and Anna Stohr is back after nursing a finger injury last season. The plan is to produce an episode after each of the World Cup competitions with analysis, feedback, and awe from myself, Jackie Hueftle, and anyone else I can wrangle worth speaking to about this season. So, check back after each World Cup event for more coverage here on the 2015 World Cup Roundup!   Show Notes for episode on 2015 World Cup Roundup|Chongqing: * How the Chongqing World Cup played out overall * The artistic, but problematic, design of the climbing wall * Tsukuru Hori’s (JPN) technical on Men’s 1 * Nathaniel Coleman’s (USA) unfortunate performance in semi-final, and what it means for his overall standings * The repercussions of Adam Ondra (CZE), Alban Levier (FRA), Dimitri Sharifutdinov (RUS), and Nathaniel Coleman (USA) not making it to finals * Sean McColl’s (CAN) rise to third place overall after winning this event * A flashback to last year’s finals lineup for the female contenders and how it stacks up to this year’s event * The up-and-coming athletes making podium * The doorway climbing in semi-finals and finals, good idea or awful oversight Related Links and Sponsors for 2015 World Cup Roundup|Chongqing: * The Circuit Climbing and Performance Magazine| www.TheCircuitClimbing.com * The IFSC website| www.IFSC-Climbing.com Related episodes for 2015 World Cup Roundup|Chongqing: * 2015 World Cup Roundup | Vail w/ Jackie Hueftle * 2015 World Cup Roundup | Toronto w/ Jackie Hueftle * Ep.11 “A Healthy Perspective” w/ Mina Lelie-Wujastyk * Ep.9 Ian Powell & Jackie Hueftle (Part 2) * Ep.8 Ian Powell & Jackie Hueftle (Part 1) * Ep.4 “Setting, Comps, and Hueco Tanks” w/ Jackie Hueftle Videos featuring 2015 World Cup Roundup|Chongqing: Photo Gallery of 2015 World Cup Roundup|Chongqing: Thanks for listening and be sure to leave a review for 

On the artistic, but problematic wall design, some heavy hitters not making finals, and what to expect for next week’s IFSC Haiyang, China Bouldering World Cup. Make sure to watch the IFSC Bouldering World Cup in Haiyang, China | Semi-Finals: June 26th, 2015 6:30pm PST Finals: June 27th, 2015 3:00am PST  Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on itunes! This is the third of Chalk Talk’s 2015 IFSC Bouldering World Cup Roundups. I can’t tell you how excited I am for this season of World Cup bouldering. There are more Americans involved than ever. USA Climbing has been attempting to fundraise for athletes along with some athletes reaching out to the community with crowdfunding efforts. The European contingent is looking strong with Jule Wurm and Jan Hojer winning the European Bouldering Championships, Adam Ondra is competing, and Anna Stohr is back after nursing a finger injury last season. The plan is to produce an episode after each of the World Cup competitions with analysis, feedback, and awe from myself, Jackie Hueftle, and anyone else I can wrangle worth speaking to about this season. So, check back after each World Cup event for more coverage here on the 2015 World Cup Roundup!   Show Notes for episode on 2015 World Cup Roundup|Chongqing: * How the Chongqing World Cup played out overall * The artistic, but problematic, design of the climbing wall * Tsukuru Hori’s (JPN) technical on Men’s 1 * Nathaniel Coleman’s (USA) unfortunate performance in semi-final, and what it means for his overall standings * The repercussions of Adam Ondra (CZE), Alban Levier (FRA), Dimitri Sharifutdinov (RUS), and Nathaniel Coleman (USA) not making it to finals * Sean McColl’s (CAN) rise to third place overall after winning this event * A flashback to last year’s finals lineup for the female contenders and how it stacks up to this year’s event * The up-and-coming athletes making podium * The doorway climbing in semi-finals and finals, good idea or awful oversight Related Links and Sponsors for 2015 World Cup Roundup|Chongqing: * The Circuit Climbing and Performance Magazine| www.TheCircuitClimbing.com * The IFSC website| www.IFSC-Climbing.com Related episodes for 2015 World Cup Roundup|Chongqing: * 2015 World Cup Roundup | Vail w/ Jackie Hueftle * 2015 World Cup Roundup | Toronto w/ Jackie Hueftle * Ep.11 “A Healthy Perspective” w/ Mina Lelie-Wujastyk * Ep.9 Ian Powell & Jackie Hueftle (Part 2) * Ep.8 Ian Powell & Jackie Hueftle (Part 1) * Ep.4 “Setting, Comps, and Hueco Tanks” w/ Jackie Hueftle Videos featuring 2015 World Cup Roundup|Chongqing: Photo Gallery of 2015 World Cup Roundup|Chongqing: Thanks for listening and be sure to leave a review for 

On the huge number of elites on the injured list, Adam Ondra performing amazingly well (the day after the comp), and what to expect from the upcoming IFSC Bouldering World Cup in Chonqing…. Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on itunes! This is the second of Chalk Talk’s 2015 IFSC Bouldering World Cup Roundups. I can’t tell you how excited I am for this season of World Cup bouldering. There are more Americans involved than ever. USA Climbing has been attempting to fundraise for athletes along with some athletes reaching out to the community with crowdfunding efforts. The European contingent is looking strong with Jule Wurm and Jan Hojer winning the European Bouldering Championships, Adam Ondra is competing, and Anna Stohr is back after nursing a finger injury last season (which she re-injured during this Vail competition and may be out again).  The plan is to produce an episode after each of the World Cup competitions with analysis, feedback, and awe from myself, Jackie Hueftle, and anyone else I can wrangle worth speaking to about this season. So, check back after each World Cup event for more coverage here on the 2015 World Cup Roundup!   Show Notes for episode with 2015 World Cup Roundup: * A bit about young Margot Hayes * What it means that Anna Stohr dropped out of finals after the second boulder * With Puccio and Stohr out on injuries, who should we expect to lead the charge? * The long and ongoing list of top climbers that are now on the injured list * The Canadians strike back. Sean McColl and Jason Hallowach make it to finals after a disappointing how in Toronto * A break from comp talk to freak out over Ondra’s flash of Jade (V15) the following day * And of course, Nathaniel Coleman’s second, 2nd place finish this season * What we can expect of this upcoming Chonqing comp based on past seasons * How the field of competitors with change this weekend * Climbing anomalies and what makes a good climber * Lastly, the amazing performance by Megan Mascarenas Related Links and Sponsors for 2015 World Cup Roundup: * Visit the IFSC website for more info: www.ifsc-climbing.org * Also, if you’re interested in learning more about the US World Cup Climber, Josh Larson, who was mentioned in this podcast, check out his interview on Chalk Talk where he discusses how he was preparing for the 2015 World Cup by following this link: Ep. 27 w/ Josh Larson “Living the Dream” * If you missed the 2015 World Cup Roundup with Jackie for Toronto, you can find it by following this link: 2015 World Cup Roundup – Toronto w/ Jackie Hueftle Videos featuring 2015 World Cup Roundup: Thanks for listening and be sure to leave a review for Chalk Talk, A Climbing Industry Podcast on itunes!

On the huge number of elites on the injured list, Adam Ondra performing amazingly well (the day after the comp), and what to expect from the upcoming IFSC Bouldering World Cup in Chonqing…. Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on itunes! This is the second of Chalk Talk’s 2015 IFSC Bouldering World Cup Roundups. I can’t tell you how excited I am for this season of World Cup bouldering. There are more Americans involved than ever. USA Climbing has been attempting to fundraise for athletes along with some athletes reaching out to the community with crowdfunding efforts. The European contingent is looking strong with Jule Wurm and Jan Hojer winning the European Bouldering Championships, Adam Ondra is competing, and Anna Stohr is back after nursing a finger injury last season (which she re-injured during this Vail competition and may be out again).  The plan is to produce an episode after each of the World Cup competitions with analysis, feedback, and awe from myself, Jackie Hueftle, and anyone else I can wrangle worth speaking to about this season. So, check back after each World Cup event for more coverage here on the 2015 World Cup Roundup!   Show Notes for episode with 2015 World Cup Roundup: * A bit about young Margot Hayes * What it means that Anna Stohr dropped out of finals after the second boulder * With Puccio and Stohr out on injuries, who should we expect to lead the charge? * The long and ongoing list of top climbers that are now on the injured list * The Canadians strike back. Sean McColl and Jason Hallowach make it to finals after a disappointing how in Toronto * A break from comp talk to freak out over Ondra’s flash of Jade (V15) the following day * And of course, Nathaniel Coleman’s second, 2nd place finish this season * What we can expect of this upcoming Chonqing comp based on past seasons * How the field of competitors with change this weekend * Climbing anomalies and what makes a good climber * Lastly, the amazing performance by Megan Mascarenas Related Links and Sponsors for 2015 World Cup Roundup: * Visit the IFSC website for more info: www.ifsc-climbing.org * Also, if you’re interested in learning more about the US World Cup Climber, Josh Larson, who was mentioned in this podcast, check out his interview on Chalk Talk where he discusses how he was preparing for the 2015 World Cup by following this link: Ep. 27 w/ Josh Larson “Living the Dream” * If you missed the 2015 World Cup Roundup with Jackie for Toronto, you can find it by following this link: 2015 World Cup Roundup – Toronto w/ Jackie Hueftle Videos featuring 2015 World Cup Roundup: Thanks for listening and be sure to leave a review for Chalk Talk, A Climbing Industry Podcast on itunes!

On why they wanted to bring a new product into a saturated market, what science the’re cooking up in the lab, and you can’t turn a corner without hearing about Friction Labs’ chalk! Listen on the player at the top of the page or find us on itunes! Friction Labs’ chalk seems to be the talk of the town these days. Everywhere we look someone is saying, “Friction Labs this…or Friction Labs that…” and most of it is about how good the product works. But… it’s just chalk, right?… Right?! On this week’s episode, Kevin and Keah of Friction Labs tell us exactly why their chalk is superior. (hint): they do science and stuff. If you want to know what all the fuss is about, check it out! Show Notes for episode with Friction Labs: * Why they jumped into a market that is already saturated with product * The early processes and experiments for making chalk better * What it means when they “do science” is that they actually use a lab * The results of doing “science things” to their chalk * The difference between Friction Labs and everyone else * But does their product work too well? * How important design and marketing was in their initial business plan * They spill the beans about their ‘Secret Stuff’ * What’s the difference between the three main Friction Labs product and which Kevin and Keah prefer * The deets on their super cool monthly subscription plan * The idea behind their Ambassador and Sponsorship programs, and why it seems like they sponsor everyone and their brother Related Links and Sponsors for Friction Labs: * FrictionLabs.com * Friction Labs’ Facebook * Beast Kong Review of Friction Labs chalk (really good!) Videos featuring Friction Labs: Help Friction Labs stop Frictile Disfunction by watching this video here! Photo Gallery of Friction Labs: Thanks for listening and be sure to leave a review for Chalk Talk, A Climbing Industry Podcast on itunes!