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VIC climbing/bouldering competitions 5-Apr-2008 At 7:16:04 PM Rat Man

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So, to give a gym owners view on this..
Comps are hard work and no-one will deny this. The logistics can be quite massive for even a small social comp and much worse if you want it to be some form of sanctioned comp. But the real killer is the cost of the comp.

We have to run the gyms as a business, for sure there are plenty of people that say "I'll help you do ......." but volunteers are a very finite resource. I've only ever found a couple of people prepared to ever come back for a second day of hold cleaning, usually have to trick someone new everytime. So you pay the helpers in free visits which doesn't cost up front and is a good rate per hour but it's lost revenue down the road.
Logistics assistants, Route Stripping, Hold Washing, Route Setters, Route Testers, Judges, Gofers. They all need some form of remuneration to ever see them again. (again, lost revenue down the road). This cost can be offset by comp fees certainly but even my social comps ran at a loss and they were very well attended (a big thanks to all that came) and all the prizes donated (a big thanks to all the sponsors).

This brings me onto another point - Prizes, Outdoor Agencies and a couple of other companies have been extremely generous with providing prizes for our comps over the last two years. - but where's the return for them? what's their motivation to give away thousands of dollars worth of kit. Only very few people will end up with something and in some cases the individuals recieving prizes were sposored by a competing brand and couldn't use the prize anyway. It really is just a sign of goodwill on their behalf, certainly a questionable marketing move. And this is illustrated by the ENORMOUS effort that Rich Melder put in trying to get a corporate sponsor for the Vic Bouldering Titles held at The Lactic Factory last year. He did a massive mailout and followup to over 50 companies to try and get any form of support and the response?...... Nothing, not a cent from anyone, to the point that it looked like the comp wasn't going to happen until individuals in climbing community came through with support from their personal businesses.

Until climbing is more mainstream in the greater (non-climbing) community there won't be any money (more newbies would encourage gear sponsorship, larger audience will encourage non climbing sponsorship). This is where the SCA comes in, and Rich brought this up at the Lactic comps (Please correct me if I'm wrong here Rich). Climbing needs to be seen as a big sport to be recognised by the government (and AIS) as an official sport, if this happens then there is financial support to hold regional, state and national events.
Put your hand up to be counted -This can be done by joining the SCA and once there are enough members we'll get the support. Or do you like pretending that climbing is an alternative/extreme sport.

-Warning - Personal opinion disclaimer and not neccesarily the view of The Lactic Factory which is a facilities member of the SCA-

At present I understand why people don't join the SCA - what do you get for your $40?? permission to compete in National events and voting rights in an association that has bugger all clout? - wooo hooo!
Get the clout, then charge fees.
Make the membership $5 per year, sign everyone up at every gym and have a voice that is backed up by the masses.

Um - did I go off topic?

Back to comps,
They're not a financially rewarding business move and are only maybe justifyable as a marketing move.
It may be different in Sydney. I don't know why they have such a good scene, but I was participating in the comp scene in Vic 10-12 years ago and Hardrock and Cliffhanger both put a massive effort to get a regular series going and it was just a miserable attendance. Only the Mill monthly social boulder comp had a regular crowd worth running a comp for.

Enough ranting, time to go home - Tim or Sue do you have anything to add?
Christian