Climbers try to get a grip at competition

As she prepared to climb the 40-foot steel and concrete monolith, Elise Ebner closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

The 14-year-old imagined herself scaling the wall, moving with speed and precision. She visualized herself reaching the top and clipping in the anchors. Ebner smiled, opened her eyes and took another breath.

Then she went out and actually did it.

Physical strength is essential to nearly every sport, but in the world of climbing, “a lot of it is mental,” explained Ebner, one of about 150 competitors at the USA Climbing competition Saturday at Wild Walls, a climbing gym in downtown Spokane.

“I enjoy the challenge,” said Ebner, who started climbing when she was 8 years old.

Besides practicing and climbing with her friends, the petite teen with muscular arms also engages in “mental training” by focusing on her breath and visualizing her climb.

“It takes flexibility, mental strength and a lot of balance,” said George Hughbanks, a local coach who designed many of the climbing routes for Saturday’s competition. “You also have to believe in your ability to succeed.”

Young people ages 7 to 19 traveled from as far as Utah and Wyoming to take part in this regional competition. Winners of Saturday’s contest will later compete for a chance to go to the national championship in Boston this summer.

Climbing has become the sport of the new millennium, some say. Instead of trying out for their school’s football or basketball teams, some kids have turned to their local climbing gym as a way to stay in shape and have fun in a supportive environment.

At Wild Walls, kids as young as 3 and senior citizens in their 70s can be found scaling the walls.

“Anyone can climb,” said Joshua Jackman, a climbing instructor and one of the event organizers. “It’s not based on height or weight or any particular body type. It’s about improving yourself.”

Saturday’s competition involved a four-part technical course and another one to test speed. Participants competed against others in their age group.

But instead of racing against one another side by side, each climber was given five minutes to complete the technical route, with as many attempts as they could do within that time.

Points were based on their highest “hand hold,” which showed how far up the wall they were able to climb.

Participants also couldn’t watch other climbers until they were done with their own climbs, so no one was familiar with any of the routes.

Because of the rules, most of the audience at Saturday’s event was made up of parents, who spent most of the day videotaping and watching the climbers ascend.

“Nice climb, Grace,” cheered one dad. “Calm down. Have fun.”

Bryan Brenize, a 17-year-old from Spokane, made it all the way to the top of the first course as his mom nervously watched from below.

“It’s a sport that’s outside the box and it’s good for kids who don’t do traditional sports,” said Colleen Brenize.

“It’s a real personal challenge. It’s just you and the wall.”

Bryan, a former soccer player who took up climbing in 2003, said he was drawn to the challenge of an “extreme” sport and the camaraderie among climbers.

A student at Gonzaga Prep, Bryan now practices for two hours a day, about three or four times a week.

“I like the thrill of it,” said Will Moore, 14, an eighth-grader at Sacajawea Middle School. “When you’re up on the wall, you forget all about your worries.”