CEC 2015/16 National Championships

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Important Announcement Regarding 2015-16 National Championships

The CEC is pleased to announce the dates for the 2015-16 National Championships, as follows (please see below for a note on the selection of these dates):

  • Youth Boulder Nationals February 13-15, 2016

  • Open Boulder Nationals February 27-28, 2016

  • Youth & Open Difficulty Nationals May 28-29, 2016

  • Youth & Open Speed Nationals Date TBA, at the Boulders Climbing Gym, Saanich, B.C.

The National Series dates will be finalized in the next few weeks.

Call for Applications from Host Gyms

The CEC is now seeking applications from host gyms for the first three events.

The application deadline is September 15, 2015.

We expect to announce our selections by October 1, 2015, at the latest.

Please refer to the host gym requirements, below, for further details.

Applications are to be directed to Tim Vince, CEC Secretary at cecinfos@gmail.com

Host Gym Attributes

Bouldering:

  • Willingness to work collaboratively with CEC officials during the organization/operation of all aspects of the event

  • Prior experience hosting large (100+ competitor) events

  • Strong volunteer base / strong working relationship with home PSO

  • Minimum 100 linear feet / minimum 14 foot high boulder wall

  • Continuous padding under wall, and sufficient holds/volumes for National level event

  • Large (minimum 1000 square foot) self-contained secondary bouldering/warm-up area

  • Sufficient amenities such as parking, washrooms, and volunteer areas for a large event

Difficulty:

  • Willingness to work collaboratively with CEC officials during the organization/operation of all aspects the event

  • Prior experience hosting large (100+ competitor) events

  • Strong volunteer base / strong working relationship with home PSO

  • Minimum 100 linear feet / minimum 40 foot high route wall

  • Sufficient rope, draws, anchors for National level route competition

  • Large (minimum 1000 square feet) self-contained isolation/warm-up area

  • Sufficient amenities such as parking, washrooms, and volunteer areas for a large event

A Note on the Selection of Dates

The dates selected for each National Championship were chosen by a committee appointed by the CEC Board, which consisted of at least one representative of each recognized PSO. The dates were recommended by the committee and were then approved by the CEC Board.

In determining the dates, the committee took into account a number of factors, attempting as best it could to create the best possible schedule for our athletes. Bearing in mind that one of the primary purposes of the CEC is to select and prepare our athletes for International competition, the committee was cognizant of the 2016 IFSC schedule, deliberately choosing not to schedule CEC National Championships on dates that conflicted with the IFSC calendar.

The 2016 IFSC calendar presented the committee with a number of challenges. In particular, there are three Boulder World Cups scheduled for April, 2016, with the first taking place on April 16, which is somewhat earlier than during the 2015 season. In order to allow for enough time for team selection, athlete training and travel arrangements, it was determined that a late March Open Boulder Nationals, as was the case in 2015, was not feasible.

Last season’s inaugural Youth Boulder Nationals was held during the second weekend in February, which is a holiday weekend for at least two of our PSO’s. Given the positive feedback we received following last year’s event, the same weekend was selected for the 2015-16 season.

Traditionally, we have scheduled Difficulty Nationals for the Victoria Day long weekend, which has not only allowed for ease of travel for competitors and their families, but has also allowed us to hold the event in conjunction with Speed Nationals. Unfortunately, the IFSC has scheduled a Boulder World Cup in Austria over the 2016 Victoria Day weekend. The committee was aware that many of our top Open Lead athletes (whether Youth or adult) also compete in Bouldering and will likely travel to Austria for the World Cup. In addition, Canada will be hosting a Lead/Speed World Cup in Saanich, B.C. on the July 2 weekend, which is expected to result in significant interest in participation from our Open Lead athletes, who will attempt to qualify for the team at Difficulty Nationals. As such, the committee was concerned that hosting Difficulty Nationals over the Victoria Day weekend would place many of our top Open athletes in the unenviable position of having to choose between participating in a Boulder World Cup or participating in Canadian Difficulty Nationals in order to qualify for the Saanich Lead World Cup.

Holding Difficulty Nationals over the May 28-29 weekend makes it impossible to include Speed Nationals during the same weekend. Of note, holding Speed and Difficulty Nationals together does, in fact, limit our choice of host gyms as Canada currently has only two functioning IFSC approved Speed walls, a 10 meter wall at Allez Up and a 15 meter wall in Saanich. Given that all Speed World Cups and Speed World Championships take place on 15 meter walls, the CEC has determined that the best venue to select our National Speed Team is on a 15 meter wall, which is the reason that Speed Nationals will be held in Saanich. The upside to this decision is that the number of host gyms that can apply for Difficulty Nationals has now increased significantly.

In short, the complexities of dealing with International schedules and competing interests make it impossible to create a National calendar that ideally suits the needs of all of our athletes. The dates ultimately selected for 2015-16 mark the culmination of a process whereby the committee made its best efforts to attempt to balance those competing interests in a thoughtful and deliberate manner and we thank them for their efforts.