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Registration is now open for the 2012 Climbing Wall Summit. Early birds save $100 before March 2nd.
online summit registration
Dust the chalk off your smart phone: Online Registration is open for the 2012 Climbing Wall Summit!
The Climbing Wall Association announces open registration for the sixth annual Climbing Wall Summit. The conference returns to the University of Colorado’s Boulder campus May 16-20, 2012. Join climbing sports leaders, faculty, manufacturers, climbing wall owners, managers and staff for the industry’s only professional development event + exhibition.
Early registration is available until March 2, 2012 ... so set down your ice axe or peel off your gym slippers and save $100. As always, CWA members receive an additional discount. Conference registration rates are similar to last year’s prices.
More Beta:
The content committee is still accepting conference session proposals pertaining to climbing wall operation, business growth, risk management, innovation and other relevant topics. If you are interested in presenting a workshop or leading a compelling round table discussion, please find details and download a proposal form.
The CWA looks forward to another highly successful conference. Register by March 2nd to save $100 per attendee over the regular rate!
The curriculum is based on the CWA's Industry Practices and the performance-based certification standards. These documents outline the basic practices by which most climbing walls operate and minimum technical skills for instructional staff.
The goal of the certification program is to establish to a voluntary set of standards for technical skills and instruction and to train instructors worldwide. The certification standards represent a consensus view of the minimum qualifications necessary for climbing wall instructors. In the hope of providing access to the greatest number of instructors possible, the program will not require certificants to maintain individual memberships in the trade association. The program was designed to be integrated into existing staff training programs and is cost effective.
By establishing a common baseline for training, performance and evaluation the industry can better manage the risks inherent in the sport and provide the most consistent service to its customers. A common standard of training will enhance the credibility, image and prestige of participating climbing facilities and help defend the climbing wall industry from ever increasing regulatory activity.
The program will be delivered through a network of member program providers. The program will be introduced at the Climbing Wall Summit by several CWA member providers who are some of the most experienced instructors and gym industry professionals in the country. By having providers distributed geographically around the world at CWA member facilities, the program should be easily accessible.
Programs will be offered at the request of any climbing facility, university or fitness center at their location, or at pre-scheduled and advertised dates at the host facilities of any of the program providers. A schedule of courses will be maintained on the CWA web site.
The program officially launch at the Climbing Wall Summit May 12-15, 2011 in Boulder Colorado with courses taught by staff of Vertical Endeavors.
For more information about the CWA’s certification program please visit: /www.climbingwallindustry.org/certification.php.
We invite you to present at the 2012 Climbing Wall Summit. CWA is now accepting applications for content and presentations.
Strengthen the climbing wall industry by sharing your expertise in climbing wall operation, business growth, risk management, or innovation. This year, we’ll augment highly relevant, quality Workshops and Sessions with separate Product Presentations from leading industry vendors.
CWA has opened the Call for Proposals for content at the 2012 Climbing Wall Summit. Selection will be competitive this year and begins in mid January. Apply soon!
The 2012 Summit will feature three types of content…
To request a topic or speaker you’d like to see, please email your idea to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
The Climbing Wall Association Board of Directors is seeking nominations to fill three to four open Board seats. Board application materials can be found HERE.
The Climbing Wall Association (CWA) Board of Directors is seeking nominations and applications to fill three to four open Board seats. The Board consists of up to 12 members for terms of three years. Nominations for membership must be made with the nominee’s knowledge and consent. Applications for Board membership must be made in writing to the CWA office in Boulder, Colorado. Knowledge of and experience in non-profit governance, management, finance, government affairs, law, and the climbing industry are assets and will be considered in the selection process. New Board members will be selected by a vote of the current Board members.
Board Selection Criteria:
Please contact Bill Zimmermann for more information at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 720-838-8284. Please forward all completed application materials to the CWA at:
Climbing Wall Association, Inc.
Attn: Board Application
1460 Lee Hill Rd., Unit 7
Boulder, CO 80304.
The UIAA Safety Commission adopted its first-ever safety standard for braking devices which went into effect July 1st, 2011. The standard lays out performance parameters and testing procedures for four kinds of belaying and abseiling devices: manual, locking-assisted, abseiling devices and abseiling devices with a panic function. Manufacturers meeting the standard will be able to display the UIAA Safety Label on their braking devices.
The requirements set forth in the standard are based on the forces that can develop during fall arrest with the use of dynamic ropes. Requirements vary according to device classification, which includes manual devices (i.e. tube or plate devices), locking assist devices (Gri-Gri®) and devices with a panic function (Eddy®). All classifications require a strength test to demonstrate that neither the device nor the rope are compromised during braking, and both the locking assist and panic function devices must also be tested for rope slippage.
Petzl’s GriGri2 and four pieces of equipment from Black Diamond have become the first braking devices to be certified by the UIAA and can now bear the UIAA Safety Label. The Black Diamond devices are: ATC, ATC-Guide, ATC-XP, ATC-Sport. Other belay/rappel devices are in the process of being tested for compliance with this standard.
Organizations that require the UIAA safety label for climbing equipment, can use the UIAA certified equipment web search function to determine which belay/rappel devices have valid safety labels. More information www.theuiaa.org/news_174_First-ever-safety-standard-for-braking-devices.
Uninsured climbers may look to you if hurt in your facility regardless of their expertise, prior experience, or any agreement you might have in place with them. Climbing wall operators should be concerned not only with liability insurance, but also with the quality of the medical coverage of your patrons.
Consider purchasing Accident Medical Insurance to cover participant injuries. Accident medical insurance, unlike liability insurance, is payable without regard to fault and is intended to “make whole” the participant for out of pocket medical costs in the event of an accident. Liability insurance provides relief to the injured person only if you were somehow responsible for the incident.
The participant accident medical insurance is available only to current members of the CWA as a member benefit through Stratus Insurance Services. The primary insurer for the program is National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh PA; a member of American International Group, an A rated company.
Insurance rates with the new carrier have been reduced by nearly half, making the coverage even more affordable. Contact Cameron Allen at Stratus for more information or get an application form (www.climbingwallindustry.org/insurance.php)
Initially targeting facilities with auto belay devices, the Department of Labor eventually approached over 75 businesses regarding amusement licensure. Colorado’s Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Oil and Public Safety attempted to regulate recreational climbing facilities in Colorado. The facilities approached were commercial climbing gyms, including a prominent gym in Boulder.
The CWA worked closely with affected members in a two-pronged effort to deflect this regulatory assault. The CWA directed its efforts to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office while members directed their efforts to the Department of Labor. CWA secured a meeting with both agencies. We communicated our position that regulating a climbing gym or a climbing wall in a recreational or educational setting as an amusement ride or device is inappropriate for a number of reasons and probably illegal.
In several states, attempts to regulate recreational sports facilities as amusement rides have largely failed, thanks to the CWA and our active intervention. Administrative findings and trials in states such as New Jersey have established that the application of amusement licensing statutes to non-amusement settings is inappropriate at best and unlawful at worst (see H&S Development Corp. d/b/a New Jersey Rock Gym, v. The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and Susan Bass Levin, Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex County: Law Division, Docket No.: ESX-L-0879-05, Decided December 7, 2006).
The Department of Labor initiated a rule-making process to better define the scope of amusement regulation in the state. CWA staff remained engaged to provide oral and written testimony throughout the process. Emergency regulations were issued in January, a final hearing was conducted in February, the rule-making process was concluded in March and revised regulations took effect in May.
CWA was successful in helping to narrow the definition of regulated climbing walls to:
"Regulated climbing walls include climbing walls located in amusement settings and fixed or portable climbing walls for use by the general public as amusement devices and not for sport or fitness training."
We successfully provided language exempting recreational climbing facilities as part of the regulation:
"Climbing walls used for sport and fitness training, typically located in educational facilities, schools, gymnasiums, sport and recreational facilities, or other facilities devoted to sport and recreational climbing, training and instruction."
Special thanks to board member Robert Angell for his expert assistance in this process. Thanks also to the Colorado members who participated by alerting us, coordinating intervention efforts, and supporting the CWA.
This May, a record 310 climbing professionals gathered for the fifth annual Climbing Wall Summit. Duane Raleigh, chief editor of Rock and Ice, kicked it off recounting a win-at-all costs race where completion yields innovation, growth and some creative--though not exactly certification-worthy--equipment and techniques.
The 2012 Climbing Wall Summit is scheduled for May 16-20th in Boulder, Colorado.
Spanning four days, three parties and 42 workshops, attendees found plenty of time to network, develop professional skills, and roll-up their sleeves to develop a strong and healthy industry. Some even extended their trip to climb some of Boulder’s world class crags.
Summit highlights included the debut of the Climbing Wall Instructor Certification program CWI www.climbingwallindustry.org/certification.php , an eye-opening Mock Trial www.climbingwallindustry.org/cwsmocktrial11.php where a climbing gym was sued by an injured climber, and scheduled happy hours for meeting 27 sponsors & exhibitors www.climbingwallindustry.org/index.php who are industry leaders.
Proposed legislation placed commercial climbing gyms under the stringent regulatory framework for amusements. Thanks to a heads-up from Lance Brock at Climb Nashville, CWA was able to help protect climbing facilities from Tennessee House Bill 0039 (Montgomery) and Tennessee Senate Bill 0075 (Overbey) were introduced to address safety concerns related to climbing.
As introduced, the bills would have added climbing walls to the definitions of amusement devices subject to inspection and review by the elevator and amusement device safety board. The bill would have also removed exemptions for some previously exempted activities.
The proposed law would have established as an “amusement device” any mechanical or structural device that permitted a person to walk along, around or over a fixed or restricted route or course or within a defined area for the purpose of amusement, pleasure, thrills or excitement, including a climbing wall. This definition is vague to the extent that it could have been interpreted to include recreational climbing walls and gyms.
The State’s fiscal summary indicated that the licensing and inspection effort would have increased State revenue by $87,300 annually with a one-time expenditure of $20,000 and $46,300 in recurring expenses netting the State $21,000 in the first year and $41,000 in subsequent years. We have noticed that as states’ tax revenues decline, agencies are finding creative ways to increase fee revenue.
CWA promptly registered as a lobbying organization, hired a lobbyist and successfully persuaded the bills’ sponsors to withdraw support for the proposed legislation.