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VIC climbing/bouldering competitions 5-Apr-2008 At 3:25:00 PM big arms

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Trying to organise comps. in Vic is not an easy task. I should know, I WAS the sca rep for this state last year. Victorian climbers are a fractured group. This is not an entirely bad thing, as many great things get done away from the plastic. However I feel that the climbers who attend Gyms in Vic treat it as a training tool. Its a way to get strong and train hard for those difficult redpoints/onsights. To the greater majority, it's not climbing. There is no victory or sense of achievement. There has never been camp fire banter about the " Really hard red route on the AME wall".
For every one person who is interested in a comp, there is at least 20 who are not. And out of those who are interested, at least 50% of those grumble at the cost of the SCA fees. Yes it's costly, and yes it is necessary. I have been on the comp scene for many years. Not for me, but for my daughter Maddy. We have been all over Australia on a regular basis, New Zealand, and even Indonesia. It hurts financially but these are the things I do to support a sport Maddy was keen on. Unfortunately Maddy is no longer on the scene. No need for details.
Membership numbers attract sponsorship, and in turn provides the finance to pay the institutions that allow us to use their facilities as competition venues.
Comps cost. And not just money. Time is the major up hill battle no matter how much you plan in advance.
However, it is very rewarding if you have the inclination to deal with rejections from the corporate world, NO gym support ( Roped Climbing Comps ), and no support from anyone willing to volunteer because 1) It's on the weekend and they want to go climbing 2) They are changing the water in their fish tanks on that day 3) There is a rally defending the parental rights of gay whales. Mmmmm............
I think that anyone who has the time, the drive, and motivation to bring the groups together, go for it. It would be very rewarding in many ways.
Not trying to put a negative spin on the facts, but it's a real shame about what has happened in the past. Unfortunately not even the significant amount of water that has flowed under those bridges will wash away those memories. those guy's know who they are and what I mean.

So Jev, are you keen to be the man.....go on, I know you want to.

Rich Melder