where were they? oh well, fresh talent flashed

A new batch of competitors took the lead at this year’s Hound Ears Competition in North Carolina when none of last year’s top finalists showed. Last year's women Triple Crown top placers, Alex Johnson, Kate McGinnis and Alex Puccio, were all absent, while on the men’s side Jimmy Webb, who placed second overall in 2008, was the only one to return.

But there is always new talent. The results ended up with Sasha DiGiulian taking first in the women’s open, followed by Kasia Pietras in second and Francesca Metcalf in third.

For the men, Jimmy Webb took first, Brion Voges second and Max Zolutukhin third.

The competition was marked by cold and rainy weather. La Sportive and Bluewater Ropes sponsored a dinner of shrimp kabobs and pork loin sandwiches, while Five Ten served up breakfast the next morning. The award ceremony was highlighted by a raffle, presented by Marmot that gave out custom Marmot and Triple Crown gear.

In an effort to reduce the environmental impact of the event the Triple Crown Green Initiative was introduced. Competitors were asked to bring their own durable water containers for drinks and Triple Crown AGS aluminum containers were sold for $15, for those that forgot. They also strongly recommended bringing durable utensils for provided meals. Paper, plastic, aluminum and glass were recycled at the event.

For more information visit www.triplecrownbouldering.org or see the upcoming article in Rock & Ice #183.

For more photos vist: www.jeffzimmermanphotography.com