FEATURE

World's best boulder athletes meet for the Grand Finale at ROCKSTARS in Stuttgart

By quattro media

Powerful, dynamic and spectacular moves on vertical walls are guaranteed when the world’s best bouldering athletes meet for the season’s grand finale at the Porsche-Arena in Stuttgart, Germany on 25 and 26 September, fighting for the coveted adidas ROCKSTAR title.

The popular invitational contest for the international climbing elite is in its fifth year. Around 3,500 spectators can share the excitement when world champions, world cup winners, and national champions impressively demonstrate why bouldering, i.e. climbing without a rope over a crash pad, is considered one of the most difficult disciplines in sport climbing. Admission to the event is free of charge.

Climbing meets Music
The goal of competitive bouldering is to reach a hold that is marked as ‘top’ using as few attempts as possible. Apart from maximum power, dynamics and creativity, athletes need motivation and adrenaline to reach maximum performance in a competition, which is why this Master event combines white-knuckle competition bouldering with Rock ’n’ Roll. Hot DJ battles, the punk rock band Orange but Green and the Urban Dance Crew Fothamockaz, known from the TV show „Got to Dance“ create an intoxicating atmosphere.


Photo courtesy of quattro media

World-class field lined up
Only invited athletes can participate in adidas ROCKSTARS. The start list reads like the who’s who in bouldering. This year, the top-class field comprises athletes from 22 countries including the current Bouldering World Cup Champions Akiyo Noguchi (JPN) and Jongwon Chon (KOR), the runner-ups Shauna Coxsey (GBR) and Jan Hojer (GER) as well as the previous adidas ROCKSTARS winners, triple Bouldering World Champion, Dmitrii Sharafutdinov (RUS), the silver medallist of the 2014 Bouldering World Championships, Jernej Kruder (SLO), and the 2012 Climbing World Champion overall (L/S/B), Sean McColl (CAN), who is aiming for the adidas ROCKSTAR triple after his previous victories in 2012 and 2014. The Canadian will face some tough competition, first and foremost European Champion Jan Hojer, who hopes to finally bring home the title. After his impressive world cup performance this year, 18-year old shooting star Nathaniel Coleman (USA) also ranks among the favourites to reach the super final.

In the women’s field the circle of favourites includes 17-year old Megan Mascarenas (USA) who impressively made her world cup debut this year with a victory at the Bouldering World Cup in Vail, 18-year old Miho Nonaka (JPN), third overall in 2015 Bouldering World Cup, Fanny Gibert (FRA), runner-up at the World Cup final in Munich, as well as powerhouse Petra Klingler (SUI) who celebrated her first World Cup victory in Haiyang and placed fourth in the overall Bouldering World Cup ranking.


Photo courtesy of quattro media

International route setter team sets “problems”
The quality of the routes is vital for a good competition. After all, adidas ROCKSTARS wants to highlight the skills of the international bouldering stars. Flexibility, dynamics, strength, endurance, creativity, and coordination, that’s what the audience wants to see. In the best of cases, only one athlete masters the most difficult route. The “problems”, as the short bouldering routes are also called, will be set by an array of internationally renowned route setters, namely Chris Danielson (USA), Manuel Hassler (SUI), Laurent Laporte (FRA), Reinhard Fichtiger (AUT), Matthias Woitzuck (AUT), Adam Pustelnik (POL) and Felix Buchmann (GER). All together the team boasts 80 years of experience in competition route setting.


Photo courtesy of quattro media

GORE-TEX® Be a Rockstar – stepping stone for amateurs
Aspiring amateurs who would love to compete at least once side by side with the stars of the bouldering community can win a wildcard for the semi final of the pros at the GORE-TEX® Be a Rockstar Contest on Friday, 25 September. This year, 125 hobby climbers from 15 different countries have registered for the amateur competition at the Porsche-Arena.


Photo courtesy of quattro media

For more information go to www.adidas-rockstars.com.