Chris Sharma
Big Numbers Are Just The Beginning of His Contribution to
Climbing
At age 14, when Chris Sharma first appeared on the scene, he
had been climbing for about two years. For those who are old
enough to have been there, when Chris Sharma was bumbling
around in isolation at the Bouldering Nationals, people
watched him and wondered “who is this kid?” It was a bit of an
anomaly seeing a 14-year-old hanging out at a big national
competition, particularly one who didn't really seem to have a
whole lot of competitiveness in him. Chris was just having a
good time. Then he came out to compete and walked everything.
Instantaneously, the bumbling little kid had decimated all of
the competition.
While he was still 14 years old, Sharma climbed a route called
Necessary Evil. With a grade of 5.14c it was one of
the hardest climbs that anyone had done to that point and
everyone knew that the future of sport climbing was called
Chris Sharma.
It's well known that Sharma doesn't care to give grades to
climbing routes. But when he came to Ceuse, France it was clear
that his first ascent of the complete route Biographie
would be the first consensus 5.15a climb in the world. When he
completed it he called it Realization. There were
actually a couple of other routes of similar difficulty in the
world but there was a considerable amount of controversy
surrounding them since the first ascentionists tactics were
called into question.
Since Realization, Sharma has had a continuous and
unchallengeable rise to the top of the bouldering and sport
climbing world. Every year to two years Chris has established
the hardest new rock climb in the world. Finally, in 2009 Chris
established Jumbo Love in California, the first and
only 5.15b route that exists.
While his breakthrough climbs are what Chris receives the
greatest public notoriety for, within the climbing world he's
known to be an extraordinary person with tremendous balance. In
contrast to hotheaded temper tantrums, addictive behaviors and
narcissism, Sharma appears to walk around in delight by the
privilege to be alive at every moment. His joy with life and
spiritual attitude are a refreshing reminder that what we're
doing when we climb is something that exists only in that
moment. Nothing more and nothing less. Chris said "I see how
pursuing climbing can be very selfish and totally blow the ego
up. It’s so hard to keep a free-and-humble, open-and-fresh
approach without taking on an attitude of self-importance. I
see how I can become obsessed with accomplishments, numbers,
image, and the whole bag of worms. Attachments to these things
can bring much greed, jealousy, anger, and blindness to the
needs and feelings of others."
In the last year since settling into a home in Spain, he and
his girlfriend put in a lot of time getting their house just
right. They live in close proximity to the greatest
concentration of a hard sport climbing in the world. They're
able to walk to Margalef and Oliana and are constantly seeing
the best rock climbers in the world come to try out their
routes. Chris stated that the unlimited first ascent potential
is what really keeps them motivated. The amount of steep
limestone climbing routes available is extraordinary. Chris and
his frequent partners Dani Andrada and Daila Ojeda have
numerous projects including the next potential 5.15b called
First Round First Minute. First Round First Minute has
had its share of controversy which now seems to be cleared up.
You can check it out in our blog here.
After 10 years of being at the top of the climbing world, and
with strong young climbers coming on the scene, some climbers
wonder if Sharma's days at the top are numbered. That doesn't
seem to be a concern for Chris. He's recently been quoted
saying that he feels like he continues to improve and able to
keep even more focused than he has in the past. Chris seems to
be comfortable with the idea that climbing is going to continue
to see limits broken and difficulties going ever higher. It's
doubtful that he cares whether he is the one who makes those
breakthroughs are not. What seems to be foremost in Chris
Sharma's mind is that he's doing what he enjoys - pushing for
the maximum challenge that he is able to engage.
Perhaps Sharma’s greatest contribution to the climbing world
reaches much farther than the grade 5.15, one certain to be
eclipsed in Chris’s lifetime. Perhaps Chris has breathed
life into the soul that was lost for so many years to the
most ambitious climbers and given it back to collective sport
climbing… if only we’ll take it.
Video
Chris Sharma:
The legacy Continues
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