The Banana (Board) Split! Four Years Later...

My fellow skaters,

You are cordially invited to push the following video of mine over the 100k views mark! It took nearly four years to get there, yet during that time, the video has slowly but steadily emerged as the #1 result on YouTube for the search string ‘banana board’.

[LINK]

The video documents a whimsical push race held by some local skateboarder friends of mine.

The rules were simple -- you had to race on a banana board. No street decks or longboards. We did fudge the conditions a bit and permitted participants to swap in modern bearings and wheels.

We had a ton of fun that day!

Who knew banana boards could be so a-peel-ing?

The event was organized by Suzanne Nuttall a.k.a. ‘Ponyta’, a community-minded skater who has consistently livened up the local longboarding scene with her warm spirit and generosity.

(For example, her Super Mellow Beach Cruise is a friendly beginner-oriented outing that has become a summer tradition along the waterfront. Over thirty sessions have taken place over the years!)

Ponyta - the Banana Split organizer

Interestingly, at least a couple of the skaters in the video have gone on to compete at the highest levels of the sport in downhill racing, not to mention become sponsored skateboarders.

Braden Tibbles -- the winner that day -- and Luke Melo are both among the top 25 ranked skaters in the International Gravity Sports Association World Cup series in 2012. (Click here to watch these two riders -- accompanied by Justin Readings, who I interviewed earlier this year -- skating waaaay faster in L.A...)

Meanwhile, I have steadfastly remained Toronto’s worst regular skater. Ha!

Skate on, frons!

Past skate coverage from me

• Profile: Justin Readings, Downhill Skateboarder

• Is skateboarding illegal in Toronto?

• Concrete Wave’s Lame ‘Pin-up’ Cover

  + Concrete Wave’s Publisher Responds

• Letter to Councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon: Why Jeopardize the Ashbridges Bay Skate Park?

  + Councillor McMahon Responds

• Speed! Thrills! Women! FUBU Skate Race Recap

• Grappling with another longboarding death

• Aftermath - 2011 Toronto Board Meeting

• The rise of Patrick Switzer, Downhill Skateboarder

• Our first longboarding tragedy

Rock Oasis Setback: New Gym on Morse St. Cancelled

This sucks.

The Rock Oasis Morse St. Gym Project is Dead 

A little over a year ago, my home climbing gym, The Rock Oasis, was forced to move from its historic location at Front and Bathurst to make way for a condominium development.

Since then, the gym has been operating at an interim ‘transitional’ location on Carlaw Avenue. Meanwhile, exciting plans were drafted to construct a lofty bespoke facility, on nearby Morse Street.

Alas, those optimistic plans have been derailed (see notice above).

I’m disappointed.

The remaining Oasis regulars have largely accepted the major weakness of the Carlaw location -- a dearth of height -- by rationalizing (perhaps fantasizing?) that soon enough, a delightful new gym (with 60 foot routes) would be built for us to play in. All we had to do was be patient.

Now -- I’m not sure what to think. Will another suitable spot be found in which to roost? Or are we stuck at Carlaw for the foreseeable future?

What’s your favourite gym?
I’m often asked what my favourite climbing gym is. My reply is that each spot has a different flavour, a different feel. The main factors to consider are location, route-setting, physical setup and facilities -- and the people who climb and work there. How to weight those factors is a unique equation for everyone. There isn’t a single definitive answer.

Settling in for a longer than anticipated stay...

Knowing that the Morse project is dead, I have to ask myself, is the Carlaw Rock Oasis the right choice for me long-term?

That sounds kind of harsh. Switching climbing gyms is not something I’m prepared to entertain lightly.

Have I been having fun at Carlaw? Sure. It’s grown on me. I like the spaciousness. The routes are thoughtful and challenging. I’ve come to know the surrounding neighbourhood, and I’ve still got lots of friends who frequent the place.

Heck, I even met a girl there. :)

But it hasn’t been the same, climbing-wise. So many times I’ve done a route and thought, that would be an amazing climb if another twenty or thirty feet were tacked on top.

I have a lot of respect for Karen McGilvray (the proprietor) -- not many people can say they’ve built three climbing gyms -- and Cort McElroy (the General Manager), so it’s really tough that things didn’t work out for the Morse scheme.

Guess I’ll have to sleep on it. Not to mention get working on that new orange 12a roof...

See Also
Between a Rock and a Great Place (pdf)
National Post article discussing some of the challenges faced by Ms. McGilvray in setting up the transitional gym on Carlaw.

The Bathurst Rock Oasis: A Look Back
Nostalgic photos of the Bathurst gym interior.

The Wreck of Rock Oasis: In Pictures
Photos from the demolition of the old Rock Oasis.

Farewell to Rock Oasis
A detailed historical examination of the industrial structure in which the Rock Oasis was originally located, as well as the surrounding neighbourhood of Front and Bathurst. The essay also includes an interesting (if I may be permitted to say so) interview with Ms. McGilvray on the history of the gym itself.

Bring a Bouldering World Cup to Toronto

A group of awesome volunteers is organizing for Toronto Hamilton to host a World Cup rock climbing competition, in June 2013.

They need your help!


IFSC World Cup 2013 Toronto

To secure placement on the IFSC (International Federation of Sport Climbing)’s calendar, the organizing committee needs to put down $10,000 by August 25, 2012, at which point they can start connecting with corporate sponsors etc. for holding the event at Mel Lastman Square in North York in Hamilton.

$8,750 has already been raised.

As of right now, they’re ALMOST there. [Update Aug. 13: They hit it!] Just a little more will get things in motion. Perks like t-shirts, magazines, and even VIP seats to the event are being awarded for different levels of support.

For detailed information or to donate, check out the fundraising page on Indiegogo (funds can also be sent via the Alpine Club of Canada).

The organizing committee’s web site is at: Toronto World Cup. Luigi Montilla (the guy who runs the Tour de Bloc bouldering series) is the event organizer.

It’s going to be a phenomenal opportunity to see some of the world’s best climbers, live and up close. Probably about 100 competitors from 20 countries will be there. Short of attending the Olympics or another international sporting event, you simply won’t get this kind of opportunity to witness elite athletic performances like this.

Canadian Sean McColl takes 2nd in the 2012 World Cup in Vail
Photo courtesy of Heiko Wilhelm

What’s more, Canada will have representatives to cheer on -- hopefully including one or two locals... :)

Please spread the word to your climber friends -- on Twitter and Facebook, etc. Let’s bring a bouldering World Cup to Toronto in 2013!

See also
True North Climbing’s blog entry about the event