Adult Competitive Team

At Tour de Bloc bouldering competitions all over the GTA (and beyond), True North Climbing is represented by both a Youth team and an Adult Team. Let’s meet the Adult Competitive Team!:

Name: Florent Balsez, aka “Flo” for the 99% of people who can’t pronounce my name.

Age: Mentally: 15 – Physically 28 (feels like 65)

Years in it: 12 years total, with 1 year and 3 months (I counted) of break when I lived in India.

Memorable Sends:

There is a route called Biotop (5.14.a) in Claret, France. I was working on it for a while. The tradition is to take a huge fall from the chain when you send it. The problem is that there is 20 feet of horizontal roof before you finish with 20 other feet of vertical, tricky climb. So you can’t see the guy who belays you neither you can see the last bolt you clipped, as it is underneath the roof. All you can feel is your rope pulling you down like a dead body hanged to your harness. So, I got to the chain, literally burnt, and I heard in my back, like 50 people screaming: “jump! Jump!” I knew I had to do it if I wanted to remain a “South of France” climber. So I did. I realized that my belayer was still here when I almost hit the ground, 80 feet down…Everybody was clapping, I was so proud of me! It was a perfect sunny day. This is what rock climbing is about for me. And the send would not have had the same taste without this epic ending.

Favourite Crag:

It’s called “le Pic-Saint-Loup”, near Montpellier, France. You have to walk one hour up a mountain before getting to the top and see the 600 meters of vertical cliff, which is the North Face. Then, you have no choice but rappel down f0r 30 other meters before getting to a big “balcony” from which you start climbing in a crazy cave. The rock is unique, and each route is at least 70 moves long. But the best part is when you want to go home after a day a climbing, you have to go up the 30 meters static rope on a jumar, before walking down to your car for 1 more hour. Climbing there makes you strong, both mentally and physically.

Best result at a Comp:

It has not happened yet. But I will win the 2012 Canadian Championships…

In your comp bag:

Peanuts, water, 2 pairs of La Sportiva shoes.

5 Things Aside From Climbing That You Can’t Live Without:

Coming to live in Canada proves that I can live without anything (hahaha).

No, seriously I would say: Love, Nature, Music, Google and chocolate.

Hero:

Mike Horn.

Night before a comp you are:

So happy the week is over!

Favourite Quote:

“I love peanuts. You’re having a beer and you are tired of the taste. So, you eat peanuts. Peanuts are sweet and salty, strong and tender, like a woman. Eating peanuts it’s a really strong feeling. And then, you want to drink beer, again. Eating peanuts, it’s the perpetual movement accessible to the human race.” J.C. VanDamme

Sponsors:

I am officially declaring to all the potential sponsors:  “Having me in you team will improve your Brand Image and make your sales increase by 30%.”

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Name: Dustin Curtis
Age: 26 years young baby!
Years in it: 12
Memorable Sends: Dragon’s Breath 13c, Luskville, Ottawa
The Worm Turns V11, Joe’s Valley Utah
Celestial Mechanics V7, Stone Fort, Tennessee (would not have believed this went)
No Troublems V10, Squamish, BC
Cry For Deliverance V10, Niagara Glen, Ontario (just because of my spotter)
Favourite Crag: Hands down Bishop. Hands down!
Best Comp Result: 24th at the Teva Mountain Games, 3rd at Canadian Nationals
In My Comp Bag: shoes, chalk, tape, sandpaper, rubbing alcohol, nuts, bananas, water and pepsi, music, dark chocolate and some unmentionables…

5 Things You Couldn’t Live Without: Steak, cheese, Taylor Swift, coffee, Eric’s iPhone (we would have gotten lost so many times…)
Hero: Sean McColl, Sonnie Trotter, Killian Fischuber and Clint Searle.
Night Before The Comp: Staying up listening to Taylor Swift and eatin pasta.

Favourite Quote: “Do or do not, there is no try” -Yoda
Sponsors: Evolv, Flashed, Climb-it Holds, Climbing Hold Review, Project Holds and Mom and Dad (sometimes Michelle)

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Name: Su En Neo
Age: Too old… (30)
Years in it:
Competitively – almost 4 years
Recreationally – about 8 years
= 12 years in all!
Favourite Crag: Anywhere outdoors makes me happiest
Best result at a comp: Open 2nd
In your comp bag: Chocolate muesli bars, climbing shoes, chalk bag, water bottle, phone, wallet, apple, headphones, reading material…
5 things aside from climbing I can’t live without:
Chocolate
God
Love
The sun & fresh cool air
Dreaming
Hero: Puppy
Night before a comp I’m: Relaxing, dreaming & psyched!
Favourite Quote:
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
Sponsors: None yet!

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Name: Timothy Ng

Age: 24

• One inch Punch, first V8!
• Eye Candy V8

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Name: Eric Sethna

Age: 19

Years in it: 10

Memorable Sends:

Mission Impossible, 14b, Orpierre, France

Super Mickey: 12b, Ceuse, France

Thetis: 10c, Kalymnos, Greece

Beam Me Up, Scotty: 13c, Acephale, Canmore, Alberta

Favorite Crag: Acephale, Canmore, Alberta, Canada

Best Comp Result: 6 time Canadian Youth National Champion

In Your Comp Bag: Shoes, chalk, tape, water, sand paper, rubbing alcohol, pears, mandarins, dried mango, beef jerky, donuts.

5 Things Aside From Climbing You Couldn’t Live Without: StarCraft II, my iPhone, steak, sleep, TTC.
Hero: Spider-Man
Night Before a Comp You Are: Listening to Taylor Swift.

Favorite Quote: ‘Just do it’ –Nike

Sponsors: Five Ten, Petzl, True North.