ECU hosts annual climbing competition

On Saturday, Feb. 21, the ECU Adventure Program will be hosting its 12th annual Flatlander's Fling Climbing Competition. The event will be held at the Student Recreation Center.

Registration for the competition is Saturday from 11a.m.-noon and the competition begins at noon.

Student event organizers Pam Andrea, Kyle Slosek and Sean Hanehan primarily organized the event.

Andrea said she got involved with event planning for the Adventure Program as a result of participating in activities through the program.

"I started out going on trips," said Andrea. "I went on my first caving trip here. That's how I kind of got my foot in the door."

The climbing competition is not limited to ECU students and is open to climbers of all skill levels. It serves as a central gathering point for the climbers in eastern North Carolina. All rock climbers are invited to participate, and spectators are welcome.

"We love hosting this mainly because it gives the Eastern North Carolina community a chance to do something new," said Hanehan. "Anyone can participate, so someone that just sees it and comes in can say, 'I want to try this.'"

Andrea said the Adventure Program scheduled the event in an attempt to "let the community know that we are here and this is one of many things that we offer. Anyone can come and register and climb or anyone can come in and watch.

"It's a good way for people to experience something new. In Eastern North Carolina, there aren't too many rock climbing competitions and we pride ourselves on adventure and something different," Andrea said.

Both Andrea and Hanehan agree that the competition is something unique for students and members of the community to try.

"We're doing the competition in order to promote climbing in Eastern North Carolina," said Slosek. "You don't really think of Eastern North Carolina as a climbing area just because of how flat it is, but there really is a lot to do around here."

The climb features bouldering and top-roping competitions, and the scores from both events will be combined to determine the winners.

"Bouldering would be that you climb without a rope. You only climb about 10-12 feet up," Andrea said. "Top roping, you are attached to the rope and someone is belaying you. That's where someone takes up the slack when you are on the rope."

The competition is divided into separate divisions for men and women, and there are beginner, intermediate and advanced competitions within each division. The winners of each level will win prizes from the climb's sponsors.

"There are different routes for the different levels of competition," Slosek said. "We're kind of varying it up so it's a fair competition between the levels. They're competing against people in their category."

Hanehan said that climbers would get the opportunity to see something different than what they see at the Recreation Center on a daily basis.

"It's a slightly different set up. It's all completely brand new, no one's seeing it before, he said. "So it gives people not only a chance to see something brand new, but they get the actual competition part of it."

Mountain Hardware, Great Outdoor Provision Company, Mad Rock, Liberty Mountain, National Geographic, Rock & Ice Magazine, Gripped Magazine, Kahtoola Traction Systems, Campus Recreation and Wellness and the ECU Adventure Program are sponsoring the Flatlander's Fling Climbing Competition.

The cost of registration is $15 for ECU students, faculty and staff with ECU ID and students under the age of 18, and $20 for the general public.

For more information contact the ECU Adventure Program at adventure.ecu.edu or 328-1577 or go to flatlandersfling.org.

This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.