Fall 2023 Steel Town Throw Down

The ASCEND Steel Town Throw Down, scheduled for Saturday, December 9, 2023, happening at ASCEND SOUTH SIDE, is Pittsburgh's premier climbing competition, designed for anyone who likes a little friendly competition while having a great time! We'll continue to add to this event post, so please check back often for the most up-to-date information.

Let us start by saying... the Steel Town Throw Down doesn't define us, rather, it shapes us. Each year, this event breathes life into the collective soul of our community. The spirit of the Steel Town Thrown Down is meant for everyone. If you've never competed or spectated or taken part in the slightest... this year, we invite you to take a gander, maybe just a little one, and get involved. Even if just a spec of chalk dust on the wall, looking in on the fun, see for yourself what it's all about!

ITINERARY - SATURDAY 12/9 - SOUTH SIDE

• 9:00a - 12:00p: Youth Competition

  • 12:30p: Youth Competition Awards

• 1:30 - 5:00p: Community Competition

  • 5:30p: Community Competition Awards + Finalist Selection / Start of Isolation

• 6:30 - 8:30p: Finals

  • 9:00p: Finals Award Ceremony (at Velum Fermentation)

• 8:30 - 11:00p: After Party + End-Of-Year ASCEND Community Celebration (at Velum Fermentation)

See below for registration links and more information on all the things.

The Community Competition is for all ages and abilities of climbers. Like the youth competition, we aim to make this competition fun, challenging, and rewarding for casual climbers, as well as those seeking a legitimate competitive experience.

FORMAT

CHECK-IN + COMPETITOR MEETING: Please arrive between 12 - 1p and be ready for an important Competitor Meeting to begin promptly at 1:15p.

From 1:30 - 5p, climbers will compete in a redpoint competition, which means that many, many climbs of varying difficulty will be set for the competition. All of the boulder problems are available to all of the climbers at once, and the competitors may attempt the climbs as many times as they wish within the given time period. SEE BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL SCORING INFORMATION.

BUT THERE WILL BE A TWIST. For the first 2.5 hours, the specific order of difficulty won't be given for the climb, instead there will be a symbol indicating broadly if the climbs falls into the suggested JAZZ, ROCK 'N' ROLL, or CLASSICAL divisions. Climbers will have a general idea of where the climb may fit into the competition, but won't know for certain if they're climbing number 37 or 47. YEAH, WE KNOW. Then, at the 2.5 hour mark, we'll reveal the order and point values to the climbers. At that point, climbers will have more information and will then have one hour to attempt to fill in holes in the score sheet and work hard to finish the comp the best that they can!

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

Mostly for fun, education, collaboration, and to shake things up. So many comps are the same ol' thing and we want to take this opportunity to present to you, our very intelligent and curious climbers, a slightly new experience and competition format. Other tangible things we think this will foster include:

• Route-Reading: Experienced climbers are able to approximate the grade of a climb without trying it first. This is a learned skill that comes with practice.

• Strategy: This known twist might make a competitor strategize how their going to play their first two hours, compared to their last. All competitions, and even outdoor climbing pursuits should be met with some amount of strategy, or tactics. What will your strategy be?!

• Shenanigans: Climbing is weird, and while taking something we love serious can be rewarding, it can also be tiring. We invite you to play more with your climbing. Change it up, keep it fresh, and remember why you love this amazing sport.

DIVISIONS

You know yourself best, so we're asking you to select which division you'll compete in. Please be aware that once scores have been reviewed, ASCEND reserves the right to move a competitor up a division, but never down. The reason for this is to be as fair as possible, and to prevent a stronger climber from entering themselves into a lower division, either by accident, or, in a nefarious attempt to ensure a first place finish.

• JAZZ: V1-V4 | consistently sends purple circuit (V1-V3), often sends yellow circuit (V2-V4), works on blue circuit (V3-V5)

• ROCK 'N' ROLL: V4-V6 | consistently sends blue circuit (V3-V5), often sends orange circuit (V4-V6), works on pink circuit (V5-V7)

• CLASSICAL: V6-V9+ | consistently sends pink circuit (V5-V7), often sends red circuit (V6-V8), works on white circuit (V7-V9)

CATEGORIES

Competitors will self-identify into the following categories:

• WTNB [Women, Trans, Non-Binary]

• MTNB [Men, Trans, Non-Binary]

• Additionally, we're introducing a Masters sub-category, of 49 and older. Why 49? Because, that's why. You'll automatically be entered into this field and will be recognized as such during the accolades held before finals. Masters competitors will still be a part of the comp in every way, simply recognized as distinguished field, and maybe awarded some extra special items.

*While ASCEND recognizes that gender is not a binary system, for this competition we are asking that competitors self-select into either the WTNB or MTNB categories. Thank you for your understanding. We aspire to foster a true non-binary category in the future. If you'd like to collaborate (compensation will be offered) with our event organizers on how to better make space for this, please email [email protected]. We'd appreciate the insight and assistance!

ACCOLADES

Awards for Jazz, Rock 'n' Roll, and Classical divisions, along with the selection of the of our Finalists will happen shortly after 5p, but we'll need approximately 30 minutes to tally the results and get organized.

• 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers in the respective divisions and categories will receive ribbons and prizes from ASCEND. 4th, 5th, and 6th place finishers will also receive ribbons!

• The top three Classical finishers will be the 7th, 8th, and 9th place finishers since the top 6 are moving to the Finals round.

COMPETITOR INFORMATION

The top six MTNB and WTNB finishers from the Classical field will move to Finals, where they will compete in front of an energetic and supportive live audience! Finals will take place on the front of the Purple Arch from the edge before the Wave Wall to the end of the Comp Wall. They will attempt to onsite four problems, having 4 minutes per boulder. All finalists will split a $3,900 cash purse (1st = $750, 2nd = $500, 3rd = $250, 4th = $200, 5th = $150, 6th = $100)!

From 5-6:30p, the routesetters will be getting the Finals problems up and tweaked while we're also readying the space for the main event. Close to 5:30p, we will announce who the Finalists are. Shortly thereafter, they will gather their items and head to isolation, which will be held in the fitness + training zone behind the rope wall. They must stay in ISO from that point until Finals begins at 6:30p, though, we will accommodate bathroom breaks and do our best to assist them in getting anything they need from the outside world. That being said, please try and be prepared if you think you might have a shot at Finals!

Close to 6:30p, we'll get started by introducing the Finalists to the crowd. Then, they will have a few minutes to preview each boulder as a group, before being sent back into ISO. Then, we'll bring out one MTNB and one WTNB competitor at a time to run the problems, one at a time. It's going to be great!

SPECTATOR INFORMATION

Spectators may arrive anytime to grab a spot to watch Finals from. There will be limited seating close to the Arch pads, then standing room behind near the front desk to toward the bathrooms. And don't forget about the mezzanine!

Velum Fermentation will be serving beer via a satellite bar in ASCEND's space, as well as downstairs in their space.

To set the mood... ASCEND Member and good friend, Sam Shephard, A.K.A. HellaGentle, will be laying down some chill, yet groovy and energetic, down-tempo and, well, hella-gentle beats. He'll also be turning it up a notch and working to get you to dance during the after-party!

LIVESTREAM

It will be a bare-bones operation with no commentary, graphics, or editing. Just an iPhone positioned in a reasonably decent spot to capture the action. Still, we're psyched to broadcast the event live on YouTube! Go HERE at 6:30p EST.

THE END... IS NOT THE END!

We anticipate the Finals event to conclude close to 8:30p. Immediately after the last finalist is done climbing, we will kindly ask everyone to migrate to Velum's space below us. At 9p, we'll hold a brief award ceremony for the finalists and then after-party will officially begin! See below for details on all that.

SPONSORS

We couldn't run these event without the generous support of our most valued and trusted partners. The following brands and organizations have contributed in-kind donations that will go toward our 1st - 3rd prize packages and the after-party bounty prizes.

• Evolv - All six 1st place finishers in the Jazz, Rock 'n' Roll, and Classical divisions will win a pair of Evolv shoes - any model you want from our stores! Also, Bouldering Brushes, Magic Finger Tape, Chalk Balls, Chalk, Aeki Kit Sorter, Bodega Chalk Bags, Collectors Chalk Bags!

• Organic Climbing - Packs and Hats, oh my!

• Wild Country - Flow Back Pack, Flow Chalk Bags, Mosquito Chalk Bags, Pure Chunky Chalk, Large Brushes!

• Climber Goods - 12 keychains and 6 mugs!

• Petzl - Spirit Quickdraws, SM'D Twist Lock Carabiners, Tikka Headlamp, Spirit 6-pack Carabiners!

• Midnight Lightning - Chalktopus, Mini Bags Powder Chalk, Liquid Chalk!

• Sterling - 3 Bartleby Packs!

• Edelrid - 50% off discount cards!

• Access Fund - Super fun items!

• Urban Tree - Custom, one-of-a-kind, handmade trophies!

FOOD + BEV

• Love, Peace + Grilled Cheese Food Truck - Serving a diverse menu from noon - midnight.

• Sahar's Food Lab - Tofu-based healthy options.

• Velum Fermentation / Goodlander Cocktail Brewery - Fueling the party from 5 - 11p.

VENDORS

• 1.11 Juice Bar - Serving juices and more during the Community Competition.

• Outperform Nutrition - Pre-workout supplement made for hybrid athletes.