SUMMER OLYMPICS
2021
Tripleblack wants to acknowledge all our first responders, firefighters, police officers, nurses, doctors, and essential workers for their heroic and unselfish commitment to making this world a better place. We salute your bravery and pray that you remain healthy and safe.
SPORT CLIMBING
The IFSC Continental Championships was recently held in Los Angeles at the Sender One climbing gym by LAX. As promised, it was a nail bitter to the very end. One person that caught everyone's attention was Colin Duffy, the 16 year-old phenom that reminded many of us of Chris Sharma, Adam Ondra, and Alex Megos, of their early years. So, don't be surprised if you see Colin Duffy standing on the podium at next year's Summer Olympics wearing GOLD! To watch the Women's Final and each of the qualifying IFSC World Cup competitions in Tokyo, Japan and Toulouse, France please visit Climbing.
MTB BIKING
KATE COURTNEY, 23, is the first American in 20 years to win a Gold Medal in a UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, making her the favorite in the 2021 Olympic Games at Tokyo, Japan. Nipping at her heels is Jolanda Neff, 27, the Swiss rider that finished the year just 30 points behind Courtney in the World Cup standings.
NINO SCHURTER, 33, is a Swiss cross country cyclist who has won 7 World Cup overall titles, including a Gold Medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics, making him the man to beat. Ending the year with a silver medal was Mathieu van der Poel, a.k.a. The Flying Dutchman, 25, who is looking for any opportunity to dethrone the king.
SURFING
SURFING legend Kelly Slater failed to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games at Tokyo, Japan, despite being heavily favored. However, John John Florence, 27, from Hawaii, clinched the last remaining spot, joining California’s Kolohe Andino, 25, for the USA men’s team. While four-time World Champion Carissa Moore, 27, from Honolulu, Hawaii, and Caroline Marks, 17, the youngest surfer ever to qualify for the women’s Championship Tour, each clinched a spot for women’s squad, completing Team USA’s allotment.
Worth noting, prior to the last qualifying competition, there was speculation as to whether Florence would be able to compete due to a torn ACL. According to numerous sources, Florence was unable to stand on his board the month before, but to everyone's surprise, John John came roaring back and clinched his spot in history! To watch more kick ass VIDEOS...
SKATEBOARDING
SKATEBOARDING World Champion Nyjah Huston along with superstar Tom Schaar qualified for a spot to compete in the Tokyo, Japan 2020 Olympic Games. With two divisions to fill (Park & Street), skateboarders were selected based on their specialty.
The Women's USA team in Park Skateboarding will be Jordyn Barratt, Bryce Wettstein, Brighton Zeuner, and Nicole Hause. While the Women's USA team in Street Skateboarding will be Mariah Duran, Jenn Soto, Alexis Sablone, and Lacey Baker.
Representing the USA Men’s Street Skateboarding will be Louie Lopez, Jagger Eaton, Chris Joslin, and Nyjah Huston, while the USA Men’s Park Skateboarding team will be: Alex Sorgente, Tristan Rennie, Tom Schaar, and Zion Wright. More info coming soon.
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY
TRAGEDY STRIKES
11.27.2019.
BRAD GOBRIGHT
FREE SOLIST, Brad Gobright, 31, was killed in a simul-rappelling accident in El Potrero Chico, Mexico. Simul-rappelling is when two climbers descend the same rope on opposite strands that are fed through a rappel anchor. This technique is rarely used for safety reasons. A lot can go wrong and it must be done correctly or disaster can happen. 1) the rope should be centered with equal lengths 2) a knot should be tied into either end to prevent rappelling off. But they didn't adhere either of these rules.
When the news broke that Brad Gobright was dead, many in the climbing community were deeply saddened, but at the same time, most were not surprised. Brad was a risk-taker and was willing to accept the consequences. He just didn't think he would go that way. And neither did his partner, Aidan Jacobson, 26, from Phoenix, Arizona, who survived.
“My first thought was that some anchor bolts had blown.
I was worried I was going to get pulled off the edge by Brad, so I grabbed onto a rock and held on tight for 30 seconds.”
FEATURED PODCAST
Also available on Apple Podcast
BRAD GOBRIGHT & JIM REYNOLDS
THE BIG WALL SPEED CLIMBERS
PASTRANA TRIPLICATES!
Repeats Three of Evel Knievel's Greatest Jumps
“It’s such an honor to live a day in Evel's footsteps, and literally his boots.
There's not a better showman that's ever happened in the sports action industry like Evel Knievel!"
LAS VEGAS - Travis Pastrana has done what no man has ever done before, including Evel Knievel. Dressed in a similar red, white and blue costume, Pastrana launched 143 feet in his Indian Scout FTR750 - to clear 52 crushed cars on his first jump. Then shot 192 feet over 16 Greyhound buses for his second jump. And concluded by jumping 149 feet to clear the fountains at Caesars Palace, the legendary jump that nearly killed the late Evel Knievel.
IN THE NEWS:
ETHAN PRINGLE Send THE NEST V15
JIMMY WEBB
Send Lake Tahoe's First V15
"More than 50 days of effort, hundreds of miles of hiking, hundreds of hours spent at this boulder, thousands of tries, and it was all over in a minute."
Ethan Pringle
Watch Jimmy Webb send Lake Tahoe, California, hardest lines with four first ascents, including The Outer Limits, Tahoe's first V15 boulder problem.
NINA WILLIAMS
FFA of Ray of Light V13
WATCH Nina Williams make the first female ascent of Ray of Light (V13) in Rocklands, South Africa.
EDU MARIN
Sends Odyn's Crack 9a+/5.15a
WATCH Edu Marin send the fifth pitch of Valhalla in Getu, China. The full route ascends one side of Getu Arch, climbs across the roof, and then tops out on the other side.
ADAM ONDRA
Sends Underground Dreaming (5.15a/9a+)
WATCH Adam Ondra made the FA of Underground Dreaming, a link-up of Underground (5.14d/9a) into Pure Dreaming (5.14d/9a).
ALEX MEGOS
Sends Perfecto Mundo (5.15c/9b+) FA
Watch ALEX MEGOS spent three weeks working on a route that had been originally bolted by the legendary Chris Sharma (see profile page) .
MARGO HAYES
RAW FOOTAGE: FFA Biographie
WATCH
Margo Hayes make history by redpointing Biographie, which was first established by Chris Sharma, back in 1981, See film below.
Daniel Woods & Paul Robinson
Bouldering in Joe's Valley
Daniel Wood & Paul Robinson, take us a journey to one of America's best bouldering areas known as Joe's Valley. Despite the frigid temperatures, they were able to send some extraordinarilly hard lines.
Heather Weidner
First Female Ascent of China Doll
Oriane Bertone
Heather Weidner, just captured the first female ascent of China Doll, becoming the fourth women to climb a 5.14 trad route. Watch this incredible story by Louder Than Eleven, as Heather battles her demons.
Oriane Bertone, 12 years old, just sent an 8b, sending shockwaves around the globe.
Sends Psuchopad 8b
Nalle Hukkataival
Sends The Finish Line V16
Nalle Hukkataival describes The Finnish Line (V16) as a Gem rarer than diamonds."
Nalle’s latest testpiece could be a contender for Rocklands’ (South Africa) hardest boulder problem
ON EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING
Chris Sharma
CHRIS SHARMA ON "EVERYTHING IS KARATE" 5.14 C/D
BABSI AND JACOPO
Babsi and Jacopo went to battle Zodiac 5.13d, one of El Cap's most formidable free routes. Some of the hardest climbing in the valley crammed into 16 pitches. It has only seen 2 previous ascents till Babsi and Jacopo.
sends ZODIAC 5.13D
MATT BUSH
Matt Bush free solos Paarl Mountain, one of the world's largest domes in South Africa. "I've soloed overhanging routes at 8a+/5.13d repeatedly, but this route feels much harder. The movement style is delicate, on balance and very technical."
The Art of Solo
DANIEL WOODS
repeats POSITION OF POWER V12
Daniel Woods repeat Position of Power V12 in Rocky Mountain National Park. This boulder sits above Bear Lake Road and can easily be seen driving up.
RYUICHI MURAI
Murai, headed to Magic Wood on a mission, with a tick list of some of the hardest problems in the forest. He climbed quickly sending most of the 8b/c after only a couple of tries.
Destroys Magic Wood's Hardest Problems
ALEX MEGOS
Sends FIGHT CLUB 5.15b
Alex Megos completes historic first ascent of Fight Club 5.15b, at Raven's Crag in Alberta, near Banff National Park, the first and hardest 5.15 sport climb in Canada.
NINA WILLIAMS
Sends AMBROSIA V11
Nina Williams makes the first female ascent of Ambrosia, a 50 ft V11 boulder on the Grandpa Peabody Boulder in the Buttermilks, California. NNNinaNNi
Catalan Witness the Fitness V15
CHRIS SHARMA
"I had a great start to the new year by sending the "Catalan Witness the Fitness" at Cova de Ocell the other day. I've been trying this line on and off for quite some time so it felt good to see it through finally."
JERNEJ KRUDER
Sends ES PONTAS 5.15a/b
After 39 attempts, Jernej Kruder repeated Chris Sharma route saying: "This thing is so specific. For sure it's about 9th grade, but there are so many different factors. Like the dyno. If there are 200 people in the world climbing 9a, maybe just 10 percent of them can do it."
TONY HAWK Skates Downward Spiral Loop!
Tony Hawk made history by becoming the first person to skateboard a downward spiral.
'So this is all my crazy idea. Basically this ramp is a vertical spiral, a sideways loop. As far as I know no one's done anything like this'
KELLY SLATER launches Wave Company
NINE YEARS into the making, Slater Wave Company constructed the longest, open-barrel man made wave in the world! "I’m still a little in disbelief, and trying to process how much fun this wave is, but it certainly feels like this is going to change a lot of perceptions about human-made waves."