Welcome to the 2012 The Bozeman Ice Breaker Exhibition by The North Face
This artificial climbing structure will be erected outside in the Emerson Park as part of our new “Urban Base Camp” offering a full day festival of food, family fun and ice gear demos and with a special two-part climbing exhibition on Saturday, December 8, 2012.
The Bozeman Ice Breaker Exhibition presented by The North Face will feature an afternoon Speed Climbing competition open to anyone that can regularly climb M8. After a short break to retool the impressive ice tower we will reconvene under the bright lights and we ramp it up with the Invitational Lead climbing exhibition featuring some of the best climbers in the world including World Cup athletes from the US, Canada and Europe.
You won’t want to miss the opportunity to witness for yourself what this highly-anticipated and much-talked-about Bozeman Ice Tower movement is all about. Renown mountaineer and neighbor Conrad Anker will be your host and Emcee.
Admission throughout the day is free to the public. Immediately after the Base Camp, BIF will host a celebration of climbing in the Emerson Ballroom with a modest cover charge to enjoy a live band and tasty local brews from Big Sky Brewing. Beer and party proceeds go directly to keeping the Hyalite Road plowed in winter. Now THAT’s a good cause!
This event is a preliminary to our 2013 plans for a bone fide UIAA sanctioned World Cup competition, the only event of it’s kind in North America. This will lead up to the sport’s inclusion as a cultural demonstration sport in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
Draft CAD drawings of our 2012 Ice Breaker Tower.
The M8 Open Speed division will be approximately 32 feet tall with a total overhang of 10 feet. The M12 Invitational Lead division will be approximately 50 feet with an additional overhang “boulder cave” at the start and a horizontal “boom” to finish (neither of these are shown on this original CAD drawing).
Yep… It’s going to be bad-ass! Stay tuned on our Blog for exciting updates and pictures as the tower is developed and built.
The 2012 Bozeman Ice Breaker Tower & Exhibition presented by The North Face
as part of the 16th Annual Arc’teryx Bozeman Ice Climbing Festival December 5-9, 2012
Download the Official Rules and Format
ICE BREAKER EXHIBITION FORMAT AND RULES
The Bozeman Ice Breaker structure will be a scaffolding and plywood artificial climbing structure erected outside at the Emerson Cultural Center, 111 South Grand Ave in downtown Bozeman, Montana. The tower will be the centerpiece of a day-long outdoor winter festival called the Bozeman “Urban Base Camp” as part of the 16th Annual Arc’teryx Bozeman Ice Climbing Festival. Refer to map.
Tower Specifications: The Open Speed division will be approximately 32 feet tall with a total overhang of 10 feet. The Invitational Lead division will be approximately 50 feet with an additional overhang “boulder cave” at the start and a horizontal “boom” to finish. Final specifications are subject to change without notice.
Rational: This exhibition is designed to mimic some of the features found in official World Cup event, such as the difficulty, minimum height, review time and isolation. Yet at the same time, this event is designed to be low-stress, fun and provide both the competitors and spectators a great time.
We are working to hold a bone fide World Cup in 2013 and eventually build a permanent training facility for Olympic caliber training in Bozeman; the first of it’s kind in North America. As such, the 2012 Bozeman Ice Breaker Exhibition is our first step towards raising awareness and interest in this movement locally, regionally and nationally. We hope you will understand these goals and get into the spirit of the event and provide the audience a great show!
ESSENTIAL LOGISTICS:
1. Mandatory Pre-Meeting: There will be a joint mandatory meeting for all Open and Invitational athletes on Friday, December 7, 2012 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Emerson Cultural Center downtown Bozeman at 111 South Grand Ave. Exact room to be announced. Failure to check into this meeting may result in forfeiture of your place.
2. Open Division Time: The Open “Speed” event takes place from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Saturday, December 8 in the Emerson Park at 111 South Grand Ave. All athletes must report to the Emerson Ballroom by 12:00 noon one hour before the start of the event. Failure to arrive on time may result in loss of your spot.
3. Invitational Division Time: The Invitational “Lead” event begins at 5:30 p.m. and continues until it is over, approximately 8:00 p.m. Athletes must arrive at the Emerson Ballroom by 5:00 p.m.
4. Award Ceremony: A joint Award Ceremony for both events will take place in the Emerson Ballroom at 9 p.m. or 30 minutes after the end of the Invitational.
ICE BREAKER SPEED EVENT
Date: Saturday, December 8, 2012
Time: 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Location: Emerson Park, between Babcock and Olive on 3rd Ave, downtown Bozeman, Montana
Number of Participants: Limited to 16 participants
Format: Head-on-Head speed on top rope. Men and Women compete together
Difficulty: M7-8
Age: The Open Division is available to anyone over the age of 18.
Registration: Registration is free. Sign ups will start November 5th by sending an email to bozemanicebreaker@gmail.com UPDATE on November 25th. REGISTRATION IS NOW FULL!
Qualifying: You must be able to climb M7 comfortably as indicated by a climbing resume that lists your most recent top three mixed climbs and any other information that might be helpful for us to determine your ability.
Determination & Waiting List: Registration is first come, first served until the judges (Joe Josephson & Adam Knoff) determine all 16 spots are filled with qualified applicants. You will be notified of your status via email within 72 hours of registering. A waiting list will be maintained.
Waiver: All Participants will be required to sign a liability waiver for but not limited to: Alpine Adventure Guides, Bozeman Ice Climbing Festival, the North Face, Emerson Cultural Center and Willson School. Failure to do so, and you will not be allowed to participate.
Mandatory Meeting: You must be at the Emerson Ballroom for a meeting at 6 p.m Friday, December 7th. Failure to show up on time will result in forfeiture of your position and it will be awarded to the first person on the waiting list. If on the waiting list, you must be present to claim your spot.
Check-In: On December 8th, athletes must check in by12 Noon. Competition begins promptly at 1:00 p.m.
Tools: Two standard-length Ice Tools must be used. Only leashless tools may be used. Ice tools will be checked at the bottom of the route and must drop from an open hand. No crampon heel spurs are allowed.
Crampons: “Rock shoes” are not allowed. Participant must wear crampon style footwear. No crampon heel spurs are allowed. Using T-nut holes is NOT allowed.
Warm Up: A warm up area will be made available to all athletes. To be determined.
Brackets: Participants will randomly be assigned into brackets (NCAA style).
Top Rope: All Open competitors will be on top rope with experienced volunteer belay partners. If any competitor “spears” the rope with their ice axe, they will be disqualified and lowered to the ground immediately.
Viewing: There are no viewing or pre-inspection restrictions for the Open division. Competitors will be allowed to watch other heats.
Out of Bounds: The route(s) will contain boundary lines and out of bounds features that will be marked; placing a tool or foot across that line or on that feature will result in disqualification. Any T-nut holes or bolts holding a hold are out of bounds.
Start: Competitors will stand behind and not cross a designated line in front of the wall. They will begin climbing only upon hearing the designated “starting gun.” One false start is allowed. A second false start results in disqualification.
Heats: Two participants will climb side-by-side on similarly graded routes, each eight (8) feet wide. If any participant falls off or is otherwise disqualified, they are immediately lowered to the ground and assessed a flat five (5) minute time. Otherwise, the participant is scored with the time it takes to reach the top of the wall. Once both participants are on the ground, there will be a two (2) minute rest as they switch sides. They then compete again climbing the opposite side using the same rules described above. The two times will be combined with the fastest time in that heat advancing to the next round. In the case of a tie (for example, both participants fall off both sides resulting in equal 10 minute scores), the tie-breaker will be combined height as determined by the Scoring Judge.
Rounds: Heats for Round 1 and Quarter Final Round (Round 2) will be completed with a three-minute switch over between heats. Failure to be ready when your heat begins may result in disqualification.
Following the completion of the Quarter Final Round, there will be a 30-minute break before starting the Semi-Final Round, using the same format as the earlier rounds.
The Final will commence immediately following the Semi Final.
Judges: There will be a panel of no less than four volunteer judges, two per side. This is a friendly exhibition; no appeals.
Broken Holds: Upon a determination of the judges that a competitor’s attempt has been affected materially by a broken hold, the competitor will be offered congratulations for experiencing first-hand what it is like to mix climb in nearby Hyalite Canyon.
Awards: There will be gifts for all participants at every round courtesy of The North Face, GU, Julbo, Liberty Mountain, and the Bozeman Ice Festival. Final prize(s) will be handed out at the Award Ceremony at the Emerson Ballroom.
Round 1 Gifts (16): TNF Ice Axe Key Chain & Water Bottle. BIF T-shirt, BIF Access Pass and other gifts TBD.
Round 2 Gifts (8): TNF Beannie, Various energy packets courtesy of GU.
Round 3 Gifts (4): TNF Base Camp Duffle Bag (Medium), more GU, other gifts TBD.
Semi-Final (2): TNF Prophet 40 Pack, Julbo Sunglasses, other gifts TBD.
Winner (1): pair of Monster Ice Climbing Tools, courtesy of Liberty Mountain/Grivel.
Changes: Organizers reserve the right to change or alter these rules and prizes without notice. Final rules and format will be at the Mandatory Meeting, Friday, December 7 at 6 p.m.
Confirmed athletes competing in the 2012 Bozeman Ice Breaker Speed Exhibition:
1. Aaron Montgomery (US)
2. Aaron Mulkey (US)
3. Andres Marin (US)
4. Sam Magro (US)
5. Marc Beverly (US)
6. Eric Knoff (Bozeman)
7. Justin Griffin (Bozeman)
8. Justin Willis (Bozeman)
9. Kyler Pallister (Bozeman)
10. Rusty Willis (Bozeman)
11. Scott Adamson (US)
12. Stanley Vrba (US)
13. Stéphanie Maureau (France)
14. Tomas Dumbrovsky (Bozeman)
15. Tyler Jones (US)
16. Will Mayo (US)
ICE BREAKER INVITATIONAL LEAD EVENT
Date: Saturday, December 8, 2012
Time: 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Location: Emerson Park, between Babcock and Olive on 3rd Ave, downtown Bozeman, Montana
Number of Participants: up to 15 Invited Athletes
Format: Lead Climbing Difficulty. 15-minute preview followed by isolation during event.
Difficulty: M11+ (Men’s Route), M9+ (Women’s Route). There will be separate Men’s and Women’s Standings. Unlike Lindsey Vonn, Women may opt to compete with the Men if they prefer.
Confirmed athletes competing in the 2012 Bozeman Ice Breaker Invitational:
MEN:
Aaron Montgomery (US)
Andres Marin (US)
Gord McArthur (Canada)
Jason Nelson (US)
Marc Beverly (US)
Sam Elias (US)
Stanley Vrba (US)
Whit Magro (Bozeman)
Will Gadd (Canada)
Will Mayo (US)
WOMEN:
Dawn Glanc (US)
Emily Harrington (US)
Jen Olson (Canada)
Kendra Stritch (US)
Stéphanie Maureau (France)
