Friday, June 29, 2012

Hank St. John In Focus

Those who have had the opportunity to witness Hank St. John climb already know his amazing strength and abilities on the wall, but what do we know about Hank off the wall? Recently Rock V5 Role had a chance to sit down with one Billy Hank St. John, climber and artist extraordinaire, to ask a few questions about climbing culture, fashion, and music. But most importantly, to find out what Role climbing plays in his life on and off the wall. This is Hank St. John in Focus.


Rock V5 Role: How long have you been climbing?

Hank St.John: I think I am going on about 4 or 5 years now.

RvR: How did you get into it?

Hank: Went to the free climb at the wall at the University of North Texas and was hooked immediately, although I had been and avid tree and flag pole climber in my early days.

RvR: Have you ever competed in a legit indoor comp?

Hank: Nothing I would call legit, I have been to a few college comps but I get bored filling out my score card about half way through, I have a short attention span that way.





Photo by Jeline Guiles
RvR: Do you prefer indoor or outdoor climbing?

Hank: I guess what I should say is outdoor but it is all the same to me. The thing I like most about outdoor climbing is the camping with friends’ part. I get about the same level of satisfaction sending projects whether they be indoor or out.

RvR: The words of a true soul climber. What is your favorite brand of climbing shoe?

Hank: 5.10 for sure. Although, I will take anything that fits from the lost and found.

RvR: So you’re the one who's re-homing all those lost souls.

Hank: Most of my climbing gear is either a hand-me down, gift, or something I found. It’s almost like being sponsored, except I don’t have to deal with the pressure.

RvR: I have herd the term "Hank Pants" being thrown around gyms on multiple accounts.

Hank: While some practice the art of setting routes, I set trends.
You see that Keller Wolfe has been wearing a tank top lately. He got that from me.

RvR: Do you wear any of the major climbing brands to send?

Hank: Well no, "Hank Pants" is actually code for old brown polyester pants. I bought some linen pants from old navy and thought they were awesome but I realized that butt sweat soaks through them way to fast. Maybe I will find some Prana pants in the lost and found some day.

RvR: You’ve got to be careful, on a hot day butt sweat soaks through Mojos as well.

Hank: Maybe it’s a butt issue and not a pants issue.

RvR: How do you feel about climbing culture being lead into the main-stream media?

Hank: Well, I think as soon as Alex Honnold plummets to his death that shit will be over and hopefully the gym will get less crowded.

RvR: That darn Alex. Talks of climbing being an Olympic sport will bring climbing to the masses in a different way; do you think the Olympics will solidify climbing in pop culture?

Hank: I guess so; I don’t think that makes it main-stream though, I don’t think pole vaulting or gymnastics is very main-stream. Whatever interest popular culture has in climbing it will be a short lived fad just like anything in popular culture.

RvR: Along with the progression of science and tech, social networking and media, where do you see climbing culture moving in the next 10 years?

Hank: I have no idea, I just hope I am able to still be climbing 10 years from now, it has become such a big part of how I identify myself I’m not sure what I would replace it with should I have to stop.

RvR: When climbing or training hard in the gym what genre of music or artists do you prefer as background?

Hank: I would have to say hip hop, but for some reason they are always blasting Katie Perry or Linkin Park at Exposure, I guess after that abuse I could climb to anything.

RvR: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. What was the last concert you've been to?

Hank: There are plenty of house shows and small club venues around Denton to see local music. But the last memorable show I went to was when Tom Waits came to Dallas a couple of years go. I’m kind of a homebody.

RvR: Are there any upcoming shows or festivals you want to see?

Hank: Well there is Lucian Freud exhibit at the Ft. Worth Museum of Modern Art opening in a couple of days that I am super excited for. Dude was a beast.

RvR: How do you exhibit Freud?

by Hank St. John
Hank: Lucian was Sigmund Freud's grandson, he passed away just recently. He was a painter, a great one at that.

RvR: I had no idea you had so much respect for the arts, you must be an artist yourself. What mode do you create with?

Hank: Pen and ink almost 90% of the time

RvR: How long have you been drawing?

Hank: I have been drawing for as long as I can remember; right now I am working on this big drawing of a mermaid with some kind of sea plant growing out of her nipples.

RvR: Sincerely, I would love to see that when its done. Where do you get your inspiration to draw?

Hank: I don’t know its second nature now. Everyone filters the world around them and then re-constitutes the parts and expresses it. Somehow I just do it through drawing.
by Hank St. John

RvR: What do you enjoy more, drawing or climbing?

Hank: Damn, ummmmm, I think it’s climbing right now, I obsess over it, I don’t really do that with drawing, both are important but I would rather go climb then sit down and draw.

RvR: Now readers in the climbing community will see you for more than just the strongest soul climber in DFW!

Hank: Ha-ha, it’s funny, most people that I climb with have no idea that I draw and I don’t have any idea what they do outside of climbing and all of my artsy friends don’t really know anything about my climbing life, it’s two different worlds.

RvR: Enter Rock Versus Role.
by Hank St. John

Hank: It’s good though, when I get to the gym I just want to nerd out on climbing.

RvR: If you could choose one song off the top of your head that you want the readers to listen to what would it be and why?

Hank: Tom Waits "Don’t Go into that Barn" because people should be weirded out by music sometimes, and not enough people listen to the great Tom.

RvR: Thanks for your time and insight into the artsy side of climbing culture and your other life!

Hank: Alright, it was fun! Have a good day.


For more original art by Hank St. John click Here


Monday, June 18, 2012

Addison Kim In Focus


       As a member of Team Southern Rock and the infamous Dirty South Climbers, Addison Kim climbs, trains and competes mainly indoors but has an affinity for outdoor life as well. After a training session preparing himself for a coming up National Competition in Atlanta, Rock V5 Role had a chance to sit with an endorphin hopped Addison and ask him to share with the readers a little about the role climbing culture plays in his life off the rock.



Rock V5 Role: What’s your favorite brand of climbing clothes?

Addison Kim: Prana shorts, best overall, breath well, and none restricting.

RvR: What’s your favorite climbing shoe?

Kim: Right now im climbing in 5.10 Dragons, Five Ten rubber is the stickiest but in terms of fit, I really like the La Sportiva Testerosas, if there could be a marriage between the two that would be the perfect shoe.

RvR: What about fashion outside of the gym and off the wall, do you bring the outdoor brands to school?

Kim: I change it up a bit, in the gym or at the crag I’m in Northface and Prana. At school or whatever I generally wear Urban Outfitters and Topman.

RvR: What is Topman?

Addison: Topman is a British design company I Enjoy, Got a lot clothes there, but its all about continuity and symmetry.

RvR:  What music do you listen to when training for a competition?

Kim:  Depends on what I’m doing, if I’m climbing long endurance moves I’ll listen to calm folk music to kinda get into the zone. If I’m speed climbing or bouldering I’ll listen to rap or something to get psyched with high energy, oh and Dubstep….you know…

RvR: You mentioned Dubstep, I’ve noticed gyms in the DFW have been playing Dubstep on the loud speakers more often than welcomed, Is that your fault?

Kim: Ha, yes!!...not.

RvR: Who is your Favorite Dj?

Kim: Skrillex

RvR: Any fun Concerts recently?

Kim: Well I was disappointed I had to miss Meltdown, I was in Colorado.

RvR: Rock V5 Role missed Meltdown too . Meltdown vs. Teva, Teva won that round!. Do you have any upcoming concerts in mind?

Kim: A friend and I are really psyched about IDENTITY in August.  It’s a festival with a bunch of cool djs and stuff.

RvR: We will keep that in mind. If you could choose one song off the top of your head that you want the readers to listen to what would it be and why?

Kim: The Blowers Daughter by Damien Rice, that one is about nonreciprocating love and heartache. It's a personal song about loving a violin teacher back home, lots of soul, conviction and Damien has a fantastic voice.

RvR: Thanks for your time and insight into the seedy underworld of climbing culture.

Kim: Ha Ha, any time!


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

La Sportiva Futura, Love at First On-site


       There comes a time in every climber’s life when they meet the perfect shoe. Based on a general consensus the perfect shoe is a blend of aesthetic attraction, functionality, comfort, and most of all compatibility.

       
       First off, the Futura’s top suede/leather/Lorica design has the perfect balance of and flash and natural beauty with curves where they need it and the ability to draw the eye for a double take without being obnoxious.
       
       Secondly, being that I primarily boulder and or lead over-hung routs, aggressive downturned lasts and sticky rubber are the least of my expectations. The Futuras semi-aggressive design and sticky Vibram® XSGrip2 three millimeter rubber perform just above average. I traversed a few climbing walls to get a feel of how they work when climbing for extended periods of time on slab, vertical, and overhung movments. They felt very close to every foot hold I held but the stiffness and support soon broke after ten minutes of continuous traversing. The Futuras excelled when applied to overhung feet even after continuous wear. These specs and observations are all fine and well, but what I wanted to know most was how they feel on the the foot?

       Climbing more than three times a week deems comfort as necessity. When I first slipped the Futuras on my wide for-foot and pushed down with my narrow skinny heel I noticed the inner lay had been reinforced with padding much like the the La Sportiva Lady Miura Vs shoe. In addition to the comfort feeling exactly the same as the Lady Miura Vs, the heel cup was just as snug. This excited me because unlike the Lady Vs’s, the Futeras came with a more aggressive toe box and extended rubber on top for toe hooking.

        The issues I dislike about La Sportiva brand is the life of the rubber on the toe and mechanical malfunctions. Owning and knowing owners of La Sportiva Shoes of the Velcro kind it’s not rare to see straps and buckles repaired using super glue as a solution. This in mind the longevity of the Futura is still in question because of the lace design being taken from the Solution. The no edge technology is also something that initially is a good idea; however, time will tell how it holds up to the likes of, let’s say ,HP40 sandstone or Hueco’s volcanic rock. But for now they work, breaking them in was very easy to do and for this downsizing a whole size is easy and recommended.  The Futera is perfect so far, but far from being the perfect shoe. La Sportiva Improved on the comfort and performance but did they keep longevity in mind? With a 170$ price point is the Futura is their chance to reconcile with the past problems. Is this shoe the last shoe you will ever buy? Will this shoe bring away from the 5.10 and Evolv demographics?After climbing in these shoes for  two months I will update this post well the shoe is holding up to gym climbing.



Pros
  • ·         Very Comfortable/Easy to break in
  • ·         Cool design and color
  • ·         Aggressive toe
  • ·         Snug heel cup for smaller heels
  • ·         Works well in overhanging boulder problems
  • ·         3mm Vibram® XSGrip2 No Edge Technology- maximum sensitivity


Cons
  • ·         Works poorly on slab and vertical.
  • ·         Works poorly under continuous long use.
  • ·         3mm Vibram® XSGrip2 No Edge Technology – Brand new and inconclusive.
  •            $170 price point. 


Sizing – One Whole size down from street shoe size.




 

Rock Vs Role Copyright © 2011 -- Template created by O Pregador -- Powered by Blogger