Kai Newbold, NWA junior, has been climbing since the age of seven and now enjoys the sport both competitively and recreationally.
He was first introduced to the activity by his mom upon moving to Oregon. She brought Newbold and his little brother to the climbing gym where the two would soon develop a love for climbing and bouldering.
Newbold recalls the initial offer that set him on his path in the sport.
“One of the coaches for the recreational team [at the climbing gym] asked if we wanted to join,” said Newbold. “So, I joined the team and it’s just gone from there.”
Now, nearly 10 years later, Newbold practices at the Circuit Bouldering Gym in Southwest Portland about four times a week. There, he trains as part of the Circuit Bouldering Team alongside his teammates.
The sport, although very communal in nature, is based primarily on one climber’s abilities at the competitive level, Newbold notes.
“The team is a group you train with but you don’t compete as a team,” said Newbold. “The team gets scored on how well the individual climbers do.”
What keeps him going in the sport is his desire to challenge and reach the goals he sets for himself. Newbold describes this tendency as a sort of blessing and curse as it leads to his success but also less desirable habits.
“If I’m having an off day, I still compare myself to how I would do on a good day,” Newbold commented.
Wrapping up his competition season in the fall, Newbold now gets to enjoy the other side of his passion: outdoor climbing. His favorite local spots to boulder include Empire Boulders in the Columbia River Gorge and Smith Rock near Bend. Out of state, he loves Bishop, CA and Squamish, BC for climbing.
“The last two years I’ve gone to Squamish or Southern California to climb for a week at a time,” said Newbold. “That’s fun because I just go with friends to climb and camp.”
For now, Newbold’s biggest inspirations in climbing are Shawn Raboutou and Alexander Megos, professional American and German rock climbers respectively. In the future, he hopes to take his climbing to the collegiate level, but most looks forward to finding new routes to climb in the outdoors.
