Climb On 2006 Report

Singapore Expo Hall 4B hosted one of Singapore’s signature sporting events from 8th to 10th September 2006 – Climb On! Singapore 2006. Held in conjunction with Singapore’s largest trade show for sports, fitness and spas Fitness Asia 2006, the event venue was positively buzzing with a youthful energy that simply could not be ignored. What a fantastic experience this turned out to be!

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climbing at re p u t a t i o t h e i r o w n p a c e .C n l a rg e r s c w i t h i n t h e l o c a l l i m b O n ! S i ng ale spo d a y s o f u a n d w i t h f re s h e r t i n g s c e n e s i n c a p o r e h a s b u e then, r r id i na eturning lt up a solid tr youts o dulterated spor t eas. That’s preci ea sely wha nt cl t t h e y d i c h ye a r i n a R e c o r d h e f i r s t d ay a n d i m b f u n , p e p p e r d “ D y n o” e compet second day, a Sp d with goodies this year – 3 ition. eed S ol o c h a l l e l i ke f re e p u b l i c nge and A specia a World l co m p o n e nt o f o u t re a c h Climb O pr n s t u d e n t s o g r a m – p ro v i d ing oppo ! S ingapore to ex p e r r tun ien had alw s t u d e nt s ay s b e e n from Tow ce and learn thro ities for under-p u r n i g v e h i r l e r G o g a c ed and s its climbing k- c l i m b i rdens S c pec n h g s k i l l s at Climb A ool (MINDS) we . This year, the s ial pe re sia C lim b i n g Ce f i r s t t a u g ht b a s c i a l i ntre c ro c k co n f i d e n to h e l p b o o s t t h ce a n d f a c i l i t ate e i r their

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ical d e p re p ve l o p m e a rato n r y a c t. O n 9 t h g ro u t n d f o i v i t i e s, t S e p t e m b he r e a n d a m i n i i n s e s t u d e r (d ay 2 ) p ro v n e d t h t e r n a l c o t s we re a s a c o n clu br m at n o c h a l p e t i t i o n . o u g ht to s i o n to t leng e w a Th e y e n t h e c o m h e i r pe jo s to o g re a ye d i t t re t i t i o n t for m their endou sl d e te rmin y at i o n .

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In line with the outreach program, public tryouts were also made available throughout the first two days of the event. Interested members of the public were given free access to some climbing challenges, guided by the experienced event staff. The tryouts saw a fair mix of participants from young children to adults. It was an all-smiles event for these individuals, because they discovered much to their joy that rock-climbing was not as difficult as it seemed, and was indeed a sport for all.

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For the more serious sportspeople, the main events of Climb On! Singapore were worth the wait. Starting on the evening of 9th September was the daring Speed “Solo” segment. Got a need for speed? This competition would certainly fulfill anyone’s appetite for adrenaline – participants need to perform a speed climb up a 10 meter wall, without ropes or harnesses! At the top of their climb, the participants simply had to hop off the wall into a large foam pit.

This exhilarating event was coordinated and controlled under the watchful eye of Chief Judge – Mr. Mohammad Halil.

This exciting twist to traditional speed climbing drew both male and female competitors, including some of the nation’s best speed climbers. Competitors were rotated through a knock-out system until a champion emerged. When the finalists were announced, the event atmosphere was tense: amongst them were strong competitors from Malaysia as well as our national speed climbing star – Zaki, all clocking an average of only 7 seconds in their earlier qualifying attempts. In an adrenaline-charged finish, Zaki emerged champion with a solid performance of just over 6 seconds! For the ladies, Ms Low Shuang-E was crowned champion.

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The following day, the long-awaited rock-climbing carnival was launched.

more than 700 registered participants From as early as 8 a.m.,

gathered at the Expo hall eagerly anticipating an entire day of climbing action. The organizers certainly did not disappoint – the carnival featured

60 climbing challenges of various difficulties spread over 20 rock-climbing surfaces.

The event venue was a sight to behold, with 4 climbing structures and a huge central tower walling off the event ground like an ancient castle of sorts. There was non-stop climbing action for almost 10 straight hours. In fact, most of the participants were enjoying themselves so much they hardly took time off for a lunch or dinner break!

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They say that good things come to those who wait; on the evening of 10th September, the event was true to its reputation for challenging standards.

This year’s edition of Climb On! sought to make a World Record attempt for a dynamic jump, also known affectionately as a “dyno competition”.

A total of 18 men and 3 women took their turns at the challenge, jumping towards progressively higher targets in an attempt to establish Singapore’s highest “dyno” record. Each participant was only given a maximum of three attempts to achieve the target for the round, or face elimination. After each round, the target was raised by an additional 0.25 cm.

This segment was an explosive roundup for the carnival, because the competition attracted some of the biggest names in the local climbing scene, including “Dyno King” Muhammad Taufik and “Rocket-boy” Muhammad Hatta.

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For an hour, the knock-out qualifying rounds shaved the participant group until only two climbers remained – “Dyno King” Muhammad Taufik and Thai climber Kittipong.

By then, all eyes within the Expo hall were on the competition wall. Nobody was going to risk missing out on the historic moment, when Singapore’s official “dyno” World Record was to be made.

Again and again Taufik and Kit jumped, chasing and matching one another’s attempt, up till the height of 2.45 m. The crowd was going crazy from the fantastic display of climbing strength and tenacity by both climbers. On his third attempt, however, Taufik failed narrowly to make his third attempt at the target record. Backed by the supportive crowd, Kit narrowly sealed the deal for Event’s “dyno” record at 2.475 m.

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Climb On! Singapore 2006 drew to a deserving close on the 10th September. The organizers and participants all had something to smile about. Fun, new records and new friends; what more could anyone ask for over a weekend?

Thanks to all supporters, sponsors, participants, volunteers and everyone who turned up @ the Expo to make the event a rocking-success. See y’all next year! ~ Climb On! Singapore Committee

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Event Statistics 3%

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3 : e l o i at , Fema R r e Gendle 68.7% 27 Ma 7 : s t an p i c i t Par l a t o T

tio: a R c i n h Et se 45% Chine y 35% Mala n 15% India rs 5% Othe

nt: ) a p i c i t r a P YoungeHstAILAND (9 yrs old Ploy, T ipant: (40 yrs old) c i t r a P t s Olde am Fong, SG Liew K

Participaticing Nationalities: Singaporean, Malaysian, Thai, Filipino, Burmese, Japanese, Mongolian, Romanian, Kyrgez, French, German, American and Canadian

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