Tjoms In Arms Vol. II
There is something about hosting an event for a second time. The playing field is known, and the climbing community has shown us that although we are on a path less traveled, it’s the right path. And as we walk this path in pursuit of something magical, we enable other people to do the same.
TIA is unique and pretty lekker
A climbing competition where you value and support your china to climb at their absolute best.
In a room so filled with froth, people were shouting over the vibe just to chat. Pure raw psysh like this doesn’t come around randomly, it is cultivated and built up. It needs to be directed. This raw psych started from the first ever TIA and we built on it for volume two.
It truly laid down the expectations and got people in the vibe for this year. Last year TIA had such an effect and got people to climb so freakin hard that you asked for more.
More you asked? OK we said let’s introduce the Friends and Allies Fables.
Faffing into the Comp
Although maybe not known from the start, we hosted 6 week-long boulder leagues where we started to cultivate that froth, grow it and give it direction. Setting our compass to the north, we find ourselves, and our tjom on the 3rd floor in Strydompark.
Why TIA is so special
TIA takes many months of preparation, but it is the Friday before when it all starts to go down. This day is for us.
We close the gym down for the day and have at it. The preparation for the event is on its way and the boulders start to get set. For us, this is our TIA.
Setting and forerunning 38 boulder problems with friends, working together and letting those creative juices flow is something really special.
D day at FA
We are up and here early. We are feeling tired and our bodies are tender. OK good, that’s the point right?
Good to know we are on the right track. Now it’s everyone else’s turn. It’s the homies that were here at 7:30AM that gave us the energy to kick this day off.
We had 3 qualifying sessions of 2 hours each for you and your tjommie to get 10 of the highest scoring points as possible, plug them into the app to combine them and give you your overall ranking.
How the day went down
The First session was probably the most mellow. Fair enough, it was at 8 in the morning. Naturally, the 10 am slot was a bit more chaotic. Enough time to sleep in and enough time to rest and recover should you make it into the finals at 6 pm.
The 12 o’clock slot seemed to be for the bigger picture thinkers. We are going to climb till 2 and just hang around, have a beer and a boerie till the finals. A fair choice.
Feeling the psych throughout the day
The gym was definitely close to carrying capacity, and at times maybe even exceeding it. But I’ll have you know, we know, and next year we will definitely limit numbers in the sessions and maybe even add another session… who knows?
The energy definitely chilled out once the qualies were done. People mingled and chilled, others went home and did whatever people do at home. But we were back at it, stripping those 30 tasty problems to make room for the finals.
Take a moment to think of the 30 blocs. They are gone and will never be seen again. But the finals were being thrown up and Pierre Carter was downstairs talking away about paragliding off of the 7 summits. Yeah yeah, alot was going on.
Finally, the final
Now it is that time for the finale. As a spectator and as an athlete this is probably one of the most exciting formats of competition climbing.
10 females and 12 males threw themselves simultaneously at problems for 20 min at a time. Do this for 4 boulders and it gets pretty intense. Pretty standard format with starts, bonuses, tops, and flashes.
Competitors getting closer and closer with each burn, helping each other get to the top. It changes from you and your tjom to you and your tjommies. As a spectator, you can walk around and have a display of continuous climbing for an hour and a half.
The vibe was incredible, almost like watching the Springboks score the winning try in the last seconds.
TIA and the special final it had
But that’s not all. After a 15 minute break after the finals to tally up the winners we flowed into one of the funnest prize givings we’ve had.
Maybe there was nothing special about it but I have never had so much fun in a 180sqm room filled to the brim with energy and good vibes.
Maybe it had something to do with the amazing sponsors we had, bringing in over R 25 000 worth of prizes. There were prizes for the winners and the supporters. There were prizes from the best dressed to the most frothy.
It was such a lekker time showing the world how we run a comp and everyone who came really added to the vibe, thank you.
Winners and Prizes of TIA
FAF Overall Winners
Position | Prizes | Female | Male |
1 | Chalk cartel, Shy beer, 10 punch pass | Morgan Harper | Edward Harvee |
2 | Chalk cartel, Scallywags technical session | Kat Odendaal | Michael Karner |
3 | Chalk cartel, finger ring | Abigail Strange | Allan Kilian |
The little prizes on the day
Best dressed | Photo shoot with Wes & Al | Alyssa and Kahla – The Princess and the Pea | |
Last place | Coaching session from Scallywags | Seth and Quintin – Optimal Trash | |
Most Injured | Sports massage with Karine | Noa Hall | |
Team that Slays | Knife making course from MIW | Nick Reynolds and Clayton – The Mob | |
Biggest head | Shy beer trophy | Loubser Meyer | |
This next prize is one we are honored to give out, it’s for the team that has embraced the whole journey and supported each other from the beginning. From the start of the FAF all the way until today, it’s been epic to watch you tjoms grow together, well done!
The whole journey | Headlamps from Black Diamond | Micah & Tristan |
And now the moment you’ve been waiting for, the TIA champions.
Female Female | Female Male | Male Male | |
3rd | Noa and Gen – Frisky Fairies | Jemma and Andy – Stoned Gumbies | Loubser and LeRoux – Lanky L’s |
2nd | Nicole and Michelle – Seeing Double | Beatrix and Aadil – Chicken Strips | Jason and Carlo – Ching Chong Chourizo |
1st | Alyssa and Kahla – The Two Peas | Abby and Edward – Crippled Crushers | Alistair and Fayzaan – The Real F&A |
Thank you to everyone
There isn’t much more to be said other than thank you. This has been a wild ride of a year and a half and it warms our hearts at all the love and support we have received.
FA has become a super special space and that is because of the people that occupy it.
We will be forever grateful
Much love
Wes and the FA team
