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cupton
climber
Where the past and future meet
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Props to Andy for sending big! How anyone (esp in the climbing community) could find fault in a guy who worked damn hard and had success is beyond me. Jealous a little??
I grew up with Andy and am at least partially responsible for getting him into climbing and slacking. The thing that blows me away about all this is that from the start Andy has had amazing vision. I remember sitting around having dinner with him some years ago and he announced he wanted to take slacklining to the Olympics. We all called BS but he stuck to his guns and said he wanted to take the sport and make a living from it. He worked damn hard for this. Its not so much some fluke that he was up there but the result of natural ability, hard work and confidence in himself to keep pushing to do things that he was repeatedly told were impossible. Andy is a natural athlete and knew early on he could do most any sport he wanted at a very high level but choose slacklining because he saw there was nobody really pushing it. I think that is extraordinary.
Other than being sick on a slackline, Andy is a super nice genuine dude I count very lucky to call my friend. Sure he is a showman but he also has charisma and is a great ambassador for our community and way of life.
Way to get it done Andy!!
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TwistedCrank
climber
Ideeho-dee-do-dah-day boom-chicka-boom-chicka-boom
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The local youth show up at the park and get all bohemian with their slacklines, their juggling, the tattoos, and the patchouli. Some show up riding fixed gear bikes and sporting guaged ears and nipple rings. At least they don't do drugs or have unprotected sex. Or hike more that 1/2 mile to a crag.
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Slacklining is done on climbing webbing, yet it has "nothing" to do with climbing? LOL. Ludicrous. Of course slacklining is not climbing in any stretch of the imagination, but it's ridiculous to say it has nothing to do with climbing.
Back in the 80s I probably would have said Madonna sucked. She's not a great singer. Not my style. But as I've matured I've learned to appreciate people for who they are and their unique contributions. As soon as I heard she was doing the superbowl I knew the haters were gonna hate. Like it or not she's very popular and an icon. I thought she sounded great (when she wasn't lip synching), was in fantastic shape, and put on a great show. The only thing I thought wasn't good was her new song, wrong style for her and if you're going to mention yourself in your own song it's gotta be a lot funnier than that. But I understand why she chose a new song, it would be depressing to think your best stuff is all behind you.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Hats off to Andy. Great athlete, great show.
I was thinking how hard it must be to do that back flip dismount with the pressure of 100 million people watching. Then I saw his videos of free solo slack lining over big drops and realized that he was used to much greater pressure. Then I saw the video of his amazing back flip to landing on the slackline and realized that what he did at the Super Bowl must have been quite routine for him: no risk of dying and pretty easy.
Thanks Werner for reminding everyone of Pat Ament's role in introducing slack lining to climbers back in Camp 4 in the 70's. For killing time, it ranked right up there with hacky sack and juggling.
Maybe Pat can chime in about how he learned it in Colorado.
Ho man, we were into slack lining before it was cool :)
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Well, as it was on prime time television, all the emergency rooms around the country have had fair warning of the coming onslaught of injured wannabe adolescent slackliners.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Perhaps Madonna could take a lesson in decorum from the Lingerie Football League.
Where's one of those PWNED internet images they used to post up BITD when ya need one!?
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
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Where's one of those PWNED internet images they used to post up BITD when ya need one!?
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cupton
climber
Where the past and future meet
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Classic Andy from BITD. Cops showed up and we were almost all arrested for this line... as it was right next to the freeway!
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Karen
Trad climber
So Cal urban sprawl Hell
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Yay for Andy, today at the gym I watched CNN doing a segment on him, showed him out doing his thing. Anyway, it was stated he and Madonna may go on tour and he would be part of her show! How cool is that.
Btw, Madonna looks awesome and she's in great shape! Quit knocking the woman she rocks/dances with the best of them.
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splitter
Trad climber
Hodad surfing the galactic plane
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Feb 10, 2012 - 03:02pm PT
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Hey, alright!
Young Alex(14)in the background is lookin' like a champ, already.
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kc
Trad climber
the cats
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Feb 12, 2012 - 08:16pm PT
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Huge photo in People magazine this week too!
Not that I read that or anything.......
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Feb 12, 2012 - 09:54pm PT
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I think that is the first time SNL has spoofed a real climber. Good one! Andy is on top of the world.
If only I liked his t-shirts.
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Roger Breedlove
climber
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
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Feb 15, 2012 - 02:29pm PT
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Speaking of Pat and slacklining in the Valley, Pat put on a display of his skill, history and humor at the Sacherer Remembrance in May 2010.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
www.climbaddictdesigns.com
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Feb 15, 2012 - 03:39pm PT
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Ohhhh - THAT'S got "Pleeeze photoshop the heck out of this image" written ALL over it!
hahah - great pic!
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Feb 15, 2012 - 05:03pm PT
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Publicity around climbing and similar achievements have always been controversial. But really it's mostly personal preference around what is desirable or acceptable as long as you are honest about what you do.
I think it was at the Half Dome FA 50th anniversary where they were discussing the above photo. Royal, Don, and Jerry didn't want a lot of mainstream publicity, but Warren did. You can see the literal and figurative distance between them. Even their look invited different reactions.
Was Warren wrong to want to be somewhat 'famous' and get some money to supplement his career income to help him have time to climb? Or to get the attention of females?
Some people want to be 'core', and do their deeds in private. That's an admirable personal stance, but don't expect everyone to feel that way. Some people like to share their accomplishments and lots of people (like me) appreciate seeing/reading/hearing about cool things people have been able to accomplish. Often the 'core' folks have a sliding scale about what they think is acceptable, e.g. an Alpinist write up is cool, but something in Newsweek is a total sell out. But again that's personal preference and often somewhat hypocritical.
Andy is doing HIS thing and having great success at it. The world would be pretty boring if we all thought and acted the same way.
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Mtnmun
Trad climber
Top of the Mountain Mun
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Feb 21, 2012 - 09:50pm PT
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R.A.:Not opposed at all to my daughters seeing some naked guy slacklining. They grew up around naked poeople and have a healthy attitude towards the human body. It is what it is.
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