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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jul 15, 2006 - 10:21pm PT
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Live and learn!
Those other stories .... never mind.
Is that a Danish site?
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ChrisW
Trad climber
boulder, co
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Jul 16, 2006 - 12:37am PT
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YABO, entered a Climbing Competition!!! That's awsome!! He seems not the type.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jul 16, 2006 - 04:02am PT
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The last time I ran into Yabo was at a Phoenix bouldering Contest.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jul 16, 2006 - 11:36am PT
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One of the last times I saw Yabo-
In '89 Peter Mayfield and I headed up to City of Rocks, ID to check out an outdoor competition there.
It was on private property; Yaniro and a couple seminal players from the area, nice fellows, had set up quite a spectacle. The wall had a bit of manufacturing applied: like a massive flake had been imported and screwed to the wall!
This was a time when the sport had a changed feel, lot's of people were climbing in those Dolomite sport climbing shoes and new language had arisen, mostly adapted from the European influence.
Yabo was there and he felt anachronistic to me. His style was as always, heavily invested with a slightly shaky power and very crimpy. He wasn't super competitive, but he put on a good show and I could feel an era slipping away, disappearing down over the horizon line with him, like an old ship going out to sea.
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Anastasia
Trad climber
Near a mountain, CA
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Jul 16, 2006 - 12:03pm PT
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No, that era rose up and became a star guiding future generations. The world my influx into something different, but it always returns... It is a cycle. I think Yabo's world is alive and well and waiting for us in the future. I only need to think of Adam (a nineteen year old Stoney climber) to know it is rising back.
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Jul 16, 2006 - 12:33pm PT
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But will they know that when soloing, fingerlocks hold better when you're shaking just hard enough?
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deuce4
Big Wall climber
the Southwest
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Jul 16, 2006 - 01:42pm PT
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Well written, Roy.
Now that I think of it, perhaps I was mistaken that it was a artificial hold contest that we sponsored Yabo for--it could have been that City of Rocks event. Rings a vague bell. I might have been getting it mixed up with the year of Edlinger's spectacular win on plastic at Snowbird--maybe the same year?
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Maysho
climber
Truckee, CA
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Jul 16, 2006 - 02:24pm PT
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Actually, Yabo got really into competition climbing for that first year that Jeff Lowe was producing them. In that year a few of us "old dads" did very well. The walls were gently overhanging, the routes were technical, and the younger, stronger sport climbers had more ego at stake and were more nervous. Then the walls got steeper the youth got their heads together and the old school was less successful.
Yabo and I were training partners in his last year or so. I appreciate Roy pointing out his consumate athleticism. He trained really hard, and took it very seriously, beyond all his well known antics, he could pull down!
He also had a very sweet side, guilless somewhat naive and childlike, I suspect that in that story above about his engaging a disfigured man, he was not mocking and probably made that mans day with his honest interest.
It was so hard at the end, he had so much going for him, was very successful as a wall sculpter, in killer shape, had a lot of community at the gym, but got so obsessed and twisted over a relationship. I and his other friends were begging him to blow her off and just go climbing. But he could'nt let go and it destroyed him.
Thanks to you all for the awesome pictures!
Peter
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Jul 16, 2006 - 02:25pm PT
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Thanks Deuce.
Same deal and time in a sense as you said, Edlinger was at Snowbird 88 and 89.
I worked the Snowbird comp with Lowe, Bridwell and others in '89. In fact Peter hooked me up with that gig and that's how I moved out to Colorado; so thanks Peter!
Yah Sewelley,
Right about that time of Yabo's relative stability Blitzo or somebody characterized Yabo as "In His Wise Old Age". There was some prescience to that statement!
I recall the year Yabo "Inherited" the Valley (not the San Fernando Valley!) as it's erstwhile king of sorts and a bit by default as we said, because the "big" names were sort of absent for a 6 week period or so. It was maybe 81-83 and he and Robby Lessure(sp) had plans to do a new route on Half Dome, sort of where Arctic Sea and all that stuff went later. Along with Bullwinkle and Mike Pope I helped them carry some big loads up the slabs. Yabo had a luxurious pin rack which he had purchased with his "Survival of the Fittest" earnings.
They didn't do much with the route, but Yabo was true to his word and bought us all a few "Separators" at the MR Bar for our troubles.
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Maysho
climber
Truckee, CA
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Jul 17, 2006 - 02:32am PT
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LEB,
Your heartfelt writing is well meant and appreciated. However back on this earthly plane Yabo was our bro and at the end he was in anguish and he blew his brains out and then we were all in anguish and it totally sucked.
He and my mom became friends his last year, and through that and my own rapport with him I learned a bit about his childhood years, which were pretty bad.
I can't just meditate and feel that "its all good" even believing that in the big picture. Near to hand there are plenty of f*cked up kids, abandoned by their moms, beaten by their dads. I got to take a few of them climbing this spring and I hope to continue such work and maybe make a little difference with a few, and my experience with Yabo provides plenty of motivation. Being philosophical about suffering is useful to a point, but sometimes we have to stand up, get our hands dirty, and try to help a little even if, in the end we are all just floating spirits.
Peter
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Wonder
climber
WA
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Jul 17, 2006 - 02:48am PT
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leb, from now on I got your back.(as if you need it)
The last three posts Peters, Roys, and yours have just blown me away. Peter and i go way back. I rented out his livable bus way back in the day in Tahoe City. Roy & i barely know each other but we have alot of old friends in common. You I only know, virtually but I feel we all must have some sort of connection. I too believe in reincarnation. Yabo and I go back to the early 70's. We had psychedelics in common. We hung around alot together along with another one name guy "Cosmos" Bruce Foster. We did talk about destiny a bit but we never really consciencely knew where we were going. I have come face to face with death more than i can count but the gods just want me to stay here. this is not my own choosing. Another decision was made for John. He's ether back with us or leading on in another dimension. I couldn't climb at the same level as him but he didnt mind hoisting me up. I was a good belayer & spotter. And like yeah we had some drugs in common. And we liked to joke around and we never needed to eat alot. I still dont eat much. Im sorry it took so long to answer but i cant write very fast. thank you leb roy & peter for your excellent posts. cheers.
I just checked and saw Peter's last post. And yeah this is what we had in common fu*k up childhoods. I too now work to help lonely and lost kids but in the world of skateboarding. Thank you Peter for your down to earth answers.
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand.... man.....
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Did the NA with Yabo and Lechlinski BITD...... It was wild.... someday I'll do a trip report.... until then, here are some pics.
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Wonder
climber
WA
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alot of talking going on!
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Nov 13, 2008 - 02:59am PT
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bump
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
climber
Last >>
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Nov 13, 2008 - 12:16pm PT
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Sometime in the mid '70s there was two very overwieght sisters (twins?) working at the Lodge . John sidled up to one of them in the lounge and told her that he wanted to f*** her . That's how I heard it .
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Nov 13, 2008 - 12:41pm PT
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Thanks Ed, for sneaking around and bumping up the sweet stuff.
Don't think I haven't noticed!
LEB seemed to actually be interested in climbers and climbing back then, not just the arguing threads.
Yabo was like us and unlike us. A true gem in the history of the valley. In a place where there is a never ending supply of interesting gems, he still stood out and shone in his own way.
He lives in our hearts. The parts that made us shake our heads in amazement as well as the parts that we knew we loved.
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
somewhere without avatars.........
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Nov 13, 2008 - 02:16pm PT
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Awesome! Thanks for bumping so much cool stuff over the last couple of days, Ed!
"LEB seemed to actually be interested in climbers and climbing back then, not just the arguing threads. "
I had a different reaction to LEB's posts. Didn't even read them. It kinda pissed me off that her drivel was taking up so much space in a thread she really had nothing to contribute to. Usually they're easy to avoid... until she starts posting in actual climbing threads. Ugh!
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Nov 13, 2008 - 02:20pm PT
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Nefarius, I admit I didn't read all of it, but it does seem that her style was different back then.
Great thread anyway.
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Bart Fay
Social climber
Redlands, CA
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Nov 13, 2008 - 02:21pm PT
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I've reached the point at which LEB posts have become a welcome break.
I scroll on past, sip some coffee, and relax a bit.
At the risk of sounding like the mighty WB, I have transcended her.
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
somewhere without avatars.........
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Nov 13, 2008 - 02:27pm PT
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Nice, Bart! Good idea!
Yes, survival - great thread anyway. No doubt.
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