![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blocshop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/miho-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOn September 21st and 22nd, Bloc Shop Chabanel hosted the third edition of the Bloc Shop Open, a local competition that is now attracting the best international athletes. What makes this event one of the most anticipated in North America in the climbing scene?<\/p>\n
Of course, an event of this magnitude is not organized overnight. For this third edition, the entire Bloc Shop team has been mobilized for several months to ensure the event\u2019s success. From sponsorships to creating a custom beer for the event, hosting a competition like this is not an easy task.<\/p>\n
One fundamental aspect of preparation is the routesetting. Creating boulders that will challenge athletes and provide a good show for spectators is at the heart of the event\u2019s success. This year, our team was accompanied by French routesetter Romain Cabessut and Manuel Wiegel, from Germany. The team worked with new arrivals of Blue Pills holds and Dimension volumes engineered to create inventive moves that would make the BSO show. For the routesetters, setting for such a high caliber is pure pleasure: \u201cYou can create a series of movements at your limit, and it is rare for a routesetter to have this opportunity! \u201c. The difficulty is to create boulders complex enough that the competitors do not all succeed, but that the boulders represent a challenge big enough to give a good show. For Romain, the idea is to open a good variety of different styles: \u201cWe know athletes. After, it is impossible to predict everything. I would say it\u2019s a mix between a 70% that is calculated and a 30% that is left to chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Photo by Nic Charron<\/p>\n
Here we go! The event starts on Saturday morning with the qualifying round for the Pro category. Here, athletes must complete the most boulders during a \u201cscramble\u201d format to access the semifinals. These are reserved only for the top 20 qualifiers. Red Bull was on site to distribute drinks during the day and Scarpa had its display to make different models of climbing shoes avaiblable for everyone. It was also on this day that the BSO beer from Camp de Base was unveiled: a special Pale Ale made for the occasion.<\/p>\n
The semi-finals were open to the spectators and they delivered a great show as the athletes fought for one of six final places in their respective categories. On a special note, we were treated to an amazing performance by Yoshiyuki Ogata, who managed to complete the 4 boulders of the round in just 5 tries!<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blocshop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/yoshi-1024x684.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Photo by Nic Charron<\/p>\n
Saturday could not end without the the traditional Open Case, a 1 vs 1 break competition where participants compete to become \u201cKing of the Hill\u201d and win up to $800. It was finally Madtrack from Funky Steps in Sherbrooke who won the competition after several duels, all very impressive!<\/p>\n
Sunday was the highlight of the BSO, with the Citizen competition and the evening finals. Starting at 9:00 am, 200 participants assaulted the 50 new boulders that had been created specifically for the event, while another 200 were going at it in the afternoon. The goal of the round was simple: climb the most boulders, from 1 to 50, over a period of three hours. It was therefore necessary for everyone to manage their efforts to be able to complete their best score.<\/p>\n
On Site was also there with its outdoor climbing wall used during the Citizen round. The North Face was in the venue as well with its photobooth competition, offering two mythical Nuptse coats to the winners. Scarpa set Instagram on fire with its social network contest, offering a free pair of climbing shoes to the winner! Dimension Volumes entertained the crowd with its \u201cno-hand\u201d contest where participants had to complete a volume traverse only using their lower body parts. People went crazy for this one!<\/p>\n
The table was set for the finals! We expected a lot of people. And I mean, a lot\u2026<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blocshop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/foule-1024x684.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Photo by Nic Charron<\/p>\n
The tickets for the final round had actually sold out in a few minutes online. Doctor Step was back in action for a third year in a row as the MC, and Funky Falz again took the DJ spot. The energy of the crowd was already palpable even before the first athletes jumped on the mats. Here\u2019s the recap of the final round:<\/p>\n