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Chris Sharma

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Chris Sharma
Born(1981-04-23)April 23, 1981
Santa Cruz, California
NationalityU.S. Citizen
OccupationRock Climber

Chris Omprakash Sharma (born April 23, 1981 in Santa Cruz, California) is an American rock climber. In 2007, NPR wrote that Sharma had been described as the world's best rock climber.[1]

History

Chris Omprakash Sharma was raised in Santa Cruz, California, son of Gita Jahn and Bob Sharma. He started rock climbing when he was 12 at the Pacific Edge climbing gym. Sharma went to Mount Madonna school and attended Soquel High School for one year.[2]

At age 14, Sharma won the Bouldering Nationals. A year later, he completed a 5.14c climb, which was the highest-rated climb in North America at the time.[2]

Sharma then moved to Bishop, California, where he climbed The Mandala,[2] a bouldering problem graded V12.[2]

In July 2001, Sharma completed the extension of the established route Biographie in Ceüse, located in the Hautes-Alpes Department of France and renamed it Realization, ignoring the French tradition that equippers and not climbers name routes. At the time of the first ascent, Biographie was widely considered to be the first consensus 5.15a (9a+) in the world. He has since established or completed many routes at or above 5.15, including La Rambla and Es Pontas (a deep water soloing project in Mallorca). In 2008 Sharma climbed the 250-foot line (76 m), Jumbo Love, at Clark Mountain in California, claiming 5.15b for the grade.[3]

The 2008 film King Lines follows Chris through various climbs throughout the world and offers his reflections of his past, climbing and life.

In 2007 he moved to Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain,.[4]

Notable ascents

  • Necessary Evil (5.14c).[5]
  • The Mandala (V12). First Ascent, February 2000. Several holds have broken since Chris climbed the Mandala, including the crux holds. These changes have made the problem considerably easier[citation needed], and it has been widely speculated that when the problem was first climbed, the grade was closer to V14.[citation needed]
  • Realization (5.15a) / Biographie (9a+). First Ascent, July 2001. Heralded as the world's first 5.15a upon completion.[6]
  • Practice of the Wild (8C). First Ascent, August 2004. Repeated by Tyler Landman, Daniel Woods and Adam Ondra.
  • Witness the Fitness (V15). First ascent, March 2005. A 40-foot roof (12 m) problem in the Ozarks. Repeated by Fred Nicole. (Broken and maybe unclimbable.)[7]
  • Dreamcatcher (5.14d). First Ascent. A granite route on the Cacodemon boulder in Squamish, British Columbia. The route starts on a technical slab that wedges the climber against the start of the overhang. Then a dyno to a sloping rail leads to a bouldery traverse across slopers and incut crimps. The crux of the route comes at the end with a deadpoint to slopers and a jug. Repeated by Sean McColl in 2009.[8]
  • Es Pontas. First ascent, September 26, 2007. A deep water solo in Mallorca, Spain, it features a 7-foot dyno (2.1 m) that took Sharma over 50 attempts to stick. This climb, featured prominently in the movie King Lines, remains unrepeated, and is speculated at around 9a+.[9]
  • Papichulo (9a+). First ascent. 45m route starting with four-bolt 5.13d to no-hands rest followed by continuous difficult climbing on blue limestone in Oliana, Spain.[10]
  • Jumbo Love (5.15b). First Ascent, September 11, 2008. First featured in the film King Lines as an unfinished line at Clark Mountain, this route is 250 ft long (76 m), and thought to be at least 5.15b. Sharma has called it his hardest ascent to date. In climbing it, he skipped up to three clips in a row due to the difficult sequences, which resulted in falls of 70 ft (21 m) or more. Unrepeated.[3][11]
  • Golpe de Estado (9b). First Ascent, December 17, 2008. Golpe de Estado (Siurana, Spain) is a direct version of Estado Critico (5.14c/d), linking a 5.14d start into 5.14c climbing with a poor rest in between. Repeated by Adam Ondra March 2010.
  • Demencia Senil (9a+?). First Ascent, February 20, 2009. (Margalef, Spain). Repeated by Iker Pou Jan 2010, Ramon Julian Puigblanque Oct 2010.[12][13][14]
  • French Gangster (8c/5.14b). Onsight without chipped hold, possibly harder? Originally named American Gangster but renamed as a reference to Michael Fuselier, the French climber who allegedly chipped the hold. Hardest Route in China at the time.
  • Pachamama (9a+/5.15a). First Ascent.
  • Neanderthal (9b/5.15b). First Ascent, December 18, 2009.
  • First Ley (9a+) in Margalef. First Ascent.[15]
  • Era Vella (9a/5.14d) in Margalef. First Ascent.[16]
  • Power Inverter (9a+/5.15a). First Ascent, December 2010 (Oliana, Spain).
  • Catxasa (9a+/5.15a). First Ascent, January 2011 (Santa Linya, Spain).
  • First Round First Minute (at least 9b, grade still to be confirmed). First Ascent, April 2011 (Margalef, Spain).[17]
  • Fight or Flight (9b). First Ascent, May 2011 (Oliana, Spain).

Awards

  • U.S. Bouldering Nationals[2]
  • 1997 UIAA World Cup - Kranj[18]
  • 1999 X Games - Bouldering - Gold Medal[2]
  • 2000 Wasatch Open Bouldering Competition[19]
  • 2001 18th Annual Phoenix Bouldering Contest[20]
  • 2001 Munich Bouldering World Cup[20]
  • 2002 Ford Gorge Games[21]
  • 2003 Earth Treks Roc Comp[22]
  • 2004 Earth Treks Roc Comp[22]
  • 2004 ABS Nationals[23]
  • 2007 Mammut Bouldering Championships[24]
  • 2008 Mammut Bouldering Championships[24]
  • 2009 Ilerbloc Open Internacional[25]
  • 2010 Earth Treks Roc Comp[26]
  • 2010 Psicobloc, Bilbao, Spain [27]

References

  1. ^ Melissa Block (1 November 2007). "Rock Climber Chris Sharma Chases Next 'King Line'". All Things Considered. National Public Radio. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Metroactive - Rock Star
  3. ^ a b Climbing - Sharma Redpoints Clark Mountain Project
  4. ^ BigUP Production - Progression
  5. ^ Mountain Zone - Necessary Evil
  6. ^ "Chris Sharma climbs Realization (Biographie extension)!". Camp4. 2006-10-05. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  7. ^ "Witness the Fitness: Chris Sharma's craziest and hardest line". Retrieved April 13, 2010.
  8. ^ "McColl Bags 2nd Ascent of Dreamcatcher (5.14d)". Retrieved April 13, 2010.
  9. ^ "Chris Sharma sends his mega Arch Project in Mallorca - News". FreakClimbing.com. 2006-09-28. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  10. ^ "Sharma Climbs 5.15, Heads to Vail World Cup". Climbing.com. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  11. ^ Jumbo Love - Big Up Productions
  12. ^ "daila ojeda: 9a+ FA for Chris Sharma". Englishdailaojeda.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  13. ^ [1][dead link]
  14. ^ "UKC News - Demencia senil, 9a+, by Ramonet". Ukclimbing.com. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  15. ^ "Nuevo 9a+ de Chris Sharma y segundo 9a para Tom Bolger. Desnivel". Desnivel.com. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  16. ^ "daila ojeda". Englishdailaojeda.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  17. ^ http://www.rockandice.com/news/1421-a-title-fight-first-round-first-minute-finally-sent
  18. ^ Ralf Becker [2] (2009-06-05). "digital ROCK: UIAA Worldcup - Kranj 1997". Digitalrock.de. Retrieved 2012-01-30. {{cite web}}: External link in |author= (help)
  19. ^ "climb.mountainzone.com". climb.mountainzone.com. 2000-02-07. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  20. ^ a b Sacin - Competition News
  21. ^ [3][dead link]
  22. ^ a b Earth Trek Comp Presented by Mountain Hardware
  23. ^ "Climbing Sharma, Payne Win ABS National". Climbing.com. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  24. ^ a b Climbing - Sharma, Puccio Win SLC Comp
  25. ^ Victor Fernandez (2004-02-26). "Iler Bloc: Clasificacion Final Open Internacional". Ilerbloc.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  26. ^ "2010 UBC Pro Tour Earth Treks Roc Comp Results | Climbing Narcissist". Climbingnarc.com. 2010-04-26. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  27. ^ "prAna blog » Chris Sharma Wins The Masters Series I Psicobloc! (video)". Prana.com. 2010-10-25. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
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