Facility: The Wall, Vista, CA
Futurist Services: Wall & Facility Design, Custom Flooring System
Open Since: June 2014
Website: www.thewallclimbinggym.com
Q: Why did you choose to engage Futurist Climbing Consultants as independent designers for your climbing gym?
A: The first time that we spoke with Timy was a three or four hour phone call. We contacted him out of the blue and he took the time to answer all of our questions without thinking twice. He understood exactly what we wanted to do and was incredibly passionate about our project. After that phone call we knew that we wanted to work with him.
Q: What inspired your climbing gym design (other gyms, art, architecture, rock, etc.)?
A: Our inspiration for the gym came from our experience bouldering outdoors in Bishop, J Tree, and elsewhere in Southern California. We really wanted to create a facility where you could train for bouldering outdoors, with 16’-18’ top outs and some seriously overhung terrain; we feel that we really accomplished that. Also Randy and I love being in the ocean and when we are not climbing we are surfing. The cave wave was inspired by one of the heaviest waves in the world down in Tahiti, called Teahupo’o.
Q: Which of your own gym’s design attributes are your favorite and why?
A: I really like the roof and the overhung prow. I love steep powerful climbing and am so stoked to climb and train in our facility!
Q: How would you seek to improve your climbing gym design?
A: Now that our walls are almost finished, standing underneath them and looking up, we realize that we may have a little bit too much steep and overhung climbing that may deter some potential clients. Good thing that we added the vert/slab wall!
Q: Why didn’t you include a freestanding boulder in your gym design like many gyms?
A: We didn’t throw a freestanding boulder in the middle of our facility for a handful of reasons. First for safety, having one creates blind spots in your facility. Second, it dramatically increases the amount of flooring required for the facility thus unnecessarily increasing the cost. I still think that freestanding boulders are super cool though.
Q: What is it about your climbing wall design that expresses your own personal passion for climbing?
A: Randy and I love big powerful overhung boulder problems and Timy really captured that in our design. I love fighting up a problem and getting to the sketchy top out with your heart pounding, sending it and feeling that immense sense of satisfaction at the top. I am so excited that you can top out throughout most of our facility!!
Q: How do you feel that your climbing gym reflects service-based design thinking philosophy?
A: We wanted to create a facility that offers everything to become a strong and confident climber. We made sure not to overfill the facility with wall and to create an open feel and atmosphere. We are incredibly excited about offering a climbing specific training area and a yoga studio. We want to foster strong and well balanced climbers.
Q: How do you view your climbing wall design as an attribute to your brand?
A: Our climbing wall design perfectly represents Randy and I. We are young and love pushing our limits and boundaries in climbing and surfing. Our facility is unique, pushing the limits of design and engineering, people are going to take notice and be stoked!
Q: Which climbing wall supplier built your walls?
A: Randy and I both have degrees in Construction Management from Cal Poly SLO and have been very involved throughout the whole construction process (Randy way more than me because I badly broke my tibia and had to get surgery right when we started construction). Randy’s Uncle Doug and his business partner Dale have been in charge of construction and are doing a great job building our facility!
Q: What were the selection criteria for the climbing wall company that you ultimately contracted?
A: We wanted to work with somebody that we trusted and was going to come in on time and on budget.
Q: What were the most significance things that you learned during the process of designing your climbing gym?
A: To not get too set on one idea and let the gym grow and change organically.
Q: Please share any notable customer feedback that you have received regarding your climbing gym design.
A: Well we aren’t open yet, but most people who have gotten a sneak peak of it are really excited. We keep hearing “Wow those walls are so tall and overhung”. People are freaking out on how big the roof is too.
Q: From a design perspective, which other commercial climbing gyms are your favorites and why?
A: Well my favorite climbing gym and our inspiration is SLO-Op. But purely from a design perspective the recent bouldering gyms by Touchstone, both Dogpatch and LA. B, are great facilities. I also really like Crimpers Climbing gym, that prow just screams at me to be climbed. Seattle Bouldering Project is really sick too.
Q: In your opinion, what are the most common design-related mistakes historically made by commercial climbing facilities?
A: I feel that a lot of facilities try and stuff too much wall into too small of a space. A climbing gym shouldn’t feel claustrophobic.
Q: Any advice regarding the design process that you can offer aspiring climbing gym owners?
A: I would highly recommend talking to an independent designer. Your walls/facility shouldn’t be designed by a wall building company. Think about it, they make more money by building more walls. I feel that they don’t want to push design and engineering boundaries because it makes a more difficult project for them also.
Q: How important do you think it is for a modern era climbing gym owner-operator to be actively practicing the sport of climbing?
A: I feel that you shouldn’t own a climbing gym and not climb, that is just a crime. If climbing isn’t a huge passion of yours it will show in your facility.
Q: From an idealistic standpoint, what would be the ultimate super charged dream climbing gym design concept of the future?
A: I would love to have some deep water soloing in a gym. I know that the logistics behind that would be a nightmare but it would be so sick.
