In a word, climbing wall staffer Stephanie Jensen is “stoked” about SMU’s 1st annual Pony Pulldown Climbing Competition this Saturday, hosted by Outdoor Adventures (OA).

“I hope this competition is going to wake up the climbing spirit at SMU and bring in new climbers,” Jensen said.

The competition is strictly intercollegiate, meaning regional colleges and universities are invited to participate, but advanced climbers from local rock gyms cannot dominate the competition, said David Chambers, Outdoor Adventures Coordinator.

Climbers can compete in one of these three divisions: Limestone, Sandstone and Granite. The three divisions are for beginners, intermediate and advanced, respectively.

In conjunction with the traditional climbing and bouldering competition, Speed Climbing and Dyno competitions will also be held, according to the web site. Speed Climbing is a race to see which climber can complete a specified route in the fastest time. Dyno consists of challenging climbing moves where a climber swings and uses momentum to grab a much higher climbing hold.

The competition will be the first held in the Dedman center, which opened in September 2005.

“We are excited about the competition because it gives us an opportunity to show off our wall and facility to other schools and cities,” said Tim Moore, Associate Director of Recreational Sports. “It also gives SMU climbers a chance to compete against regional competition.”

Awards will be presented to the top three men and women in each division, with the exception of Dyno, which is co-ed. Every climber will receive a Pony Pulldown T-shirt, a grab bag and the opportunity to win additional prizes.

The competition is set up where all registered climbers walk away with a prize, said Chambers. Even if a climber does not place, his or her name will be entered to receive a door prize. Sponsors such as SMU OA, The North Face, CampusTshirt, Metolius, Access Fund and Entre Prise have donated the grab bags and prizes.

Chambers said that a climbing competition has always been in the back of his mind and in late November he decided to begin planning.

“One thing we found out was that we couldn’t just throw something like this together. We will begin much earlier next year”

The competition will be held Saturday, Feb. 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the indoor climbing wall in Dedman. Registration is $20 and applications will be accepted until 9:30 a.m. Feb. 18, the day of the competition. Only the first 50 climbers will be able to participate.

Spectators are invited and encouraged to attend.

For more information or a registration form, contact David Chambers at [email protected] or visit SMU OA’s web site at wwww.smu.edu/recsports/adventure/outdoor_recreation.htm