Alex Fritz recaps on the 2010 IFSC Youth Pan American Championships and gives a review on the new Men's Blackwing!

Hey guys! I just got back from the 2010 IFSC Youth Pan American Continental Championships (that's a mouthful, I know) in Ibarra, Ecuador. Luckily, I was fortunate enough to pick up a pair of the brand new Men's Blackwing before heading down to the South side of the Equator. I received the shoes only two days before I left so I was scared how they would perform with very little break-in time. Nevertheless, Five Ten has done it again with another great pair of high-performance shoes. Not only comfortable and good-looking, but they preform well on every type of terrain. Steep overhang bouldering, slab, toe-hooking, heel-hooking, bouldering and lead climbing. They felt good on everything. They felt like a Velcro version of the Dragon (which I believe is what they actually are) and as the Dragons are one of my favorite Five Ten shoes, I am really psyched for these shoes. Thanks Five Ten, you guys did it again! ;)

As for the competition, this was the first inaugural Youth Pan American Continental Championships (wait, did I really just repeat that whole thing over again?). I competed in all 3 disciplines for climbing: Sport, Speed, and Bouldering in the MYA (16-17) category. I placed 1st in Bouldering, 2nd in Sport, and 9th in Speed, taking home the Gold for the Overall MYA competition. As the new Pan American Champion for Bouldering I have the ability to compete at the Teva Games and Vail and any Boulder World Cup to represent the US. (That won't happen, but it's nice to have options). Thanks again to Five Ten for all the support and their great shoes! You guys rock. :)