"It was the best of Times and it was the Worst of Times - at least that's how Dickens would sound off. I would say '09 held some of my most amazing and proud moments, like topping out Luminance, my death-fall V11 in Bishop - screaming like a hoarse little girl as well as *ehem* the not so glorious times to shine - I should say - like cleaning up a massive pile of SH** after a patient helped himself to a bathroom in bed. Five Ten® was with me along the way. My dragons propelled me through my most exhilarating first ascents to-date: Luminance V11x, Gabriel V9r/x, The Archangel V13, Direct North V14, The Resolve V14, but I later traded out for the Projects and most-incredible Five Ten® TEAM shoes to get up Mordecai V11/12(?), my most recent addition to Bishop's hallowed grounds. My first magazine cover, feature interview, feature writing were published in '09 through Urban Climber, and I await my 2010 Climbing Magazine Photo Annual Feature on Backcountry Bouldering in the High Sierra. All the climbing is set against a life in the city, the big a$$ NYC. Dancing, eating, desserting, partying, drinking, and in more general terms "Freaking out" were all put a bit on hold. Medical School grew frightfully intense. Not to plug the company too much, but seriously, Five Ten® is so versatile, I wore a pair of Daescents through my surgery rotation - operating for 18 hours on the skull base supported by Stealth®. I later took the same pair up into the hills for easy multipitch at the Gunks as their graduation. So for real, what other shoe company could I kick it with? Five Ten® is IT! Stick it in 2010 and holla back." -Shawn Diamond