http://fiveten.com/ http://fiveten.com/images/stories/NewBox_black.png http://fiveten.com/ http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/14118-2013-five-ten-cup-at-b-pump-tokyo-nina-williams http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/14118-2013-five-ten-cup-at-b-pump-tokyo-nina-williams My trip to Japan for the Five Ten Cup was so many things: a whirlwind of language, laughter, people, and very intriguing food. I boarded a plane to Tokyo and stayed just long enough to get over my jet lag, overwhelm my senses, and expand my perceptions before returning to the other side of the world. In the few days I spent in Japan I was immersed in one of the most interesting and engaging cultures I've ever experienced. I learned so much about a nation I had otherwise only equated to good sushi, and this trip left me... ]]> Thu, 30 May 2013 21:42:00 -0400 14118 2013-05-30 http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_photo-1369950141.JPG http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_photo-2-1369950142.JPG http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_last-night-1369950143.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_ear-1369950143.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_382453-574334042598401-813917015-n-1369950143.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_group-1369950143.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_asakusa-1369950143.jpg http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/13925-keeping-it-going-in-2013 http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/13925-keeping-it-going-in-2013 Well, my bouldering season has ended (sort of) but on so many high notes and with much more potential to achieve. The last day of my Hueco vacation in January produced a flash of Rubber Chicken aka Van Dame (V10), bringing the trip damage to two V11’s and six V10’s over the course of three weeks. I took a break for another couple of weeks before returning to Texas for the Hueco Rock Rodeo, and then geared myself up for ABS Nationals the weekend after! ]]> Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:45:00 -0500 13925 2013-03-01 http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_five-ten-blog-pic-1-1362167158.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_five-ten-blog-pic-4-1362167158.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_five-ten-blog-pic-2-1362167158.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_five-ten-blog-pic-5-1362167158.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_five-ten-blog-pic-3-1362167158.jpeg http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/13765-happy-days-in-hueco-nina-williams http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/13765-happy-days-in-hueco-nina-williams In the midst of moving from Fort Collins to Boulder, Beau and I decided to drop our boxes and high-tail it to the desert for some New Years festivities and sending. It turned out to be a great decision, as the trip started out strong and is finishing up even stronger, and I still have a couple more climbing days before we have to leave! ]]> Wed, 16 Jan 2013 02:52:00 -0500 13765 2013-01-16 http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_dsc-9909-1358304726.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_dsc-9930-1358304726.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_dsc-0135-1358304727.jpg http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/13617-return-to-sandstone-nina-williams http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/13617-return-to-sandstone-nina-williams Well, I can definitely say that my outside mode has been turned on and training mode has shifted a bit to the back burner. My last big competition was the Boulder Rally in Portland which did indeed turn out to be a great event! I placed 2nd in Finals, climbing through some crazy volume-studded problems and creative setting. Since then however I’ve been quenching my sandstone thirst with a trip to Joe’s Valley and my project send in Horsetooth.  ]]> Sat, 10 Nov 2012 03:32:00 -0500 13617 2012-11-10 http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_dsc-8572-1352518359.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_dsc-8935-1352518359.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_dsc-8668-1352518359.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_dsc-8906-1352518359.jpg http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/13527-portland-boulder-rally-oregons-got-the-psych-nina-williams http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/13527-portland-boulder-rally-oregons-got-the-psych-nina-williams Out of all the competitions this season, I must say that the setting for this year's PBR earned top points for creativity and interesting vagueness. I was a little nervous after our preview since it wasn't the difficulty of the problem that was intimidating; it was figuring out how to even climb it! We weren't familiar with the sweet spots on many giant volumes that dominated the walls and there were random holds we may or may not have needed; we truly forged into the unknown! Once I was on the problems however, everything more or... ]]> Thu, 11 Oct 2012 01:17:00 -0400 13527 2012-10-11 http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_pbr-nina-1349918253.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_pbr-alex-1349918253.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_pbr-fritz-1349918254.jpg http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/13500-why-6th-place-is-the-best-nina-williams http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/13500-why-6th-place-is-the-best-nina-williams The UBC competition last weekend was fun and a bit sentimental for me in a few ways. The producer of UBC, Pete Ward, has been putting on amazing events for the past 10+ years, including but not limited to the Gravity Brawls, the Nor’Easter, and the rooftop competitions during the OR Tradeshow in Utah. I’ve come to love how much of a show these events turn out to be with motivated crowds, creative setting, decent cash purses, entertaining lights, music, and an overall air of professionalism. The fields of these comps have always been stacked with a lot... ]]> Mon, 01 Oct 2012 22:07:00 -0400 13500 2012-10-01 http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_girls-preview-1349129242.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_nina-finals-4-1349129242.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_womens-top-3-1349129242.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_finals-lineup-1349129242.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_mens-top-3-1349129242.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_nina-finals-2-1349129243.jpg http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/13304-paradise-in-rocklands-nina-williams http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/13304-paradise-in-rocklands-nina-williams My time at the Rocklands is coming to an end, and I feel sadness just from typing that sentence. Its been a crazy last few weeks; aside from the endless bouldering there's been so many new experiences as well! Braai-ing up the best ostrich and lamb meat, being welcomed into a very international community, meeting new friends, trying new foods, driving on the left side of the road, and somehow living without the internet have all been incredibly eye-opening. For my first time out of the country I've been told by many that I hit the nail on the... ]]> Thu, 26 Jul 2012 13:46:00 -0400 13304 2012-07-26 http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_out-of-balance-1343310365.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_nina-cat-1343310366.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_sa-pano-1343310366.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_rhino-1343310366.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_rand-1343310366.jpg http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/13227-10000-miles-for-my-first-time-nina-williams http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/13227-10000-miles-for-my-first-time-nina-williams South Africa; a land of established beauty and miles of untapped potential. I’ve seen pictures, I’ve watched videos, and I’ve heard first-hand accounts of the bouldering that I’ll be exploring for the whole month of July. But everything I’ve heard will be nothing compared to the experience. It’s something I can’t even imagine right now! The farthest I’ve lived from my birthplace in New England is right here in Colorado; I’ve never been outside our country’s borders. I’ve spent the past few months preparing myself physically with my trainer Kris Peters and I feel stronger than I have in... ]]> Tue, 03 Jul 2012 05:15:00 -0400 13227 2012-07-03 http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_sa-five-ten-family-1341292513.JPG http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/12733-2012-hueco-rock-rodeo-a-first-nina-williams http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/12733-2012-hueco-rock-rodeo-a-first-nina-williams A couple months back I enjoyed my first-ever trip to Hueco, and now one week ago I attended my first Rock Rodeo! It was my first outdoor competition I'd participated in and was quite the experience. I'm glad I went down a week beforehand to toughen up my skin and get used to the climbing style; I had some great days with sends of Free Willy, Purple Flowers, This Is Your Brain On Drugs, Better Eat Your Wheaties, and New Religion before the weekend had even started. With these reinforcing my confidence I went into the Rodeo relaxed and... ]]> Tue, 13 Mar 2012 01:42:00 -0400 12733 2012-03-13 http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_nina-emilia-1331602922.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_free-willy-1331602922.JPG http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_glas-roof-1331602922.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_open-girls-1331602922.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_sending-gear-1331602923.JPG http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_afterparty-crowd-2-1331602923.jpg http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/12543-hueco-tanks-a-first-time-for-everything-nina-williams http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/12543-hueco-tanks-a-first-time-for-everything-nina-williams I'll be the first to admit it: I am a born-and-bred gym rat. For 5 or 6 years I climbed almost exclusively on plastic, and even afterwards only in New England. But once I moved to Colorado a whole new world opened up to me, including the opportunity for a trip to Hueco Tanks in El Paso, Texas! ]]> Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:22:00 -0500 12543 2012-01-22 http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_betweenthesheets-1-1327249354.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_nobody-gets-out-of-here-alive-1327249355.jpg http://fiveten.com/images/stories/jreviews/_nina-hueco-1327249355.JPG