That's Not Real Climbing Jinni Xia

Chloé is a boulder and lead climber competing in the world cup circuit for the Belgian team! This is my first time talking to a Belgian climber, so in this episode we’ll learn a lot about their fairly newly established national team and how funding works, and we also talk about body image with being a more muscular climber, as well as the difficulties that come with being a female climber.

Guest links:
Instagram

Reference links:
Master of Fire Competition
Team Boulder Arena (Competition w/ Stasa)
Charlotte de Witte

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com
Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast
Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp
If you're able to help support the podcast, you can "buy me a chalk refill" :) current proceeds are going toward a webcam! www.buymeacoffee.com/compclimbing

Timestamps of discussion topics
0:00 - Introduction/China stress
3:35 - Going into simulation
6:50 - Climbing beginnings
10:39 - Transitioning from youth to senior circuit
12:31 - Favorite discipline
17:44 - Training with dad vs. with the Belgian team
23:05 - Training with male athletes
27:31 - Does the Belgian team train together?
31:36 - Belgian athlete funding
34:01 - Gaining strength too easily
40:03 - Body image
44:27 - Being the only woman on the Belgian team
49:32 - Training with Stasa
58:06 - Machismo in the climbing gym
1:03:02 - 2024 goals
1:04:32 - Discord Q: Are there any language difficulties within team Belgium?
1:06:16 - Discord Q: What do you do in isolation?
1:07:28 - Discord Q: What kind of music do you listen to?
1:09:32 - Where to find Chloé

Charlie is a broadcaster and writer who preceded Matt Groom as an IFSC commentator and EpicTV host. In this episode, we’ll learn about his rough start to IFSC commentating in 2016, ways that he thinks the IFSC could improve competitions, and get some insight into what it’s like traveling around with athletes. He also shares his unique story about traveling to North Korea!

Guest links:
Website

Reference links:

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com
Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast
Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp
If you're able to help support the podcast, you can "buy me a chalk refill" :) current proceeds are going toward a webcam! www.buymeacoffee.com/compclimbing

Timestamps of discussion topics
0:00 - Introduction/giving some love to North America
8:59 - Kicking IFSC's door in for a job
14:25 - Hardest year: 2016 commentary
18:02 - A trip to North Korea
26:21 - Improving IFSC Production
31:42 - Charlie's biggest commentary mistakes
37:51 - Repetitive Commentary
43:42 - The handoff to Matt Groom
46:23 - Why he left IFSC
51:03 - Post-IFSC work
52:50 - What it's like traveling around with climbers
56:40 - Dirtbag vs serious pro climbers
1:07:12 - Ideas to make competitions more entertaining to watch
1:13:18 - Secret beef between climbers?!
1:18:16 - Discord Q: What changes would you like to see for comps/broadcasting?
1:20:47 - Discord Q: Get Rid of ISO?
1:23:03 - Discord Q: How could IFSC grow the sport?
1:30:44 - Where to find Charlie

Cloe is a French/American boulderer who has competed for team USA in the international youth and elite circuit. In this episode, we’ll learn about how she “accidentally” ended up competing in lead world cups, the difficulties of trying to make it onto a highly competitive US national team, and we give some love to good old gym climbing and plastic pulling!

Guest links:
Cloe’s Instagram

Reference links:
La Puissance song rec

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com
Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast
Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp
If you're able to help support the podcast, you can "buy me a chalk refill" :) current proceeds are going toward a webcam! www.buymeacoffee.com/compclimbing

Timestamps of discussion topics
0:00 - Introduction/preparing for team trials
5:45 - Cloe’s relatively late climbing start
10:41 - Training in France
16:37 - Accidentally become a World Cup lead climber
24:56 - Transitioning from youth to adult circuit
31:09 - What impacts performace - MAKE SOME NOISE!!
34:21 - Feeling insecure climbing with teammates
37:44 - Disappointing 2023 season
42:53 - Concussion troubles
48:26 - My Soapbox: everyone try a head spa!
49:22 - Gym climbing is the best climbing
52:22 - Being in the IFSC commentary box
54:38 - Crushing at every local competition
57:00 - How amateurs can improve at comp climbing
1:02:40 - Coaching endeavors
1:08:07 - Cross-sport skills
1:13:48 - Discord Q: Benefits vs downsides of competing for the USA
1:17:29 - Discord Q: Unhinged stories living in the Powerhouse with Cece and Quinn?
1:19:28 - Discord Q: Why French rap?
1:21:57 - Discord Q: How does training with friends impact you?
1:24:34 - Where to find Cloe

Tyler is a fellow competition climbing nerd and podcaster, who has been involved in the space much longer than I have, and you may be familiar with his channel, Plastic Weekly! In this episode, we’ll talk about what it’s like MCing at a world cup, commiserate on the hardships that come with climbing podcasting, go over some climbing HOT TAKES, and talk about the upcoming 2024 season!

Guest links:
Tyler’s Instagram
Plastic Weekly IG
Plastic Weekly Youtube

Reference links:

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com
Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast
Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp
If you're able to help support the podcast, you can "buy me a chalk refill" :) current proceeds are going toward a webcam! www.buymeacoffee.com/compclimbing

Timestamps of discussion topics
0:00 - Introduction
1:15 - Intro + gym experience
7:16 - MCing and commentating at world cups
13:35 - Beginnings of Plastic Weekly Podcast
17:31 - Starting The Debrief series with John Burgman
20:52 - Commiserating on highlights and lowlights of podcasting
30:36 - Competition hot take: GOAT is overused
42:09 - Hot take: Get rid of isolation?
48:29 - People don't care about the overall title anymore?
55:00 - NEOM games environmental impact
1:01:35 - IFSC's new RED-S Policy
1:05:54 - 2024 season predictions
1:13:14 - Olympic favorites
1:18:54 - Discord Q: Is there an absence of climbing media?
1:24:19 - Discord Q: Are gyms are good place to start climbing careers?
1:29:04 - Where to find Tyler

Cody is the USA national chief routesetter, and in the 2023 IFSC season he had the opportunity to set boulders in Hachioji, Prague, Innsbruck, and the Bern world champs! In this episode, we’ll watch him read Youtube hate comments, and we’ll learn about the differences between IFSC vs USA vs commercial routesetting, as well as hear about a crazy cool gym that he will be opening up soon.

Guest links:
Cody’s Instagram
Syndicate Routesetting
Reference links:
Reel: Routesetting Testing vs Athletes Hachioji
Boulder Union - Climbing gym

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com
Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast
Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp
If you're able to help support the podcast, you can "buy me a chalk refill" :) current proceeds are going toward a webcam! www.buymeacoffee.com/compclimbing

Timestamps of discussion topics
0:00 - Introduction
2:06 - Starting climbing + routesetting at the same time
12:58 - Juggling firefighting and setting
19:03 - How he started setting for the world cups
28:26 - Favorite World Cup wall to set on
31:08 - Hate comment: Hachioji too hard
43:44 - Hate comment: Hachioji did the setters have too much free time?
46:21 - Hate comment: Hachioji should setters be able to top their boulders?
51:37 - Hate comment: Prague M4/V4
55:44 - Hate comment: Prague calibrating difficulty of static climbing
57:43 - Why Oriane won Prague instead of Janja
31:48 - Differences setting for mens vs women climbing
1:01:30 - Hate comment: Innsbruck height comments
1:15:00 - Bern: How would Janja fare on a men's course?
1:18:28 - Innsbruck: Resetting a whole boulder before the comp
1:26:37 - The future of IFSC setting evolution
1:32:05 - Lower body coordination moves
1:37:17 - Feeling self conscious among athletes and setters
1:47:04 - Getting tips for competing at Vail
1:52:35 - The time it takes to set for IFSC vs national vs local comps
1:56:44 - What makes a great route setter
2:06:00 - Anyone else feel like US nationals setting looks different from IFSC?
2:12:09 - Cody's crazy cool gym in an old bank
2:25:50 - Discord Q: World Cup climbs vs comp style boulders in a gym?
2:29:29 - Discord Q: Favorite round of world cups to set for?
2:31:23 - Discord Q: Mistakes in commercial setting?
2:34:21 - I'm traumatized by route setting
2:37:07 - Discord Q: Will there be facilities in your gym for paraclimbers?
2:39:41 - Discord Q: What kind of athlete is hardest to set for?
2:44:49 - Discord Q: How much are setters able to sway rounds for athletes?
2:52:08 - Where to find Cody

Carlie is the FIRST female chief setter at an IFSC world championship, where she led a team of 5 to set the world paraclimbing championships in Bern 2023! She has been climbing for over 20 years and setting for almost just as long, so she has a lot of experience. In this episode, we’ll learn about all the things you have to keep in mind when setting world championship routes for paraclimbers, what it’s like in the routesetting scene as a female setter, and what it’s like owning a climbing gym.

Guest links:
Carlie’s Instagram
Reference links:
Bern 2023 RP1 route
IFSC Para Routesetting Guidelines

Learn more about the podcast at www.thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast.com
Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thatsnotrealclimbingpodcast
Join the FREE community in Discord! https://discord.gg/QTa668g8zp
If you're able to help support the podcast, you can "buy me a chalk refill" :) current proceeds are going toward a webcam! www.buymeacoffee.com/compclimbing
Timestamps of discussion topics
0:00 - Introduction
1:18 - Tummy trubble
4:10 - Starting climbing through school
9:04 - How she became a paraclimbing setter
11:09 - IFSC rules for paraclimbing setting
14:46 - How to handle asymmetrical disabilities?
16:32 - How to merge different paraclimbing classifications onto the same route
20:26 - How para routes are forerun
22:22 - Setting a route that did not work out as expected
25:25 - How setters can get into paraclimbing setting
26:42 - Breaking into routesetting as a woman 20 years ago
31:48 - Differences setting for mens vs women climbing
36:08 - Carlie's setting style
37:37 - How motherhood impacted climbing + setting
43:23 - Being a gym owner
49:09 - My dream gym
50:34 - Discord Q: Did you feel unconscious bias against you as a female setter?
52:54 - Discord Q: Do setters get "writer's block"?
54:41 - Discord Q: How often do you think gym routes/boulders should be reset?
56:43 - Discord Q: Do you have any involvement in World Cup isolation setting?
59:00 - Discord Q: Pros and cons of setting different qualifiers and finals in 1 day
1:02:25 - Where to find Carlie