The Panel (f.l.t.r.): Karl-Heinz Steinmann, David Firnenburg, Andreas Kuhnt, Britta Schweigel, Ingo Leven, Prof. Dr. Semmler-Ludwig, Martin Schönwandt, Prof. Dr. Derecik (c) Andre Bertram

On September 23rd, 2015 David was invited to the podium „Freeride, Parcour, Slacklining: Trend Sports with or without Expiration Date?“ by the Academy of Sports in Lower Saxony (GER). The panel dealt with trend sports and their influence on youth life styles and organized sports (General report in German). David was supported by Axel Hake (IG Klettern / DAV-Landesverband Niedersachsen). 

David explained that sport climbing has exceeded the initial stage of a fun sport towards a trend sport on the way to a well-established sport. There is already a recognized organized, competitional and economic infrastructure including gyms and distribution channels for specific sports products. But compared to established sports there are aspects missing such as an extensive support system for athletes, media presence as an advertising medium and a tourism and leisure economic marketing. While some regions, for example, in the Alps are already further developed in such aspects than they are in northern Germany, on the other hand, however, there are already some of them, such as Arco, that are overrun by climbing tourism with its downsides.

From Hake’s perspective who was invited to the auditorium it actually should be also important, in addition to the opportunities for young people arising from the booming gym situation and the increasing use of artificial climbing walls, to raise the possibilities for climbing in freely accessible natural areas, because they represent, just for the “gamer generation”, a close to daily life available space and a low-threshold access to natural movement experiences. Unfortunately, such freely available natural areas are on the wane in northern Germany. There is still much work to do for sports politics to achieve the potential of the forests fully recognized as a recreational sports resort and important source for youth health and athletic experience of self-efficacy and also personal limits without a social barrier.

Another essential point in the discussion was that the sports clubs and associations should use just the trend sports in the context of school cooperations to win children and teenagers and to bring them „into motion“.

Overall it was a successful event which has commanded a lively discussion with many impulses to continue.

The Auditorium (c) Andre Bertram

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Elected athletes (c) LSB Niedersachsen

Yesterday we attended the „winner-party“ in Hanover. All national and international sport champions in Lower Saxony were invited. David who won the European Boulder Youth Championship in Arco (Italy) was one of the three nominated athletes for the first price. At the end he was very happy of being announced 2nd, just after Jonas Bokeloh who is a Juniors´ World Champion in cycling. The 3rd place went to Johann Wahmhoff who is a Juniors´ World Champion in rowing.

The event is yearly organized by the Sports Youth Association of Lower Saxony. It´s an important event that can contribute to a rising popularity of sportclimbing in Northern Germany. It was a great experience to meet all these interesting and succesfull athletes from other sports in our region.

Here you can find the official article of the Sports Youth Association of Lower Saxony (in German).

Cheers Ruben

David in the men’s final route (c) Thomas Schermer (DAV)

David has achieved the second place in the final German Lead Cup of this season in Berlin last weekend. The overall ranking (after Darmstadt and Neu-Ulm) corresponds to the German Championships for the seniors and the juniors at the same time. David has become the winner in both categories. The comparable applies to Ruben as the winner of the German Youth Lead Cup in Berlin and the overall ranking in the Youth A category. We both are very happy about it

Together with two other candidates David is proposed for the title „Junior Athlete of the Year 2014″ in Lower Saxony. The announcement of the outcome of the election will be held at the so called “Winner Party” by the Youth Sports Association of Lower Saxony under the auspices of Sports Minister Boris Pistorius in Hanover on December, 13th.

Full competition report (DAV in German) with pictures

Cheers David & Ruben