Home > Competition

Vest and Mah Win B.C. Bouldering Provincials

Qualifiers. Photo by Milen Kootnicoff

Allison Vest won the B.C. Open Bouldering Provincials held at BoulderHouse in Victoria this weekend. Vest was the only woman to complete all four final problems.

Sophie Buitendyk took home silver with two tops and and Mika Hosoi came third with one flash. Alison Stewart-Patterson also had a flash but Hosoi secured her spot on the podium with three zones (over Stewart-Patterson’s two).

Since being crowned national bouldering champion last year, Allison Vest has not slowed down. She competed in all three disciplines in various competitions, from World Cup events in Vail and Arco, to the World Championships in Innsbruck and the Jackalope Festival in Montreal.

This fall, she competed in the Bouldering Project competition series in the U.S., taking home two silvers (in Austin and Minneapolis) and one fourth place (in Seattle). Otherwise she’s been training, effectively so it would seem. Nationals are March 2-3, 2019 at Bolder Climbing Community in Calgary and Vest proved this weekend to be in strong form to defend her title.

For the men, finals were filled with familiar faces and setters should be pleased with the even spread of sends across the final rankings. Guy McNamee and Ivan Luo ended up with second and third, respectively.

Seasoned competitor, JJ Mah took the top spot. Mah was a serious youth competitor but took a nine-year hiatus from competitions (2008-2017). Barely two years back at it and, clearly, he still has what it takes.

JJ Mah in Qualifiers. Photo by Milen Kootnicoff

Open Results Women/Men
1. Allison Vest / JJ Mah
2. Sophie Buitendyk / Guy McNamee
3. Mika Hosoi / Ivan Luo
4. Alison Stewart-Patterson / Sean Faulkner
5. Rebecca Frangos / Kindar McNamee
6. Sonya Collianader / Andrew Funk

Sean Faulkner in Qualifiers. Photo by Milen Kootnicoff

Check out the latest buyer's guide:

The Best Climbing Gear According to Our Editors – March

Every month we're bringing you our favourite gear so you can complete your climbing kit with the latest and best stuff out there