Sean McColl on Comp Rituals, Cycling, Piano and 2015

Sean McColl has taken off 2015 on a great foot as he recently won the Canadian National Open Bouldering Championships, defending his title as one of Canada’s top rock climbers.

McColl is an extremely well-rounded climber, having climbed hard routes like redpointing Dreamcatcher 5.14d, flashing Nagual V13 and sending Big Paw V15. This spring, McColl had a successful trip to the bouldering hot-spot of Fontainebleau where he sent two V14s in a day.

Follow Sean McColl on Instagram

He is especially skilled in competition climbing with repeated podium finishes at World Cups. Gripped had a chance to catch up with McColl and discuss his recent victory and insights on competition climbing. With many competitions ahead of him, he has a busy climbing season to look forward to and we wish him the best of luck.

Congratulations on winning the Canadian National Open Bouldering Championships. How does it feel to place first? Is there anything you changed in your training schedule to help improve your performance this time? 

Thank you! It always feels great to win a competition no matter how small it is. The Canadian Nationals is great because it’s the biggest competition in Canada of the year (barring World Cups). I use the Nationals as a “test” competition.

If I feel good at the comp (route reading, strengths, weaknesses, and overall ability) then I will continue the same training until the World Cup season starts.

It is also early enough in the season that if I feel weak, or something needs work I still have time before the World Cups start that I can work on those weaknesses. I have everything to lose at Canadian Nationals because everyone expects me to win. I still love the pressure and I put most of it on myself. I love the feeling of being in a competition and I love inspiring the younger generation of climbers.

What does your training schedule look like close to comp time?

I alter my training schedule alot before the World Cup season starts. Before Nationals, I did not alter anything because I was still in “hard” training mode. I also need to see how I compete when I take no taper time before a competition. Before the World Cup season starts, I taper for two to three weeks.

I usually stop doing campus board two months before the first world cup and I stop dead hanging about four to five weeks before. As best I can, I stick to a well balanced diet and try to stay away from pop, candy and too many fatty foods.

Watch McColl’s campus board training video from 2013:

Are there any special things/rituals you do before a competition?

So many rituals. More like force of habit, sometimes borders on superstition but I just like doing things the same way I did before because I’m comfortable doing it. If I can’t absolutely have something the way I want, so be it, and I move on.

Take my biggest ritual, I always put my left climbing shoe on before my right, period. I love coffee before a competition or training and I always have a shower the morning of a competition.

How did you find moving from Vancouver to France?

I didn’t just pick up and move to France. I started by spending a few months at a time in Europe. I did one trip of six months with a couple of my Canadian friends and loved it. When I finally got an apartment over here, that was a big change.

Of course I found it hard to adjust but I was still doing what I loved doing, which was climbing, and I knew my real friends would always be there for me. Now that I have the luxury of traveling back to Vancouver more often, I get to see my friends a bit more.

What is the biggest struggle you encounter competition climbing?

Unfortunately, one of the biggest struggles is funding my trips for an entire year. The Canadian federation doesn’t support its athletes like the European ones do. I don’t get any money from them. I have to pay for my flights, hotels, food and everything in between.

I work closely with my sponsors to budget for the year, but I know how hard it was before I had the sponsors I do today. One way to quickly change that would be Sport Canada to recognize Sport Climbing as an official Canadian Sport. We have the structure being put in place in Canada and I hope it comes soon.

You have excelled in all areas of climbing, do you have a favourite?

I get this question all the time and I prefer to be good at everything. It’s a strange answer, but I don’t want to be “labeled” as a lead climber, or boulderer or competitor. I currently do mostly competitions, but I love climbing outside, working a hard boulder or route and being out in nature.

I like the challenge that all the different aspects of climbing bring and I love the adventure that comes with it.

You had an amazing performance and placed first in the American Ninja Warrior competition. Do you have any plans to compete again?

If NBC and American Ninja Warrior invite me back this year, I’d love to compete again. It was such a fantastic experience, I met some great people and fell in love with the Ninja culture.

So far in life, what has been your greatest achievement?

I try to think that it is not one achievement that has outweighed the rest, but a combination of achievements that have made me into the person I am today. I also hope to continue achieving for the rest of my life.

What type of climbing areas do you love visiting?

I love climbing on good rock, cool moves and challenging style of climbing. Along with the place to climb I also like it if the accommodation is comfortable with good Internet. When on a climbing trip, your climbing days won’t be as effective if you aren’t well rested.

The Internet part, I’m one of those people that shutters at slow Internet speeds.

We heard that you recently purchased a bicycle. Do you have any future plans to becoming a cyclist? Are there any other activities you enjoy aside from climbing?

I don’t have any plans to become cyclist, I use it purely for cardio and I love the feeling of being on a bike, I always have. In the future, I might dabble at the idea of doing a triathlon, but it would purely to prove to myself that I could do one.

I love all types of sports. My good friends from high school played basketball throughout University and I liked playing ball with them. Being at such a high level in climbing, I look at other sports and can see the precision in which they execute. I love watching hockey players because they have so much happening at once.

They have to have decent cardio, be strong, have stick skills, hand eye coordination, all the different skating techniques and at the same time track nine other players on the ice. My dream would be to shadow the Vancouver Canucks for a day, watch them practice and see just how in depth their training is.

Do you still play the piano? 

I don’t play piano anymore because I don’t have access to one. If I sit down at a piano, I can remember a lot of my songs but it takes a few tries to get it sounding OK. Growing up and playing the piano gave me good hand eye coordination and finger strength.

I learned to be able to feel with my fingers on the keys, which I think helped me with climbing.

Do you have any projects you are currently working on?

No projects currently, a couple outdoors trips in the works, but people will figure those out pretty quick.

McColl will be at the 2015 World Cup in Toronto this spring. Win a chance to win some great prizes including a chance to climb with McColl. 

– Written by Gripped’s intern Sophia Vlahos who touched base with McColl via email earlier this week.