Rock Master 2006

Photo Giulio Malfer®

The twentieth edition of Arco’s Rock Master was won by the Spaniard Ramon Julian Puigblanque and by the French climber Sandrine Levet. During the climbing event the first edition of the Arco Rock Legends was held, a prize which is given to the best rock climber and to the best competition athlete chosen by an international jury. Our friend Vinicio Stefanello from Planetmountain tells us how things went.
Oscar Durbiano

Arco 3 September 2006
Why is Arco's Rock Master such a legendary competition? The answer can be seen clearly in the twentieth edition of the world's oldest and most noble climbing competition: Rock Master is in the DNA of this vertical sport, it pulses through its veins. What was on display here in the packed out Climbing Stadium was truly an extraordinary spectacle, a beautiful offering of extremely technical climbing and a rollercoaster ride of emotions! Victory came to Sandrine Levet from France and the incredible Ramon Julien Puigblanque from Spain after an exceptional competition in which, in the best of sporting traditions, surprises were the order of the day. Both Levet and Puigblanque hereby double their Rock Master takings: Levet's other victory dates back to 2002 while Puigblanque has now dominated for two years running.
But the hero of the "afterwork" day was without a doubt Luca “Canon” Zardini from Cortina, N. Italy, who set the crowd on fire with a performance which relived the entire Rock Master legend. On the final day "Canon" entered the Stadium on form like never before in his previous 13 Masters for the Champions. He eased sweetly through the first complicated half of the route, after which the great Climbing Stadium crowd entered into top gear: Zardini asked the spectators for support and they responded, chanting the 2006 football world cup “Po po po”. Zardini continued his epic fight upwards until falling into the welcoming embrace of an immense ovation. "This was my last Rock Master" he immediately told the crowd, "thanks for having lifted me up so high!" Emotions ran wild, there was something special in the air, just like in all great sporting moments.
Yes, it was a Rock Master of intense emotions, but also of ceaseless surprises. The female event kicked off with an immense display by Austrian Angela Eiter, possibly a sort of setting the record straight after Saturday's on-sight. The World Champion and three times winner in Arco wanted to prove her worth, although making a comeback from provisional 6th place seemed nigh on impossible. Eiter's task was a simple one: do nothing other than climb to the top. And she did just that, reaching the chain in superb style. Like she always does, a feat worthy of the “La Sportiva Competition Award” she received here during the first edition of the Arco Rock Legends.
The great French champion Sandrine Levet responded immediately: starting from provisional second she produced all the class which only she manages to push to the limit, reaching the top to the crowd's delight. And, just like in all great competitions, where there is joy there is also pain and delusion. This time it was Slovenian Maja Vidmar who, unfortunately for her, was the protagonist of the greatest competition surprise of all. After Saturday's perfect climb Vidmar held a comfortable lead of the provisional ranking. It was an unmissable occasion to go down in history and enter the Rock Master Hall of Fame. But things turned out differently as Maja, one of the strongest athletes in the competition circuit, fell almost immediately, much to the crowd's amazement and despair. It's logical that slipping from provisional 1st to 7th in the final ranking must have been a delusion, but one thing is certain: with her strength and her mere 20 years of age the Slovenian will certainly create other occasions to really prove her worth.
Rock Master 2006 victory went to Sandrine Levet therefore, the athlete who more than any others has excelled in all forms of climbing, winning in both Bouldering competitions and Lead, just like here at the Rock Master. Angela Eiter placed second, while 16 (!) year old Charlotte Durif from France placed third - what a great debut for her! She was followed by Katharina Saurwein (AUT), Emily Harrington (USA), Barbara Bacher (AUT), Maja Vidmar (SLO), Chloé Graftiaux (BEL), Martina Cufar (SLO) and Jenny Lavarda (ITA).
Strong emotions and fantastic technical difficulties were the order of the day in the men's event, too, as the strongest climbers in the world entered the arena one after the other. After Luca Zardini's beautiful performance the competition really took flight with 16 year old Austro-Nepalese climbing prodigy David Lama, the first athlete to get to within the top zone, followed by the impressive performance of 21 year old Spaniard Eduard Marin Garcia. But the best was still to come, with the leading three itching to get their hands on the route. First out was the Italian Flavio Crespi, current leader of the world ranking, winner of the World Cup 2005 and provisional leader of the World Cup 2006. Crespi climbed decisively and quickly entered the top zone, the one that leads to the finishing holds. Suspense was high: perhaps he was going to be the first Italian ever to win the title. No, he fell just as everyone's hopes were beginning to change into certainties.
Crespi's performance was great, just like that of reigning World Champion Tomasz Mrazek. The athlete from the Czech Republic shot to the top like a missile but then fell a few moves higher than Crespi. 21 year old Jorg Verhoeven from Holland climbed higher than all and he was the first to get to within grasping distance of the top. His ascent was impeccable, pure class. But not quite good enough, because Ramón Julián Puigblanque, with incredible mettle, regained Saturday's leadership with a series of unbelievable moves and dynos to practically touch the top. The crowd went wild. And Rock Master 2006 was his.
The day came to an end with the best four male and female athletes competing in the classic Ennio Lattisi Trophy. This classic head-to-head, a mix of Difficulty and Speed, was won once again by Sandrine Levet, the true dominator of the women's competition, who beat teammate Charlotte Durif, while Katharina Saurwein from Austria beat her teammate Angela Eiter. The men's Duel was won by Tomasz Mrazek ahead of Ramón Julián Puigblanque, while third place went to Jorg Verhoeven ahead of Flavio Crespi.
The twentieth anniversary of the Rock Master was truly great, spectacular, a success that will be remembered for a long time to come. It will be remembered for all of the above, for the extraordinary spectators (more than 6000) who populated the Climbing Stadium, and for the beautiful routes set by Leonardo Di Marino and Donato Lella. Their extraordinary work enabled the athletes to express themselves to the max and demonstrate how spectacular climbing competitions can be. And naturally 2006 will be remembered for the immense work and passion of the entire Rock Master Association. And add to this Friday evening's successful first Arco Rock Legends, the Salewa Rock Award and La Sportiva Competition Award. All that's left to say is see you here in 2007!

Arco Rock Legends
On the 2nd of September 2006 the first edition of the Arco Rock Legends was held, a prize for the best climber on rock (Salewa Rock Award) and for the best athlete (La Sportiva Competition Award) chosen by an International Jury, made up of the editorial staff of the best specialised climbing magazines. Two women, two great climbers illuminate the skies of world sports climbing. With Josune Bereziartu, representing the "rocks" and Angela Eiter representing "competitions" it's the other half of the sky which reaches the apex of world climbing. This was decreed by an international jury comprised of the most important climbing magazines worldwide. And the incredible spectators who had come to watch the show, the first oscars of sports climbing, enthusiastically gave their seal of approval. It all happened on Friday night in Arco (Trentino, Lake Garda, Italy) during the first edition of Arco Rock Legends, the event organised by the Arco Rock Legends Association in collaboration with the Autonomous Province of Trento, Arco Town Council, InGarda, AMSA Spa, Salewa and La Sportiva.
34 year old Josune Bereziartu from the Basque country, Spain, received the first ever Salewa Rock Award - which goes to the climber who distinguished him/herself most on bolted sports routes, taking into consideration both the performance and how he/she managed to influence the style and ethics of sports climbing - for her ability in raising the grade of female climbing, taking it to the maximum levels of sports climbing, from 8c to 9a/a+. Noteworthy ascents include, amongst others, Bimbaluna, Saint Loup (CH) in 05/2005 and her 8b+ on-sight of Hidrofobia a Montsant, Spain.
For her part, 20 year old Angela Eiter from Austria received the first La Sportiva Competition Award - which goes to the athlete who distinguished him/herself in competition climbing (Lead, Boulder or Speed) throughout 2004/2005 - for her near complete domination of the World Cup Lead 2005 and 2004, her victories in the World Championship 2005, the World Games 2005 and Rock Master 2005 and 2004.
“It wasn't easy choose on the winners” stated Jury President Fabrizio Miori (Academic of the Italian CAI Mountaineering Club and Arco Town councellor for Sport Tourism). “All 5 nominees for the Award are truly exceptional climbers, the best in the world. It was an impossible task to choose just one, they were all worthy of first place”.
In effect the list of nominees selected by some of the most important international climbing magazines was an impressive one. Bereziartu was in the running for the Salewa Rock Award together with Daniel Andrada from Madrid (the true strong man of the Spanish crags) Yuji Hirayama from Japan (the legendary climber who produced unbeatable results both in competitions and on rock), and the American Chris Sharma, a mythical figure representing the new vogue of climbers. Last but by no means least, the true sports climbing legend Maurizio “Manolo” Zanolla. Incredibly the 48 year old is still at the cutting edge of sports climbing after having been one of its prime movers at the start of the '80's. In the end though it was the radiant, involving and strong-willed Josune Bereziartu who "won" the award, after having taken women's climbing to the maximum level of all times... an extraordinary, if not unique, feat.
The La Sportiva Competition Award was contended by Angela Eiter, Flavio Crespi (the first Italian to win the World Cup Lead in 2005, provisional 1st in the world ranking and current leader of the World Cup 2006), and Tomasz Mrazek from the Czech Republic, the reigning World Champion. This formidable list of three nominees has without a doubt left its mark of sports climbing competitions during the last few seasons. In the end it was Angela Eiter's undisputed dominion which was rewarded: with impressive regularity the 20 year old queen of competitions has won everything, or almost everything, there is to win.
So it is two women who take first place in the Arco Rock Legends Hall of Fame. Perhaps it didn't come about by chance therefore that this first evening was presented by Kay Rush, the famous journalist, radio and tv presenter and, above all, keen and active sports climber. Yes because, if the enthusiasm and applause for the winners and all other nominees of the Salewa Rock Award” and the “La Sportiva Competition Award” is anything to go by, then it is the passion for climbing which unites all, without distinction, in this great vertical game.
While the curtains fall on Arco Rock Legends 2006 the stage will already be set for the next climbing oscars in 2007. In the meantime though the Rock Master begins here in Arco today, Saturday 2 September. This is the competition reserved for the best of the best only: the legend continues...

MEN’S results Rockmaster
1.PUIGBLANQUE Ramón Julián (ESP)
2. VERHOEVEN Jorg (NED)
3. MRAZEK Tomás (CZE)
4. CRESPI Flavio (ITA)
5. LAMA David (AUT)
6. MARIN GARCIA Eduard (ESP)
7. BINDHAMMER Christian (GER)
8. ZARDINI Luca (ITA)
9. MILLET Sylvain (FRA)
10. WINKLER Daniel (SUI)
11. USOBIAGA Patxi (ESP)
12. PREUßLER Timo (GER)
13. MIDTBOE Magnus (NOR)
14. MCCOLL Sean (CAN)

WOMEN’S results Rockmaster
1. LEVET Sandrine (FRA)
2. EITER Angela (AUT)
3. DURIF Charlotte (FRA)
4. SAURWEIN Katharina (AUT)
5. HARRINGTON Emily (USA)
6. BACHER Barbara (AUT)
7. VIDMAR Maja (SLO)
8. GRAFTIAUX Chloé (BEL)
9. CUFAR Martina (SLO)
10. LAVARDA Jenny (ITA)