Kuala Lumpur, 5 May 2024 – The crowd was thrilled and the buzz continued after an adrenaline filled day at Camp5 Eco City in Kuala Lumpur for CRANK Boulder 2024 brought to you by Petzl. As the competition has grown, so has the pool of talent. Climbers from around the SEA region descended on Kuala Lumpur to make their mark and take home their share of 75 thousand in cash and prizes. All in all around 400 climbers took part in the 2 day event, competing in 2 Adult and 4 Youth Categories.
DJ’s played and the presence of Kraft Marketplace vendors gave the event a festival vibe but it was the climbing that took center stage. Thrilling displays of athleticism were matched by the rapturous applause of the crowd and plenty of, “Oh, my god!”s were heard throughout the competition as the athletes leaped, creeped, and edged their way up the boulders.
“It’s a great feeling to be part of a successful weekend, to host 400 participants Over the last 2 days was a pretty incredible feat, and the level of regional competition that CRANK Boulder 2024 attracted was really high. We were able to see some participation from some of the strongest climbers in the region and they put on a show! What a final! It’s really great to see the growth of sport climbing in Malaysia, and coming from Singapore, a regional powerhouse in climbing, watching the connections and friendships being made between the climbers was really heartwarming. The passion for the sport is growing here in Malaysia, and we can see there’s plenty of up and coming talent. As the title sponsor, Petzl, It’s just amazing to be a brand that can help push that growth here.”
– Sulhan Ahmad, Petzl Technical Sales representative from Allsports Equipment.
OPEN FINAL
The afternoon saw the final eight male and female competitors in the open category line up to make their mark. Saturday’s qualifying saw almost half of the participants coming from across the causeway. It was clear that the Singaporeans meant business, the field was dominated by Singaporean national climbers both past and present. Indonesian Fitria Hartani the only competitor from somewhere other than Lion City to make the final.
In the men’s category, home hopes were on Ambrosse Giak Radu. The Malaysian was the only home hope to make it through a tough qualifying round. An international line up that included IFSC World Cup Competitor’s Chan Cheung-chi Shoji from China, and Thailand’s Auswin Aueareechit would make sure the crowd was enthralled.
The Open final was held in a concurrent format, with 4 minutes given for each of the four routes the finalists needed to attempt. The last qualifiers would start first meaning the qualifiers took to the wall, to complete their boulders one at a time. The climber last to qualify, would kick things off. For the men’s category that meant the first climber to be tested was the Sarawakian Giak. The only Malaysian to make the final in either the male or female class. Giak had the full support of the crowd as they cheered on his efforts. The Malaysian enjoyed the experience of competing at home in front of an electrifying crowd.
The level of competition was cranked up when the international representatives walked out. Stand out moments were when Thailand’s Auswin “Ozzie” Aueareechit, hacked the men’s second route with his arm span and an Ape Index of +22 making the difference. Two tops would see Auswin on top of the podium. A successful return to CRANK as he already claimed the CRANK Lead Competition title last October, 2023.
He was joined on the podium by Chan Cheung Chi Shoji the World Cup climber thrilled with his strength and endurance. He also secured two thrilling tops, but missed out on gold as Ozzie made just one more zone. Rounding out the top three male spots was Singapore’s Dennis Chua.
VIDEO QUOTE – Auswin Aueareechit (THA), 1st Men’s Open.
VIDEO QUOTE – Ambrosse Giak Hilton (MAS), Finalist
All three of the female winners, managed two tops in the final. This would be separated by Zones and attempts. Vanessa Teng claiming top spot. The Singaporean national climber was last in IFSC World Cup competition in 2023, and was still fighting fit.
Fitria Hartani, claimed 2nd showcasing her prowess and balance in some testing slabs. While rising Singapore national star Trisha Tham impressed with her agility. Singapore proving again why they are the climbers to beat in South East Asia.
VIDEO QUOTE – Fitri Hartana (IND, 2nd Rookie Female)
ROOKIE FINAL
Expert route setters led by internationally renowned setter, Chief Route Setter Niklas Weichmann, ensured the boulders would challenge the athletes and excite the crowd. Agility, strength, and problem-solving abilities were all tested to the thrill of the crowd.
In the rookie category there were plenty of fun challenges to be had. Singapore’s Benedict Su with the gold after a hard fought second placing. Vietnamese climber Lee Levi Son with gold, compatriot Thai in third. They would go home thrilled with their goodie bags. Lee had signed up on the spot to join the competition after seeing a social media post from the gym and roped his friend Thai to join him for a fun trip, as it coincided with a Vietnamese national holiday. Link above to results.
VIDEO QUOTE – Lee Levi Son (VIE) (1st, Rookie)
VIDEO QUOTE – Thai (VIE) (3rd, Rookie)
VIDEO QUOTE (In Indonesian) – Adnan Buchari (IND) (5th, Rookie Male)
In the Rookie Female category again the international participants reigned. Koh Deng Hui from Singapore with the win and the only person to score two tops. One top enough for Philippines Glory Ann Carmel Dizon would take second spot. The Filipino is coming back from a recent ACL injury and competing to gain valuable competition experience as she prepares to make her move into Philippines climbing scene. While Japan’s Akane Shinohara’s incredible strength and agility claimed her third.
Among the highlights of the event was the electrifying atmosphere. DJ Johnny Viscious was pumping out beats while the crowd cheered the climbers on, fostering a sense of camaraderie and sportsmanship. Spectators were treated to an impressive display of athleticism and agility as competitors pushed their limits to conquer the challenging routes. After a day filled with intense competition, the winners were crowned amidst cheers and applause, as they claimed their share in 75 thousand in cash and prizes.
Crank Boulder Competition 2024 is proudly brought to you by Petzl, AllSports Equipment, Walltopia, Evolv, Miracle Verticale, Virgin Grip, Corezone, Crux Particle, KletterRetter, Lacuna Climbing, Method Grips, and The Vola.
The Crank is a series of competitions in the Lead and Bouldering disciplines. Next on the calendar is CRANK Lead Competition 2024, to be held at Camp5 KL East this 4 & 5 October. Do mark your calendar to join us for CRANK Bouldering Lead, and sharing this exciting experience with you. Please let me know if I can help with anything else in you coverage.
“This event is special. The youth and rookie categories allow our members and community to participate in competition in fun and friendly environment, while our Open has grown to include such strong competition regionally and really allowed us a taste of the incredible feats that are achievable by the human body.
Congratulations to all the participants for their incredible performances and thank everyone who contributed to making this event grow. It’s events like these that showcase the talent within the climbing community, but also inspires others to pursue their passion for the sport. We have so much talent in Malaysia! We hope they’ve been inspired today by what they’ve seen to push harder for their dreams. Time to start training lead!”
-Jeremy Peet, Camp5 Director
Available for download:
Please find full list of results for Open, Rookie, Youth 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Photographs and 1 minute video from the open highlights.
Photos from Open Qualifiers – Male (Sat, 4th) featuring Top Malaysian Male Athletes.
Photos from Open Qualifiers Female – Malaysian featuring Malaysian Top Women Athletes.
Photos from Open Finals are here.
Press Highlight video.
Link to livestreaming of Saturday’s Qualifying, and Sunday’s Final.
Video Prizegiving Quotes and Soundbites:
Video Qutoes include:
