the Kenny Frazz interview

by ardarvin

OK, you used to live in Squamish, tell me what happened when you first moved in.

Well, when we first moved in we had a bunch of people staying over, because Squamish was the place to be. The weather was good and the climbing was good. So we had a bunch of people sleeping on the floor. One night some drunk ass mother f*cker decided to come over, because our house used to be the house of his dealer, I guess. He wanted to get hooked up with some drugs, and thought that 'Rob the Dealer' was going to give it to him, however 'Rob the Dealer' had moved out a couple weeks previous. Anyways, all the people sleeping on the floor, and in cars outside hear him come in yelling "Rob Rob". Some chick on the floor tells him to get out, so he left, and then came back in and started hitting people who were standing around. He generally assulted two or three people who were up from the states.

Were you there?

I was awoken by some girl banging on the [bedroom] door telling me to call the cops. I went outside with an ice axe, but was too scared to use it, cause the guy was really drunk. And finally a really big neighbor came out with a baseball bat and told the guy to f*ck off, because he had to work tomorrow. So he left, and then later got arrested. It was a good welcome wagon to Squamish.

Wow, so now you live in Vancouver?

Yeah we made the big move down here, the commute [to school] was getting too much.

No rednecks?

No rednecks. Just some loud kids upstairs, I've got the 8am wake up call every morning, when one of the kids starts crying. Then when they leave I go back to sleep until noon.

So you climb buildings?

Occasionally, I've been known to do so.

But your big thing is ice climbing right now?

It was for a little while, but I'm too scared, so I'm just gonna boulder indoors now [laugh]. That's where it's at... big cushy landings.

So tell me some story about UBC buildering.

Uhmmm, well how did we get into buildering? How did you get into buildering? I think I got into it hanging around Jack Fieldhouse and crew. I think the first problem I did was the Admin Dyno. We got kicked out by a security guard.

Really? I've never got busted there.

Yup, they told us to get lost.

Were you guys using chalk?

Yeah we had some chalk going on, climbing shoes, but now it's all ahh.....

Clean?

Clean yeah, if you wanna use that word.

That's a hard problem without climbing shoes.

The secret is the Adidas Gazelles. They're where it's at.

Do they have the three stripes?

The white rubber. Yeah, three stripes.

So what's your favorite problem on campus?

Ahhh it's got to be... ah I don't know man... maybe the Oceanography Dyno, or myabe the Oceanography traverse type one... those are both quality. I don't know, there's quite a few good ones, and a lot of undiscovered ones, I just haven't put enough time into it lately.

What are your feelings on buildering ethics?

Well I'm taking a course right now called Environmental Ethics and I think alot of those ethics apply, you know? You really have to respect the building your climbing. It's not just about the person who's climbing the building. I mean, sure that may seem pretty important and all, but what about the building? What about the plants you're landing on, the pea-gravel you're disturbing?

Minimal impact.

Minimal impact buildering, that's what I'm all about. That's why I builder naked. No clothes at all. It's the wave of the future, in a lot of sports. It's very minimal impact, everything naked. And a little olive oil doesn't hurt if there is authorities about. There's nothing harder than catching a greased person.

What do you think about buildering ratings?

Are you going to create a new system?

Yeah, I'm gonna call it the "Ard" system. Ard1 to Ard14, with Ard0 equal to getting into an elevator and pushing the top floor button, and Ard14 equal to climbing ten stories of overhanging pam covered glass, with a pack of rabid police dogs nipping at your feet.

Where do stairs rate?

Oh about a Ard2 or 3.

I don't know about the rating thing. For me it's all about feel. I kinda take the Chris Sharma approach to bouldering and not rate things. What's hard for me is easy to other people. Alot of buildering is height dependent, cause I'm really short. What might be A14 to me might be A7 to you cause you're tall and got the ape thing going on. I think I should have my own rating system.... the K scale.

What would be a K14 on your scale?

Ten floors of overhanging glass.

With rabid police dogs?

No, just police cars, that's where we differ.

What do you think about the increased popularity in buildering?

I always think the more the merrier, and those who are the exclusive type, those who think it's only for a clique or small group of people, I think that's bullshit. Because if it's popular, there's a reason it's popular. If people enjoy it, why not enjoy it? And if they wanna come buildering, then why now show them around? It's just about having fun, it's not that big of a deal.

But at the same time, don't you think that with increased popularity, buildering is at a greater risk of getting shutdown by authorities?

Who cares?

Good point. It seems most sports went through a Golden Age, a time when there was just a handful of pioneers doing it, and the general public hadn't really clued into it yet. For rock-climbing it was in the 70's, do you think we are in buildering's golden age right now?

I don't know if there is such a thing as a Golden Age, or if it's just a bunch of old people being nostalgic about what they were doing at the time. I think my Golden Age for buildering is right now, but I think someone else's Golden Age is going to be in twenty years. Whenever they want it to be.

Bert vs. Ernie in a fist fight, who would win?

I don't know, I'm a pacifict, I don't fight. [pause] I think I'd win, I'd kick both their asses.

Sharma vs. Brad Pitt in an armwrestle?

I don't know about that.

Brad Pitt during the Snatch days.

Oh Snatch Pitt! What's Chris Sharma's era? Is it Realization, or is he bouldering in Fountainebleu or something like that?

This would be the Squamish Egg Sharma.

Squamish Egg Sharma vs. Snatch Brad Pitt, in an armwrestle. I think Brad Pitt would pull out a gun and shoot Chris Sharma in the head, and then burn his mother. Yeah I think Brad Pitt would win that one, through devious means.

I thought you were a pacifict.

I am.

Sharma vs. Bruce Lee?

Sharma's dead.

Right, Brad Pitt vs. Bruce Lee.

Bruce Lee would kick anyone's ass.

If you had to get arrested for one thing, what would it be?

Making love to a squirrel, while climbing an A14.

Heh, you catered to the audience on that one. Tell me more about buildering, this is after all an interview for buildering.net.

Uhmmm.... I fell off a building once.

Bruce Lee vs. Kenny Frazz?

Kenny Frazz would kick that mother f*ckers ass. Bruce Lee would be on the ground in no time. Besides, Bruce Lee is dead.