Buildering

Tomorrow ESPN is going to be broadcasting a buildering race up Singapore's new Marina Bay Sands hotel. From the World Championship Climb website:

The Marina Bay Sands 2010 World Championship Climb to the Sands Skypark is the first event of its kind: a speed race to climb the 55-floor Marina Bay Sands hotel, showcasing the courage and skills of some of the fastest climbers in the world.

The event is a team speed competition, with seven teams of three climbers each, representing seven different regions of the world. The climbers are all world-class professional climbers with a variety of different specialties and strengths. Each team includes one female and two male climbers.

The race is a team relay, with seven climbers on each of the hotel's three towers. Each team must climb the three towers in succession, followed by a sprint across the Skypark to a dramatic finish line where the TV cameras, news media, and a special celebrity guest await the winners.

The climbers include a whole bunch of people I've never heard of, and a few I probably should have heard of. Ahem. People of Asia: I too like luxury hotels, or more importantly, climbing them. Just saying. And where's Alain Robert? Any chance he's the celebrity guest? Hmm, doubtful. I'm gonna go ahead and guess that it's Bobcat Goldthwait. The world needs more Bobcat.

c. Matus Soblic p. Danny Madson.

Photo of the week submitted by Matt Lloyd:

"The climb is a 5.11ish 45 foot retaining wall in the parking lot of Water World in Denver CO. That's me spotting. Matus was OK, he hobbled for a couple of days."

Click read more for big and bold.

Thanks to Stephan for pointing out this well produced German buildering video, made for the 2008 Buildering (European and not World) World Cup.

After a month in Germany, I recognized "mit", "scheisen", and "beware of limbo dancers." I'm a regular James Bond.

Titties. Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin.

Urban Climber interviewed me for this month's magazine, but I'm in Germany for a month and haven't seen a copy. I have seen a lot of titties though. Not real ones sadly, but in magazines, TV, and billboards -- including this gem of an ad in Berlin. Germans certainly aren't ashamed of their mammary glands. And why should they be? Tis a beautiful thing.

The only things affordable here are beer and sausages, which I'm at peace with since I like both and it's the only two things that Germans do well. I spend every free moment in a pub founded in 1509 -- senselessly trying to make my existence matter to this ancient building. It's also bloody cold here, atypically so. Lakes and rivers that never freeze over are frozen, to the delight of the locals. They run out onto the ice in droves. One man died trying to save his dog who fell through the ice. (Heavy dog, light man?)

Anyway, go pick up a copy of the mag. And skate safe. We here at buildering.net promote brains and balls. Having only one will make your life either very boring or very short.