“Bouldering is instant suffering” – Yvon Chounaird
So reads the opening card of 2000’s West Coast Pimp. It was shot and edited by Tim Steele and Steve Montesanto who kindly uploaded it from YouTube, so you don’t have to blow the dust off your VCR like I did. Released just a year after Rampage and ticking some of the same areas, a lot of the scenery will look familiar, as well as some of the faces – although with 20+ climbers, there are plenty of new faces too.
No shortage of climbing in this film either, with 60-some boulder problems packed into 75 minutes of run time, all located in Southern California. Even with all that action, the editors found time to describe each of the areas in depth, highlighting what your are going to find, and the history of how bouldering came to each of the areas, and what the future might hold. 20 years on, I’ve see enough footage of the East Sierras to know the progress and development train hasn’t stopped. While I was a little dubious when the history lesson included 5 minutes dedicated to a traverse around the local library, the more I watched the more impressed I was. Sometimes the voiceover is a little campy or expositional, but thankfully it’s not a constant presence.
The climbing itself is a straightforward affair, with one camera angle for all but the most impressive problems, and ample encouragement shouted over the period-correct soundtrack. The VHS quality doesn’t detract from the visuals noticeably, bouldering is fairly forgiving in that regard. Thankfully the film is laid out well, transitioning from less impressive areas like Indian Rock (home of the eliminate) and the local library to progressively more impressive areas including Yosemite and Bishop. The people are real and relateable, with good humor even through repeated failure. Standout for me is Greg Loh whose encouragement rings out clear above the music – 20 years later I was competing against him at a local comp and he was shouting encouragement to me, in the middle of his own climb. Legendary.
Verdict: Dated but Fun. I wanted to love this film, I did. This film has some gems, and features great people, but its definitely not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Pop it on if you’re feeling nostalgic and already watched Rampage twice this week.
The Who:
Dave Friedman
Scott Frye
Grier Wallace
Randy Puro
Tiffany Campbell
Jeremy Meigs
Greg Loh
Jeni Rogers
Marea Palmer
Chris Sharma
Byron Shumpert
Lisa Rands
Tom Richardson
Vic Copeland
Dustin Sabo
Michi Tresch
Mick Ryan
Joel Ruscher
The What:
Indian Rock
Stoneface V7
Impossible Wall V8
The Kraken V10/11
The Snatch V4
Ellie May V5
White Men Can’t Jump V7
Don’t Worry Be Snappy V11
Nat’s Traverse V8
Castle Rock
Spoon V2
Bates Lunge Eliminate Sit V10
Duct Tape V5
Hueco Wall V6
Deforestation V7
Right Hand Man V7
Planet Caravan V8
The Ecoterrorist V11/12 (SA)
Yosemite
Midnight Lightning V8
Cocaine Corner V5
Don’t Make Me Kick Your Ass V9
King Cobra V9
Ament Arete V6
Sierra East Side / Buttermilks / Bishop / Druids
Arch Druid V4
High Plains Drifter V7
Rios Arete V3
Redrum V7
Center Direct V9
Gleaned V5
Golden Child V10
Not Enough Tea V5
Ironman Traverse V4
Shelter from the Storm V5
Flake Route V6
Humpty Dumpty V3
Soma V8
Beekeeper’s Apprentice V5
Death star 2000 V7
King Fu Grip V5
Slunk V5
Shazam V9
Cholos V9
Biohazard V8 FA
Guantanamera V3
Pow Pow V7
Stained Glass V10
Sloth V9
Toxic Avenger V9
Acid Wash V10
Swordfish Trombone V11
Bubba Gump V9
Atari V6
Days of Blunder V8
Disco Diva V8
Heaven Slab V1
Secret of the Beehive V5
Los Locos V6
Renee’ V4 FA
Fluge Traverse V9/10 FA
Morning Dove White V7