How are you taking the fact that you could have won the national title with that match on problem #4?

Ah yes, the match. I feel like I'll hear about this for a while, maybe until next year? I am handling it in two ways: first one that pops in my head is that I could have won if I matched, now I have to wait 1 year to redeem that match. (Vasya Vorotinikov texted me and said I should go to a hold matching clinic, thanks buddy...) People often come up to me (or random texts) saying “You were so close to being the champion bro! One match away man!” The other side of me is thinking that it’s pretty awesome to “almost” be National Champion. I was really happy with how I climbed and how I handled the pressure of National finals. I climbed calm, smart and tried as hard as I could. I’m very happy with the outcome. But yes, it would have been insane if I won.

Are you going to compete in the world cup?

This year the IFSC is hosting 5 Bouldering World Cups. I will be attending all of them thanks to one of my biggest sponsors Gramicci. With help from some other sponsors and possibly USA Climbing, I will attend all 5 WC this year fully covered. It was a goal of mine to make the team and be eligible for the WC circuit and to see the world through the eye of bouldering comps. I will head to France early April and boulder in Font and the Switzerland for a few weeks and then train in the south of France until the WC start end of May. They are in 1) Toronto, CAN 2) Vail CO USA 3) Chongquing, China 4) Haiyang, China and the last one 5) Munich, Germany. I’m really stoked to have the opportunity to attend the circuit and see what I’m capable of.

It seems that New England climbers have a long history of moving away to take their climbing to the next level (or world level in the case of Dave Graham). Do you plan on sticking around or do you feel like you need to move to reach the upper echelon of bouldering?

Whew, great question. Can I advance my climbing based here in Boston and travel to the best climbing areas in the world or do I move? I have been advancing for the last 5 years since I started climbing again. But really, my biggest gains have been in the last 2 years, since I started traveling more and saying “yes” to every travel and trip opportunity I get. So maybe seeing different areas, meeting different people and climbing more gets me psyched to be a better climber. Ever since I dropped what I was doing and went on a 100 day road trip with my best friends, I realized that this is it, I’m climbing and traveling until I can’t move anymore. I may be 29 but I don’t care at all, I’m living and breathing like I have no age. But yes, I feel like I need to move around and see everything, climb all the climbs that inspire me and eat so many “recovery burgers”.

Grades in New England seem to be a step behind the top standard in the U.S. and the World. Do you think V15 exists in the Northeast and who will be the one to climb it?

I think that V15 does exist somewhere around New England (maybe we’ve found it, we do like secrets in NE). I think someone just needs the patience and strength to find it and learn it. But yea, what’s with that? We have to have one laying around here somewhere. We have 5.15 but I think the leap for our slew of V13’s to V15 is a big leap vs the leap from 14d to 15a. But that’s just me. The sport is growing and the youth is getting stronger, so it may come down to another generation of freaks. Time will tell us.