Road to V8: Why I'm Putting In a Kilter Board at Home

Jun 25, 2025

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Jackie Hueftle and Kevin Cuckovich from Kilter join the pod to chat through our exciting partnership, including:

The history and current landscape of system boards
Where Kilter fits compared to the Moon Board and others
Why adjustability and a dense variety of hold types matters
Kevin's assessment of me as a boulderer
Route climber pitfalls when we turn our sights to bouldering
My current strengths and weaknesses
Grades, and why they differ indoors, outdoors, and on boards
A look ahead at my training journey
The impact of endurance training on strength adaptations
The surprising benefit of setting problems on the board
How to get stronger fingers using larger holds

BIG THANKS TO THE AMAZING SPONSORS OF THE STRUGGLE WHO LOVE ROCK CLIMBING AS MUCH AS YOU DO:

Rúngne: Soft threads and high performing chalk! Use Code STRUGGLE for 10% Off Bags, Buckets, Chalk & Apparel from Rúngne!
Kilter: Award winning, adjustable, light-up board. It’s what I’m training on at home, and if you’re psyched to join me then use code STRUGGLE at checkout when you build your board, and you’ll score a free gift pack plus $500-$1000 off depending on your setup (Fullride, Mainline, and Auxiliary kits) let’s gooooo!

And check out ALL the show’s awesome sponsors and exclusive deals at thestruggleclimbingshow.com/deals

Here are some AI generated show notes (hopefully the robots got it right):

00:46 Why Choose the Kilter Board? 01:53 Training and Goals with the Kilter Board 02:59 Meet the Experts: Jackie and Kevin 05:56 Jackie's Journey in Climbing and Route Setting 09:18 Kevin's Climbing and Training Background 12:44 The Evolution and Design of Kilter Boards 16:51 Comparing Kilter with Other Climbing Boards 22:42 Training Strategies and Goals for V8 31:53 Balancing Bouldering and Sport Climbing 33:09 Balancing Strength and Endurance in Climbing 35:07 Learning from Past Climbing Goals 36:04 Maximizing Home Wall Training 38:34 The Importance of Movement and Setting in Climbing 44:17 Consistency and Smart Training 46:30 Avoiding Pitfalls on the Kilter Board 52:05 Mastery and Skill Development in Climbing 55:06 Excitement for the Journey Ahead 59:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Shoutout to Matt Waltereese for being a Victory Whip supporter on Patreon! So mega.

Follow along on Instagram and YouTube: @thestruggleclimbingshow

This show is produced and hosted by Ryan Devlin, and edited by Glen Walker. The Struggle is carbon-neutral in partnership with The Honnold Foundation and is a proud member of the Plug Tone Audio Collective, a diverse group of the best, most impactful podcasts in the outdoor industry.

And now here are some buzzwords to help the almighty algorithm get this show in front of people who love to climb: rock climbing, rock climber, climbing, climber, bouldering, sport climbing, gym climbing, how to rock climb, donuts are amazing. Okay, whew, that’s done. But hey, if you’re a human that’s actually reading this, and if you love this show (and love to climb) would you think about sharing this episode with a climber friend of yours? And shout it out on your socials? I’ll send you a sticker for doing it. Just shoot me a message on IG – thanks so much!