E62: Ravioli Biceps - Your friendly neighbourhood Moonboarder and metalhead.
Sep 6, 2023
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Meet Ravioli, a friendly neighborhood Moonboarder and metalhead. They discuss training in a small climbing gym, Moonboard techniques and challenges, setting styles and community building, climbing challenges and hold design, Moonboard holds controversy and replacement, surprising music taste, the origin of 'Ravioli Biceps' and the Borva project, discussing climbing routes and excitement for future climbs, fostering community in climbing apps and boards, the community and connections of Moonboarding, a funny Ravioli incident, Desert Island benchmarks, discussing boulder names and literature, and gratitude, connection, and excitement for future conversations.
Ravioli Biceps is a respected figure in the moonboarding community who is both strong and supportive of others.
Ravioli Biceps has a climbing history that predates the popularity of the moonboard and emphasizes the importance of training and fixed angled circuits.
Las Vegas is an attractive climbing hub due to its central location, nearby climbing areas, and supportive community.
The moonboard is a valuable training tool that offers unique challenges and benefits for strength and movement training.
Creating a system that rewards and acknowledges user contributions can foster more engagement and diversity in the moonboarding community.
Deep dives
The popularity and uniqueness of the podcast guest
In this podcast episode, the hosts are joined by a guest who is well-known in the climbing community for their strength and talent on the moonboard. The guest, Ravioli Biceps, has achieved impressive feats on the moonboard, completing almost all the benchmarks. They are also skilled in rock climbing and are regarded as an influential figure for the moonboard community. Despite their tattoos and metal enthusiast persona, the guest is described as a lovely person who spreads positivity and welcomes climbers to try their boulders.
The guest's climbing journey before the moonboard
The episode delves into the guest's climbing history before the moonboard became a popular training tool. The guest reveals that they have been climbing for a considerable period and have always been focused on training. They started climbing at a gymnastics gym in Chicago, where they honed their skills and trained extensively. The guest emphasizes their fondness for fixed angled circuits and the simplicity and strict rules they offer. This preference for training on fixed angles even predates their experience on the moonboard.
The appeal and advantages of climbing in Las Vegas
The discussion shifts to the guest's move to Las Vegas and the advantages of the climbing scene in the area. The guest highlights that their decision to move was largely influenced by family ties and the fact that they were there before it became a popular climbing destination. They express their excitement at witnessing the development of climbing areas in and around Las Vegas. The guest appreciates the central location of Las Vegas, which provides easy access to various climbing spots like Bishop and Joe's Valley. They also mention that the community and cost of living in Las Vegas contribute to its appeal as a climbing hub.
The challenges and benefits of using the moonboard
The hosts and the guest engage in a conversation about the use of the moonboard and its advantages as a training tool. They discuss the unique challenges of climbing on the moonboard and the benefits it offers for strength and movement training. The guest's experience of climbing on different moonboard sets leads them to prefer the 2016 set due to its larger variety of problems. They highlight the importance of community contributions to moonboard sets for continued creativity and progression. The guest emphasizes the need to respect and understand the value that moonboard climbing holds for individuals who may not have access to challenging outdoor climbs near their location.
The Importance of Community and Contribution in Moonboarding
One of the key aspects that could foster more community engagement is to create a system that rewards and acknowledges users for their contributions. This could include badges or emblem tiers for users who contribute a certain number of problems to the platform. Encouraging users to actively participate in setting and sharing their own problems would help create a more diverse and engaging community.
Potential Tweaks to the Moonboard
While the Moonboard is highly regarded, there could be some minor adjustments to enhance the experience. One idea is to introduce a remix of the 2016 set, allowing users to fill the gaps and contribute to the ever-evolving platform. Additionally, exploring the idea of a signature series, where users can create and share their own Moonboard problems, could add even more variety and personalization to the community.
Favorite Outdoor Climbing Destinations
In terms of outdoor climbing, areas like Wake Go and Hueco Tanks are top destinations for future exploration. Highlighting favorite climbs like the Swarm and Asperanza, there is a desire to continue pushing personal limits and accomplishing challenging outdoor projects. The strong sense of community fostered by these outdoor locations adds to the motivation and satisfaction derived from climbing in these areas.
Favorite and Least Favorite Moonboard Problems
While specific least favorite Moonboard problems were not mentioned, there are certain benchmark climbs, like Diagonale, that have posed challenges and felt awkward to climb. However, it's worth noting that the Moonboard community overall maintains a positive and supportive atmosphere for climbers of all levels. This encourages individuals to continually set and try new problems, pushing the boundaries of their own climbing abilities.
The speaker discusses the importance of community in moonboarding.
In this podcast episode, the speaker emphasizes the significance of the moonboarding community and the positive impact it has on climbers' lives. The speaker shares personal experiences of finding support, motivation, and reassurance within the moonboarding community during challenging times. They describe how interactions with other moonboarders have provided not only climbing-related conversations but also valuable emotional and mental support.
The speaker shares favorite moonboard problems and benchmarks.
The speaker discusses their favorite moonboard problems across different sets. They mention their fondness for specific problems such as 'Weathering Heights' and 'La Rosy La Moon Board' from the 2016 set. Additionally, they share their appreciation for 'Wet Dream' and 'Esperanza' as both are enjoyable climbs with interesting movements. The speaker also highlights the boulder problem 'Direct North' outside, expressing interest in it as a project. They conclude by mentioning the importance of having references in the boulder names, enhancing the overall experience of climbing them.
Ravioli, he reminds me of that kid in school who everyone wanted to be friends with because he would beat up the bullies. I reckon he's the de facto leader of the Moonboarding community. Insanely strong but equally friendly, supportive and encouraging of everybody else. We don't just talk about the Moonboard though as he's no stranger to hard rock climbs, and Aidan doesn't know all that much about the Moonboard so that prevented us from spending the whole conversation nerding out about individual holds.
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