3-D Printing: The Future Of Climbing Holds?

FORCE CLIMBING, a Vancouver-based climbing-hold-manufacturing company, is ditching traditional hand-sculpting of holds in favor of 3-D printing. With advanced laser scanning and 3-D printing technology, Force is creating a bank of innovative holds featuring a range of unique textures. Many of the designs are scanned directly from classic outdoor climbs, allowing for replication of rock on plastic. This digital innovation led Force to partner with the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) in the holds category, earning the company a spot on the world stage of competition climbing. Force Climbing, conceived in 2012, will play a role in planning the Olympics through close work with the IFSC’s route setters and event organizers. The company hopes to provide all of the holds for the 2020 games. Terry Ziolkowski, president of Force and a route setter of 15 years, spoke about hold design, partnerships, and the future of indoor climbing.

- Zoe Gates

Can you give me a background on the origins of Force Climbing?

The idea was conceived about four and a half years ago. My colleagues and I saw a gap where the growth of climbing had progressed but where the service providers had been missing the mark. We’ve started with climbing holds because of how much influence they carry throughout the sport, how many people interact with them. The process of making climbing holds has stayed relatively the same since 1983 when they were first developed. With the advances in technology that we have nowadays, it seemed like the right time and move to update the process and add a modern approach.

What is the process for printing holds?