Photo: Jason Kehl
Lisa Rands

On April 25, 2010 the Unified Bouldering Championships Pro Tour (UBC) kicked off its three-stop tour at the Earth Treks Climbing Center in Timonium, Maryland. Presented by NE2C Production, their mission is to grow the sport of climbing. With America s top talent battling it out for a sizable cash purse on big, crowd pleasing moves set by the world class route setters Scott Mechler, Jason Kehl and Jordi Salas -- all broadcasted live worldwide -- this event represented the best of competition climbing.

Photo: Jason Kehl
Chris Linder

On Saturday, 291 climbers gathered at Columbia Earth Treks for the all-levels citizens competition and to rub shoulders with America s pro climbers Chris Sharma, Lisa Rands, Daniel Woods, Alex Puccio, Paul Robinson, Alex Johnson and more all striving for one of the 20 spots to compete in semi finals.

Photo: Jason Kehl
Women's semi final four.

On Sunday, the elite competitors were pushed to their mental and physical limits. Semi finals followed the onsight format where climbers alternate through four problems in five-minute intervals with five minutes of rest between. Heart breaking dynos, strenuous mantel presses, powerful compression between impossible slopers, insecure foot smears, committing high foot match at 16 feet, and shouldering, technical funk separated the field. Only six went onto finals.

Photo: Jason Kehl
Alex Puccio

Finals followed the World Cup style format, where all six competitors get a two-minute preview of the routes as a group, and then move together through each of the three finals problems. There was an aura of disbelief amongst the frenzied audience of 700, as each competitor gave it their all. In the end, the beloved Chris Sharma and the unstoppable Alex Puccio were the night s victors.

Men s Results:

1. Chris Sharma
2. Paul Robinson
3. Daniel Woods

Women s Results:

1. Alex Puccio
2. Alex Johnson
3. Lisa Rands