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Sportrock’s Fast Forward
instructor corps is one talented group of climbers. In order
to be invited to teach with this illustrious cadre, a climber must
first have climbed 5.12 or its bouldering equivalent of V4. Next,
the potential instructor is subjected to Sportrock’s notoriously
rigorous interview process where applicants are screened for personality
traits and behaviors consistent with our high employee standards.
And finally each new Fast Forward instructor is subjected to several
hours of training followed by observation of live courses prior to
doing any actual teaching.
The quality of our Fast Forward program is due to the dedication and
talent of these individuals, and we know your experience with them
will be rewarding.
I N S T R U C T O R P
R O F I L E S : James Anastasion |
Jacques Coughlin | Matt
Deaton | Tom Lee |
Garrick Mercer | Wayne Novach |Lillian
Chao-Quinlan | Brian Quinlan | Frank
Squillaro | Chris Yerkey
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James
Anastasion 
Climbing Since 1995 |
|
The hardest: Blind
Spot V8 at
Little Rock City, TN
Most memorable: Old
Ladies 5.2 Seneca Rocks, WV
Competition results: Everything from first
to last.
Favorite
climbing areas: Little
Rock City, TN Horse Pens,
AL
Joe's Valley, UT Rifle,
CO
Coopers, WV
Seneca Rocks, WV
Sportrock 1
Aruba
Why I climb:
I like falling! It's Exciting!
Why I teach: It is enjoyable to watch people
place themselves it highly akward positions and then fall to
the ground. I mean I like to see people unlock the keys to climbing
so that they may climb harder.
I attribute my climbing ability to: Mylack
of ability to do anything else. |
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| Jacques
Coughlin
Climbing Since 1996 |
|
The hardest: Apollo
Reed
(5.13a — unfinished! 6 more bolts to go…), Summersville
Lake , WV
Most memorable: A
skinny, 3-pitch spire at Potrero Chico , Mexico .
Competition results: I leave competition climbing
to the kids with über forearms.
Favorite
climbing areas: New
River Gorge (WV), Red River Gorge (WV), Franklin (WV), Red
Rocks (NV), Romney (TX), Enchanted Rock (TX), Owens River
Gorge (CA), Happy Boulders (CA), Les Calanques ( France ),
Les Dentelles ( de Montmiraille , France ), Fontainebleau
( France ), and various small crags in the Lot , France. Thailand
is next.
Why I climb:
It’s a mental conquest as much as a physical one. It’s
also a good excuse to be outdoors, among usually nice people.
And no drug can beat climbing as a stress reliever.
Why I teach: Because I like to teach. Giving
neophytes the tools to enjoy climbing and watch them improve
is very rewarding.
I attribute my climbing ability to: dedication,
enjoyment, and the futile quest for über forearms. |
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| Matt
Deaton
Climbing Since 1998 |
|
The hardest: Bullet the New Sky (5.12b) New
River Gorge, WV
Most memorable: Bullet the New Sky. Bullet
challenged my weakness; thin, sequential, precise moves, back
and forth over a clean arête. Blink too hard and you're
off the climb. Required my full and constant attention.
Competition results: I don’t compete.
Favorite climbing areas: New
River Gorge Yosemite
Bishop
Red Rocks
Portrero Chico
Shawagunks
Why I climb:
One is constantly forced to answer, “Do I know thyself?”
Why I teach: Share the Love.
I attribute my climbing ability to: Low
I.Q, opposable thumbs. |
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| Tom Lee
Climbing Since 1988 |
|
The hardest: Dynamic Duel (5.13b/c), Easter
Rock, Boulder Canyon Colorado
Most memorable: The Mercy Seat (5.13a/b), Summersville
Lake, WV for its fluid movement, difficulty, and steep angle.
Competition results: I came in bronze once
at a Cathedral crank but otherwise have only competed a few
times.
Favorite climbing areas: Too
many to list! My favorite is wherever my next project is.
Why I climb: I enjoy finding a climb that seems
out of my reach and later getting the redpoint. Dial 911 at
the New is a perfect example of a climb like that. When I first
saw it I thought, “No way”. I love the permanence
in climbing rock outdoors. Someday I’ll be 87 years old
claiming to my grandkids casually, “ Oh yeah I climbed
that one too, back in the day.”
Why I teach: I enjoy teaching and feeding off
of the excitement of my students as they improve rapidly. It
always boosts my enthusiasm for my own climbing.
I attribute
my climbing ability to: My periods of intense training
have fluctuated throughout my climbing career but my technique
has managed to consistently get me on some quality climbs
even if sometimes it is off the couch.
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| Garrick
Mercer
Climbing Since 1996 |
|
The hardest: Flake
Roof (5.12b),
Hueco Tanks
Burn, Baby, Burn (V8), Hueco Tanks
Most memorable:
Route-
Flake Roof (5.12b) at Hueco Tanks. As if stemming the dihedral
base of this climb wasn't challenging enough, I felt an uncommon
knot in my stomach when I reached the actual roof of the climb.
Clipping in on the horizontal roof then viewing the West Texas
desert upside down from 200 feet up made me feel like I was
hanging in space with no tether. The roof only lasted 5 or
6 moves but it seemed like an eternity before I topped it
out.
Bouldering
Problem- The Round Room (Various V levels) Hueco
Tanks. I can remember the first day I squeezed through the
hidden chimney that leads to The Round Room. Stepping onto
the circular dirt floor I looked around in awe at being surrounded
up and down on all sides by hundreds of huecos and 3 distinct
cracks. I spent the entire day traversing the Room, playing
the classic Round Room games, and hacking up my hands and
fingers on the crack climbs that topped out above the cave.
Competition results: In
the end, the rock always wins.
Favorite
climbing areas: Hueco
Tanks, TX
Olympic National Park, WA
Enchanted Rock, TX
Garden of the Gods, CO
Red Rocks, NV
Bondi,
Sydney , AU
Santa Catalina Mountains
, AZ Pearl Bay , Sydney , AU
Organ Mountains , NM
City of Rocks , NM
Why I climb:
I climb because I thrive
on pushing my mind and body to their limits. When I climb
everything else falls away- it is just me vs. the rock. And
they call to me... the rocks. Seriously. Why are you looking
at me like that?
Why I teach: I
teach because there is no greater satisfaction for an educator
or coach than watching your passion take root in someone else
who then takes their ability to the next level.
I attribute my climbing ability to: The
crucible that is Hueco Tanks. |
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| Wayne
Novach
Climbing Since 2001 |
|
The hardest: Tyrolean
Air (7c) ,
Phra Nang , Thailand
Most
memorable: Weaveworld
(23) ,
Grampians , Australia . It is a stellar line, but the
climb stands out because the conditions on the day I
climbed it (rain jacket to finish the route) and the
massive fall that I took trying to clip the anchors.
The
Diagonal (5.8) ,
Wallface , New York . This is a traditional, 800- foot
line that stands out as true adventure. The climb is
way into the backcountry of the High Peaks in the Adirondacks
. Because of an impending college exam, we rallied the
trip door-to-door from Michigan in 57 hours with a successful
summit.
Favorite climbing areas: New
River Gorge Red River
Gorge
Adirondacks
Horsepens
40
Niagara Escarpment PA bouldering
Indian Creek
Tetons
Blue Mountains
Tonsai and Railay beaches
Mt. Arapiles
Sydney bouldering
Castle Hill Basin
Rocktown
Why I climb: The
mental and physical fusion combined through movement
keeps me hooked on climbing and pushing myself to improve.
Why I teach: Teaching
is sweet because students get more psyched on climbing,
which in turn makes me more psyched about climbing.
I attribute my climbing ability to: For
me, climbing is more than the challenges stated above.
The adventure in nature and traveling, the unforgettable
characters that I've met, and the good times with friends
make climbing a total experience. |
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| Lillian
Chao-Quinlan
Climbing Since 1999 |
|
The hardest: Quinsana Plus (5.13a), New River
Gorge, Apollo Reed (5.13a), New River Gorge
Most memorable: Slash and Burn 12D at the New
River Gorge. I approached this climb not really thinking it
was within my ability. After over a dozen attempts, I was ready
to write it off. It was a chilly day in November, 2001 and after
literally “slashing” my shin on the second attempt
of the day, I reached deep into my chalk bag for one more try
and sent it! I learned that I could do something, thinking that
I couldn’t, by giving it all -my heart, my soul, and even
my skin!
Competition results: ABS Competition January
2003 1st Women’s Elite, ABS Competition November 2002
1st Women’s Elite, ABS Competition January 2002 2nd Women’s
Elite, Cathedral Crank 2002 3rd Women’s Elite, Cathedral
Crank 2001 1st Women’s Elite, Cathedral Crank 2000 2nd
Women’s Elite
Favorite climbing areas: New River Gorge, Castlewood,
CO, Red Rocks Maple Canyon, Logan Canyon Rifle, Boulder Canyon,
American Fork, Yosemite. Favorite? The New, of course! (When
it doesn’t rain!)
Why I climb: I love the challenge of going
from the seemingly impossible to the possible. It’s a
great sport that my husband, Brian, and I can do together!
Why I teach: I get a real charge out of helping
people realize their abilities and make improvements. Also,
I teach to learn. When I have to explain why you “step,
turn, flag, reach,” to a group of students, it reinforces
my own technique.
I attribute my climbing ability to: Tenacity
(like a pit-bull!), discipline, staying positive, having great
instructors/mentors, and climbing with and learning from other
climbers. |
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| Brian
Quinlan
Climbing Since 1999 |
|
The hardest: All the Way Baby (5.12b), New
River Gorge
Most memorable: Aesthetica (5.11c), My hardest
onsite, really proved to me the notion of “effortless
effort.” Was like me and this climb had grown up together.
Competition results: Climbing is really not
about competition for me.
Favorite climbing areas: Virgin River, Yosemite,
Rifle, Boulder, American Fork, Logan, Little Cottonwood, New
River Gorge, Red Rocks, Acadia, Franklin. The New River is our
home away from home crag.
Why I climb: I love the outdoors, like to be
active, and hate to wait in lines, but don’t mind dangling
from one. Bungee jumping hurts my back?
Why I teach: Climbing is such a neat activity,
so unlike most athletic pursuits. It rewards in abundance the
dedication of efficient ease. I love exploring all climbing’s
facets in a group environment while being privileged to give
something back to a favorite pastime.
I attribute my climbing ability to: My wife. |
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| Frank
Squillaro
Climbing Since 1993 |
|
The hardest: Apollo
Reed (13a) Summersville Lake , WV
Most memorable: Levitation 29, Red Rocks, NV.
It is a long climb with great position, scenery and exposure.
Competition results: I don’t compete.
Favorite climbing areas: Seneca,
New River Gorge, Red Rocks, Yosemite, Squamish, Leavenworth
, Smith Rocks, Joshua Tree, Potrero Chico, Owens River Gorge,
Tahquitz, Eldorado Canyon , Index, Lover's Leap, Calaveras Dome,
Tuolumne
Why I climb: I enjoy the mental and physical
challenge. Climbing is a great diversion from everyday activities.
Why I teach: I enjoy seeing the progress that
students make by learning only a few basic skills. Teaching
also makes me more aware of my own climbing because I am required
to analyze movement in order to explain it.
I attribute my climbing ability to: Persistence
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| Chris
Yerkey
Climbing Since 1996 |
|
The hardest: Dial 911(5.13a), New River Gorge
Most memorable: The Gift (5.12d) What makes
this send so memorable is that I didn’t expect to be able
to send it and the company I had while I was on a trip to Red
Rocks, Las Vegas, NV. I was there with several friends for 5
days. I attempted the climb several times on our second day
and didn’t feel like I was close to sending the problem.
On our last day we went back to the same area and I took another
run on the route; I still didn’t feel close to sending.
After that run I had no intention of getting back on the problem.
My partner had much more faith in me than I did and encouraged
me to give it one more try. Thanks to the positive vibes he
sent up the rope and those of my companions on the ground I
was able to send the route.
Competition results: Climbing is not about
competition for me.
Favorite climbing areas: Boulder Canyon, Yosemite,
El Dorado Canyon, Clear Creek Canyon, Flagstaff Mountain, Morrison,
Seneca Rocks, New River Gorge, Red Rocks, Shelf Road, Franklin,
Red River Gorge
Why I climb: I climb because I enjoy the physical
and mental challenges that climbing at you limit brings. I climb
because I’d much rather spend my time doing something
than sitting in front of the TV or playing video games. I climb
because I have the company of great friends and because I get
to see the world from a perspective that few see.
Why I teach: I have two reasons why I decided
to teach climbing. The first is that I felt I could help contribute
something back. I was frequently asked for advice while bouldering
and figured I could the same while teaching to a larger audience.
The second is more personal. I am aware that I am not always
the most social person and thought teaching would be a way for
me to work on my social and presentation skills in an environment
I was comfortable in with a topic I know. I don’t bite,
I just look like I do.
I attribute my climbing ability to: I attribute
my climbing ability to the level of enjoyment I get out of climbing
and my desire to challenge myself to more difficult things as
I learn. |
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