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Build My Own FeedThe Journal is dedicated to the sports and people that make Black Diamond what it is.
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Winger for the Weekend #127
Every kid who has ever held a guitar has wanted to play Stairway to Heaven, undoubtedly one of the greatest rock and roll songs of all time. Thousands of people have covered the song, and some creative liberties have been taken over the years, but none so bold as those displayed by Australia's most extreme chuckehead, Rolf Harris. In Winger for... [READ MORE]
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Black Diamond CEO Peter Metcalf speaks out against possible loss of Utah public lands
There's a good reason Black Diamond CEO Peter Metcalf moved the company to Salt Lake City from California in 1991—the state of Utah offers an unparalleled variety of terrain that plays host to an untold number of trails, climbing routes, ski shots and epic vistas. People come from around the world for the red rock deserts and deep powder, due... [READ MORE]
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Part Two: BD grassroots athlete Hayden Kennedy reports on his 2011/2012 season of climbing in Argentine Patagonia
Black Diamond grassroots athlete Hayden Kennedy has, at 22 years young, established himself as one of North America’s top all-around climbing talents. From 5.14 sport climbs to speed ascents on El Cap to expeditions to Pakistan and Patagonia, Hayden has already lived a full climbing life. This past December and January, Hayden teamed up... [READ MORE]
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BD athlete James Kassay sending a stack of V12-V14 problems in Hueco Tanks, Texas
Black Diamond athlete and Australian crusher James Kassay sent us the following email last week, updating us on his European travel plans. He also mentioned that we still hadn't posted the video he edited together from his trip to Hueco Tanks last year. Whoops! Thanks for the reminder, James! Here's James' email and, below that, the... [READ MORE]
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Sprinter headlamp
Innovation is what drives everything here at Black Diamond. If we're not making gear better, stronger, lighter, faster, more durable and easier to use, then we're not doing our job. In this ongoing series of monthly posts, we'll be giving you an inside look at some of our most innovative products through one-on-one interviews with our team of... [READ MORE]
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BD employee Evan Bouchier reports on his prototype ski testing in the Pacific Northwest
Black Diamond employee Evan Bouchier is one of the engineers working on the production and development of our skis, and part of his job is getting out there and testing protos—hey, somebody’s gotta do it, and Evan’s not complaining that’s for sure! Below is the report and photos Evan sent us from his powder mission to the Pacific... [READ MORE]
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VIDEO: BD athlete Markus Bendler training, mixed climbing and ice climbing video series
Black Diamond athlete Markus Bendler is one of the top competitors in ice climbing, with numerous World Cup wins to his credit. What does it take to reach that level of expertise? Check out the video below of Markus hammering through his World Cup training regime and you'll witness the shocking levels of hard work he puts in on a small, steep... [READ MORE]
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Winger for the Weekend #128
The Popeye look, bitter-beer face, face pulling—whatever you want to call it, the shenanigous acts featured in Winger for the Weekend #128 have to be some of the weirdest competition fare we have ever seen. Granted this was the '80s, but since when does contorting your face into a irrecognizable mess earn you a trophy? Who knows, but what's... [READ MORE]
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A Tribute to Steve Romeo
The Black Diamond Equipment family, and the larger skiing community as a whole, lost another dear friend to the mountains last week. On Wednesday, March 7, 2012 an avalanche in the Grand Teton National Park backcountry claimed the life of Steve Romeo and his ski partner Chris Onufer. Steve, or "Rando Steve" as many of us knew him, was both a... [READ MORE]
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BD athletes Klemen Premrl and Tim Emmett establish Spray On... Top! —one of the most epic and difficult mixed climbs in the world
In early February BD athletes Tim Emmett and Klemen Premrl made the first ascent of one of the most epic and difficult mixed climbs in the world: Spray On… Top!, a 230 meter, wildly overhanging route at Helmcken Falls in Wells Grey Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada. Spray On… Top! puts the finishing touches on a route first... [READ MORE]
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VIDEO: BD athlete Callum Pettit skiing in British Columbia, Canada
Black Diamond athlete Callum Pettit travels the world every year to ski amazing lines on stunning peaks. One of his favorite places to ski, however, isn't some far-off locale—it's the mountains around his home in British Columbia where the pow is outrageously deep and the pillow lines are plentiful. Check out this video that the Sherpas... [READ MORE]
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QC LAB: Gear Doesn't Last Forever, PART I — ICE TOOL PICKS
Before any piece of Black Diamond gear makes it on to the shelves, it spends months, sometimes years getting put through the wringer by our team of Quality Assurance engineers. Through extensive and meticulous testing, both in the lab and in the field, our Director of Quality, Kolin Powick, and his team help ensure that you can count on your BD... [READ MORE]
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VIDEO: BD athlete Johnny Collinson skiing at Snowbird and Alta
Black Diamond skier Johnny Collinson grew up skiing the Wasatch and knows where every cliff, spine, chute and little pocket of powder is hidden. Check out this video as Johnny spends a couple days ripping around on his old stomping grounds of Snowbird and Alta. [READ MORE]
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BD sales rep Russ Clune celebrates his 25th anniversary with Black Diamond Equipment
Black Diamond sales rep Russ Clune is a legend here at BD. He was here from before the beginning, back in the Chouinard Equipment days. Since then Russ has helped shape Black Diamond’s brand, style and business in ways few others have. For that reason we had a party at BD HQ in Salt Lake City yesterday to celebrate the anniversary of... [READ MORE]
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Winger for the Weekend#129
There are some days when Friday can't come soon enough and you know you just shouldn't go in to work. For the subject of Winger for the Weekend #129, today was definitely one of those days. But yet, trash collection can't be put on hold just because someone is having a rough morning—our hero showed up for work, but somewhere along the route,... [READ MORE]
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Black Diamond CEO and founder Peter Metcalf and other leaders of wilderness preservation speak out on recent BLM approval of new gas drilling operations in and around Desolation Canyon
In a stunning blow to the preservation of the Utah desert’s iconic wild places, the BLM has just announced the approval of nearly 1,300 new natural gas wells in and around Desolation Canyon, one of the state’s most pristine blocks of desert wilderness and a main rafting put-in for the Green River. Below is the press release sent out on... [READ MORE]
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VIDEO: BD athletes Sonnie Trotter and Tommy Caldwell free climb first ascent of The Shining (IV 5.13+) in the Canadian Rockies
Black Diamond athletes Tommy Caldwell and Sonnie Trotter redpointed their multi-pitch project on Canada’s Mount Louis this past August. The main headwall (called the Diamond Face) is a stacked beast with the following pitches: 5.12+, 5.12+/13-, 5.13+, 5.12-, 5.12+, 5.11+, 5.10, all of which they bolted on lead. Below is the video... [READ MORE]
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BD Grassroots athlete Nik Berry attempts to break Alex Lowe's speed record on the Great White Icicle in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah
Black Diamond Grassroots athlete Nik Berry decided to take on one of the many mythical Alex Lowe speed records: a car-to-car lap up the Great White Icicle , a 650-foot WI 3 climb near the BD offices here in Salt Lake City. Alex's record is rumored to be an amazing 18 minutes. Photographer Andrew Burr had a few different cameras in place to... [READ MORE]
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BD athlete Paul Robinson reports on his new 8B+ boulder problem in Albarracin, Spain
BD athlete Paul Robinson is on a multi-month global roadtrip, searching for new boulder problems and new adventures. Below is the email he sent us recently from Albarracin, Spain where he established a new 8B+ problem. From: Paul Robinson Subject: Albarracin Date: March 13, 2012 1:52:17 PM MDT I first... [READ MORE]
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GROUPS WE SUPPORT: American Alpine Club
We take a large amount of pride in our history of outspoken advocacy for conservation and access causes (locally, regionally and globally), as well as in our efforts to support conservation, education and recreation groups that are on the front-lines of protecting and preserving the wild lands we love and depend on, and this ongoing... [READ MORE]
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VIDEO: BD athletes Will Gadd and Tim Emmett ice climbing in the Alps
Black Diamond athletes Will Gadd and Tim Emmett were over in Switzerland in early January for the Kandersteg Ice Climbing Festival and decided to spend a couple days after the event hunting down some challenging ice to climb. Bjarne Sahlen was on hand and documented their search for the goods. Below is the video he edited together for us... [READ MORE]
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Report #3: BD employee Kolin Powick reports on his volunteer work at the Khumbu Climbing Center in Nepal
Black Diamond Equipment’s Director of Global Quality, Kolin Powick , took four weeks off of work here in Salt Lake City to volunteer his time and expertise at the Khumbu Climbing Center in Nepal. Numerous BD athletes have gone to support the center in the past (including Cedar Wright and Conrad Anker ), but this is the first time a BD... [READ MORE]
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BD athlete Alex Raczynski reports on his climbing trip to Siurana and Margalef, Spain
BD athlete Alex Raczynski is a legit young gun. Seventeen years old, Alex is trained by fellow BD athlete Adam Pustelnik and has redpointed up to 9a. He’s definitely part of the next generation of sport climbers that are poised to changed the books on what is possible. Below is his report he sent us regarding his trip to Siurana and Margalef... [READ MORE]
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Winger for the Weekend #129
The dictionary defines talent as a special ability or natural aptitude for something. But if you aren't particularly special at anything, you can also create your own talents by performing two or more mediocre skills simultaneously, as demostrated in Winger for the Weekend #129. Playing the Star Wars theme on the bagpipes while dressed as a... [READ MORE]
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EMPLOYEE FAVORITES: Mike Allen, Escape Artist (5.10-), Black Canyon of the Gunnison, CO
Here at Black Diamond, the inspiration to innovate is driven from within. When we're not at the office, our dedicated crew of employees is out cranking at the crags, putting in miles on the trails and questing around the mountains in search of untracked descents. In this ongoing series of posts on the Journal, we'll be highlighting some of our... [READ MORE]
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Winger for the Weekend #130
Like some weird hybrid of John Popper and Indiana Jones, the star of Winger for the Weekend #130 is another prime example of the majesty of multitasking. Here Adam Winrich combines his two passions: playing the harmonica and crackin' whips, the latter of which hasn't served much utility since lion taming went out of style. Have a good weekend... [READ MORE]
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