Nick Rueff

My first introduction to climbing was while I was living in South Africa during high school, where I randomly signed up to be part of the "climbing club" at my school.  After a couple top rope sessions at the local crags I was hooked.  However, it wasn't until I moved back to Kentucky that I finally had the means to pursue it seriously.  Going to college at the University of Kentucky fulfilled my desire to get an engineering degree but there was way more time spent driving down to "The Red" than at my desk.  After many years of dedicated bolt clipping, I eventually abandoned the rope and spent most of my time bouldering at places like Rocktown, Horse Pens, Boone and Southern Illinois.  Once graduated, I moved to Salt Lake to work at Black Diamond.  Nowadays I spend my time bouldering, plugging gear and occasionally sport climbing when the temps are good, mountain biking in the summers and snowboarding in the winters.  And that's not counting the time spent in Asia for work...

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Birthday?

7/17/79

Year you first started at Black Diamond?

August 2004

Memory/story of your first week at Black Diamond?

I remember having to try and decipher countless acronyms.  There were meetings where I understood almost nothing because it was nothing but a string of BD specific abbreviations.

What does working at Black Diamond mean to you?

When I first started working here I would have said applying my engineering degree to making gear that I care about and all my friends are going to use.  This is still the case but after spending several years here it also means being part of a community of friends.

If you weren't working at Black Diamond, what would you be doing?

Probably some boring run of the mill engineering job but I'd like to think I would have found my way into the outdoor industry one way or another.

Worst job you've ever had?

I worked at a really unique swim club in high school.  An old quarry was turned into a huge swimming pool called Lakeside.  We would drain the "lake" every year at the end of the season but there was always a little water left at the deepest part.  Leaves would blow in and sit in the water all winter.  Each spring a couple lucky recruits had to shovel rancid decayed plant matter out of the middle of the "lake".  To get it all out, it usually meant using a hand shovel.  It was awesome.

Do you have any pets?

Nope.

Favorite sports/activities?

Shuffleboard, lawn darts and speed walking.

Oh, I guess climbing, snowboarding and mountain biking too.

Favorite climbing/skiing area and why?

I love the Wasatch for everything it offers.  I moved here to climb and have since become almost as obsessed with mountain biking and snowboarding.  I have a soft spot for the southeast as well.  I will always have memories of climbing in places like the RRG, Rocktown, Boone and HP40.  Regardless, if there is one place that stands out, it would undoubtedly be Rocklands in South Africa.

Best climbing/skiing experience?

Way too many to choose just one.   I get the most enjoyment out of visiting new places.

What's your dream trip? With who?

There are so many places I want to go - I would love to be able to take an indefinite amount of time to travel and climb around the world with my girlfriend Erin until we were sick of it.  However, doing what I'm doing now certainly presents many interesting opportunities.

Guilty pleasure?

I try not to feel guilty about things I enjoy.

BD gear you use every time you go climbing/skiing?

Nitron Screwgate, Mondo Crashpad, Sprinter Headlamp, Avalung to name a few.

What/who inspires you?

Anyone who is committed to something and giving all they've got.

What's in your iPod?

Even though I'm from Kentucky, just about everything except country.

Strangest place you've ever woken up?

In a cage in South Africa.

Strangest person you've ever woken up with?

Every time I travel with Andy I am reminded how strange he is.

Three things you never travel without?

Ipod, camera and flip flops.

Superstitions?

Not really.

What's your dream job?

Despite the occasional long hours, extensive traveling and inevitable stress of making stuff my friends trust their lives to, I've already got my dream job (or maybe it's because of all these things).

If you could steal one thing and not get caught, what would it be?

I have no idea.

If you could have dinner with three people (dead or alive) who would they be?

I hate this question but if I had to choose ONE I would probably chose Nelson Mandela.

Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

Yes - tattoos.