Hello Ethan (Hardwear Sessions)

Ethan Pringle joined the Mountain Hardwear team in February. Rather than put words in his mouth, I'll just let Ethan introduce himself.

By Ethan Pringle

Born and raised in the Mission district of San Francisco, I was introduced to the wonders of nature before I could walk. My parents -- semi professional windsurfers and outdoor enthusiasts -- brought me everywhere. As an infant, I was in a backpack on hikes and on the back of my mom's bicycle on coastal rides. They took me on their adventure trips in the Sierras, on the wild California coast, and abroad. By the time I was five I'd been to Canada, Mexico, Australia and several Caribbean islands, places that most people don't get to visit in their entire lives. As a toddler, I scrambled over crags at Donner Pass and over rocky shores accessible only at low tide. I loved watching wildlife and enjoying the beauty of undeveloped land. My parents taught me to ski at age three. At six, I taught myself to snowboard on an oversize board and Sorrels - back then the sport was so new that child-sized equipment was unavailable. I became fond of being high off the ground, flying through the air over table-top jumps in Tahoe freestyle parks and even entered competitions - grommet division. At seven, I fell in love with Roller hockey. I played center on a championship team and was a complete 'rink' rat, spending every minute I could on my skates.

Then I discovered climbing. I first set foot in Mission Cliffs at age eight. Mission cliffs was and still is one of the premier climbing gyms in the country and happens to be only Four blocks from my home. We stopped in there out of curiosity on my way home from hockey practice. I was instantly hooked. To me climbing made perfect sense. I got my first pair of climbing shoes (5.10 Diamonds -- woman's shoes), and harness (Petzl Hirundos, pink). Soon afterward, climbing eclipsed everything else and Mission Cliffs became my second home. I still snowboarded, but my hockey skates got dusty and were forgotten.

At the gym I met some amazing people who had a profound effect on me and I was very lucky to meet climbers willing to take a snotty but enthusiastic little kid on outdoor climbing trips to places like Pinnacles, Mickey's Beach, Bishop, Owens River Gorge, Red Rocks, and Mt. Charleston. Those people I am forever indebted to. Since climbing is still such a small community I have gotten to climb and become friends with people who inspired me and were my heroes at one time and the friends who took me on those early climbing trip became my heroes. One spring, I had the opportunity to fly to Bend, Oregon, and stay and climb with Scott Franklin who gave me my first clothing sponsor.

At twelve I began to compete. The junior climbing circuit was a terrific way for young climbers to improve their climbing and meet great people who push each other to improve. From hockey and snowboarding I'd already become used to competition, and felt comfortable performing under pressure in front of an audience. I was undefeated junior national and international champion four years in a row, then moved on to adult comps. Since then I have been on the U.S. climbing team every year, placing top three in almost every comp I've entered.

During school breaks I traveled all over the US to climb in comps and go to some amazing crags. I red-pointed my first 5.13 at age twelve, and my first 5.14 at age thirteen (which was subsequently down-graded to 5.13d.) The summer after I turned 14, I traveled to Europe and climbed at Ceuse for the first time. In Amsterdam I competed in my first junior world championship and placed second. (A disappointment -- I was in first going into the finals and expected to win, but in a momentary lapse in concentration I missed a key hold and fell one hold below the winner.) Since then I have been to Europe five times in total and have re-visited Ceuse three times.

During trips to Squamish and Bishop, I fell in love with bouldering. I moved to Las Vegas for my senior year of high school. I established three of Red Rocks' hardest and highest boulders during that year. My dedication for climbing fluctuated a bit through high school, but since I graduated I have dedicated myself anew to the sport. It now has taken over my life and become my true passion. In the last few years I have taken my climbing to ever-higher levels in the disciplines of sport climbing and bouldering. I have fulfilled many long-term goals of mine: tie or beat Sharma in a comp (not really), climb V14 and on-sight 5.14, and climb the enigmatic Realization. My goals are to keep raising the bar for hard climbing, podium at a world cup, become a better surfer, live a eco-friendly life, go to college, cherish my family, friends, and animals, keep traveling, and enjoy new experiences.