AustralianBouldering.com Interviews
Chris "Crell" Ellis
by Tim O'Neill © 2000 AustralianBouldering.com
Age?
20 [only just
turned though!]
Residence?
Where the blocs are?
Height?
181cm [or 5'11"]
Weight?
67kg [or 10.5 stone]
Ape factor (index)
in inches?
+11cm [or +4 inches]
Any other body
dimension/anomalies you'd like us to be aware of?
No!
Hardest problem(s)?
La Loup Magnifique 8a, Trauma 7c [both in Sweden] and
Chaos and Disorder V10/11
Flashed/on-sighted?
L' Homme Obu V11 [flashed at the Balkans]
Years bouldering/climbing?
How did you get into it?
This is my 4th year on the scene, I was introduced to
climbing by my sister Shoni and Tassie friends such as Grant
Rowbottom and Sam Edwards.
Sponsors?
5.10 Europe
Ok, so that's the
boring questions now let's get down and dirty! What the
hell kind of nickname is "Crell"? It sounds like
a dinosaur or something that whales eat?
It's derived from my unique signiture C R Ellis, cool
huh!!
What is it with
you guys from Tasmania? I mean you've bouldered V11 but you
don't actually think you're that strong? Tell us a bit
about the scene down there? What's the secret?
I think it's that we don't pay each other out and also
that we're all great friends. We keep our motivation high
by training together and the atmosphere at the woody or the local
gym is so full of energy and good vibes it allows us to progress
at a faster pace! Maybe it could also be the Hip Hop music which
for me generates a more relaxed power attitude?
So is Sam [Edwards]
the man?
Well I believe so, but they're all strong from Tassie!
Who else should we
be looking out for then?
Adam [Bogus], Kim [Robinson], James [Cameron, he just
won the nationals!] and Jake [Bresenhan?].
So what made you
leave all that and head to Sweden then? Let me guess, you're
just another Aussie boy that followed your heart there?
Well when Sam Edwards and Grant Rowbottom came back from
their trip in '98 I decided that I was going! So after yr 12 I
set off and stayed with my Swedish friend Lou Wallin who I met
the year before. I ended up staying with her and her fantastic
family, doing some work and bouldering for 17 months! It was the
best experience I have ever had, and soon I will be heading back
over!
What is the scene
like over in Sweden? Are you a star?
The people are great fun. We all train hard at "Klatter
Verket" [the local gym] during the cold winter months and
then during the crisp springs and autumns we head for the hills
and send our projects! Bouldering outdoors is still less popular
than climbing with only a few getting out to the blocs! There are
a lot of good climbers, but because there is not that much rock
about, people tend to focus on competition.
Did you ever get
mistaken for that other famous Chris ... errr ... Sharma?
Not really, but some people say I look a bit like him. [He
does!]
So 5.10 Europe
sponsors you. Do you get anything other than free shoes?
Not yet ...
I hear that
everyone in Sweden is sponsored. Does it surprise you or
disappoint you that it isn't that way here?
It is disappointing here, young strong climbers like
Adam Bogus [16] and James Cameron [15] should have been sponsored
a long time ago! I guess it's because bouldering isn't
featured in the climbing media at all and coming from Tassie they
don't get the exposure from competing that you NSW boys get. It's
not just about bouldering hard, these guys can tear up routes too!
We have lots to change though, I mean Australia doesn't even
compete in the World Cup, probably because we are too far away?
So where else have
you bouldered in Europe?
Fontainebleau, France and Sella, Italy. Both really nice.
Tell us a bit more
about Fontainebleau? Is it as awesome as everyone says?
Yeah, the grades are hard and so is the language but the
atmosphere is fantastic, there is basically a huge forest with
these smooth blocs scattered everywhere, lush! Recommend it to
anyone!
What did you do
over there? Anything famous?
L' balance [7c+ or about V10], L'Aerodynamite [7c or
about V9], Carnage [7b+ or about V8]
So did you meet
anyone more famous than yourself while you were in Europe?
Yeah, I met up with Klem Loskot, he was inspirational
and really motivated me to boulder hard. Jacob Andren and Stefan
Petterson were my bloc boyz, both are Swedish and are famous to
me!
Klem [Loskot] hey.
The honorary Australian. What was that like?
He is so strong and really motivated, he has a really
good attitude towards people and bouldering, a nice guy.
I heard you met
Ben [Moon] and Jerry [Moffatt] as well. What about them?
They're old, but still they can pull down hard.
So living overseas
as an Australian did you feel pressure to promote or educate
people about the Australian scene?
Not at all, most of them know that Australia has some of
the best rock around. And plus I haven't really been travelling
myself in Australia yet!
Just recently you
flashed L'homme Obu V11 at the Balkans in Sydney. Tell us
about that?
At the time I was in great shape, the conditions were
near perfect, I had all the beta and there was no pressure from
other people! The moves suited me, it all came together and I did
it. Some strong guys have done it and others been close but it
still stands as V11 so thats really cool!
Ok, now for some
deep personal questions. What's your favourite food?
Weetabix with Blueberry soup, Pasta.
What, all at once?
Now and then...
Having lived and bouldered overseas do you think that has
made you a better person and/or boulderer?
Yes, most definitely. It's opened up my eyes to view
people and also boulders diffrently, I am more relaxed about
bouldering and what grades I can pull. I have progressed heaps
since when I was last in Australia, I had great walls to train on
in Stockholm and frequent trips around Sweden and Europe
bouldering has made me a better boulderer.
So would you say
you were motivated by the ultimate goal of sending something,the
entire journey or the politically correct answer that everyone
else gives of "the movement"?
At present I believe, getting out amongst the blocs
putting up new problems, finding the sequence of moves that
suites you and going all out is what I would say drives me! [So
that would be the journey then?]
What's 5 times 5?
5
What's 7 times 9?
5
What's 4 time 2?
5
What's the first
vegetable that you can think of?
Parsnip.
Did you know that
90% of people say carrots?
Yep.
Damn you know all
my tricks already!
Thanks.
Anything final you'd
like to say?
Yep. Hi everyone, thanx to you all for getting me into
bouldering. Now get off the computer and get out amongst the
blocs .....