Jimmy Webb – Uncensored

c Aki H.

Interview made together with Pure8a 31st of March at Sisu Masters (Kattilahalli) in Helsinki.

What could be the first impression about Finns? Blond people wearing black clothes.

Not far from the truth.

(If you want to learn more about Finns, check Finnish nightmares.) 

While Dave was still looking holds for his problem (or his shirt), Jimmy was more or less ready. 

We got a chance to chat with him after he set up his route. What we should ask? He just flashed “The Globalist”. Maybe something about that? Or about climbing?

No.

F**k that.

We wanted to know more about subjects like Helsinki nightlife, beer, fishing and his beard.

Enjoy.

I guess this is your first time in Finland?

Yeah.

How have you experienced Finland?

It’s good! I’ve been cruising around the city, checking out the good places to get good food and beers and like that, climbing too (laugh).

The most important things first, to get know the city.

Yeah, for sure.

Did you find any good places?

Yeah, the city is amazing. It’s really diverse city I’ve found. Good food, lot of good places to hang out, and good night life, definitely all kinds of things to get a life.

So you’ve been out already?

Yeah for sure, we’ve done that almost every night!

I heard that you already visited few boulders. Is the rock different than everything else you’ve seen, for example like in your hometown?

It’s definitely nothing like back home. Back home it’s mostly sandstone. Here it’s a bit different what I am used to. It’s quality granite, really good rock, similar what you can find from Colorado, out of Washington, something like that. It’s diverse, really cool, and makes really neat problems. I had a blast just running around.

You are from Maryville?

Yeah, living in Chattanooga.

How people there are different than in Finland?

Very much so (laugh!). Well, you can visit neat places and every place got its own thing, ideas are different, you just get used to different culture, different vibe, people and how they do things in their daily basis and how they do things when it comes to religion, politics, whatever. It changes drastically; back home it’s interesting, southern hospitality. It’s great.

By the way, how did you got the idea to come here?

I know Nalle, I’ve been climbing with Nalle for few years now, and he told me that they are going to do this again this year and we were just psyched to meet new people, check out Helsinki and climbing here. I expressed interest pretty quick, because I love travelling and seeing new people and places and this was a good opportunity.

Did you know that Henkka calls you (three) "rat pack"?

What?

I don’t know...

Me neither (laugh!)

Maybe you should ask Henkka about it...

Maybe they created it, I don’t know nothing about it. (laugh!)

c Aki H.

You already have an impressive beard.

Yeah, thanks. It’s hard to grow a good beard, it takes time.

How long you have had that?

This one? Something like three, four months maybe. I grow it as long as I can.

So you can take a role as the Santa Claus?

We’ll see how it goes, if I get sick of or whatever. (laugh!) 

How about your route? Isn’t it on the left? How would you describe it or is it a top secret?

No, not at all. It’s a pure power problem. I just wanted to assembly something that represents my style, dynamic moves between decent holds, pinches, basically just lots of pinching and jumping. Should be athletic, fun, and people should enjoy it. Long distances between the holds, but most people here should be able to do it. All of us got different heights, strengths and weaknesses. On that problem I’ll be highlighting on it and for Daniel, Nalle or Dave it’s really dynamic. Long reaches and they might have more trouble with it. They are setting things that are really hard and crunchy, crimpy, really hard for me. I think that I’m the only person who is that kind of tall.

I think I am going to be overall screwed by these guys.

I’m just looking all the problems and they look really hard.

Jimmy on his route.

Dave is making a really long boulder.

Something pumpy.

He tries to make you tired (laugh!). By the way, are you just efficient or are all others slow? Are you going to help them now or... (laugh!)

Tell them to make it more of my style...(laugh!). No, my problem is just pretty basic, hardest part is to figure out how bad the holds need to be. If it’s too good it’s too easy and if you settle too bad holds then you couldn’t do it so, ammmm... I set quite a lot back home in the gym, and I spend a long time on setting, and when it comes to setting, I love to set this kind of style problems...

You know what you are going to do.

Yeah, you just throw it up. I may need to change it later. These guys are getting more cryptic with their problems so...

You have more time to study their routes.

We all got time to try them later, that’ll be pretty fun!

Do you have some tips, how to make a good route?

I usually like... 

My opinion is that use holds that are ergonomic. Make sure that you put comfortable problems up that are pleasant to climb on. 

When people are coming to climb your boulders they want to enjoy what they are climbing on. If you put some heinous crimpers all the time or two finger pockets... it gets tweaky, dangerous... I am really keen on setting problems that are comfortable for everyone to climb on. Comfy holds, good moves... I always take ideas from outside, you know what I mean like “Oh man, I did this problem wherever I was one day and it was really cool. Maybe today I set something kind of like that.” Bringing outside indoors. You get endless ideas. You just have to come inside and create it. It’s a cool thing about it. You can do whatever you want.

You are from close to Tennessee river, right? Have you been fishing there?

No, not so much. I am more towards my family on Rocky Mountains, I go fishing there ‘cause streams are really clear.

Fly fishing?

No, no fly fishing for me. My grandfather, who lives in Florida, is actually a fisherman, so when I was younger I went fishing with him all the time. That was more like a childhood pass time. We can’t do that as much we used do, for sure.

You probably have heard myths about Finland that we have forest, lakes, mosquitoes... did people scared you with these kind of things?

No, I didn’t hear anything.

No? So you are here open-minded. Ok. Now we have a tough question for you. What is your favourite beer brand?

I don’t know. It depends. Back home I go through different phases. IPA is one... I like different brands more than others, it depends on a day, week, month, year...you know. (laugh!)

Which beers you’ve been drinking here so far?

I haven’t had too many beers actually, because most places where we’ve been going the beer selection weren’t too good. We’ve been in these old schools... not like old school, but restaurants where they have their own brewery. And we’ve been drinking pretty good wine, which is nice. But yeah, couple IPA’s.

Do you feel like wherever you go climbers are the same? Do you underwrite this?

Yeah, I totally agree. In certain extend. Climbers are climbers, pretty obsessed about climbing on rocks, and drinking beer and like hanging out, you know. Just trying to get by, and having fun. Not really to worry about it too much, at least I am not. After all, the most important thing in climbing is having fun.

By the way, do your fingers ever hurt?

Yeah, they are hurting right now! But after all, it is a privilege to have a chance to live a life like this, I think.

That said Daniel came and held his pinky, after trying his boulder... How hard it is then? You’ll find out it soon. Stay tooned!

Thanks for reading this post.

Finnish treat... c Aki H.

PS. Miten otteet valittiin tiimeille ja mitä treenivinkkejä Andy antoi? Siitä voit lukea pian Pure8a:sta.