Robyn Erbesfield is a matriarch of modern sport climbing. In person, she exudes a regal air of confidence and a no-bullshit manner that has no doubt helped her achieve results in international climbing competition. She is the most successful competition climber in the short history of the sport, with four World Cup titles and numerous other international wins. Last year, Robyn retired from competition to pursue other career paths. However, Robyn adamantly insists that she’s no "has-been" champ. Although her life no longer revolves around the competition scene that dominated her time for so long, she now concentrates on writing (her training book was recently released.), route setting, and coaching.  
    Robyn’s professional climbing career dates back to the very beginning of the World Cup circuit. She speaks with a brash assertiveness when recounting her accomplishments, unafraid to claim her impact on the development of sport climbing. In 1989, Robyn won the first ever World Cup climbing event in Leeds, England. Starting in 1992, she won four straight World Cup titles. Her impressive career is certainly not limited to artificial walls. In the South of France, where she now resides, Robyn has redpointed two 5.14a’s ("Silence" and "Attention vos Regards") and on-sighted 5.13b. ("Overdose"). Her many accomplishments are partially a result of her driven personality, which she now applies to her new career paths away from competition. 
    As if by mystical coincidence, Robyn’s own departure from competition preceded drastic changes in the international competition scene. Just as Robyn has left competition, teenage American competitors such as Katie Brown and Chris Sharma threaten to overtake the scene, taking top spots in the few international competitions they’ve entered. On the down side, however, the World Cup series has faced major financial difficulties that have forced major restructuring. Robyn obviously had some things to say about these recent developments both in the international climbing scene and her own new life. 

  

RaG: I read on old interview in which you reported that you owned a housecleaning company, and you were happy to on-sight 5.11 off the couch. What changed for you so that you ended up committing more of your life to climbing?  

Robyn: That was a commercial cleaning company called "Dustbusters." I began climbing in 1982 and was pretty much a recreational climber until I turned professional in 1988 and started competing in the World Cup Circuit. Before that, what lead me to the World Cup Circuit was a series held in Atlanta called the Southeastern Bouldering Championships. I participated in those and won, but I was always sort of alone. There was never any other leading women participating, such as Lynn Hill or Bobby Bensman. However, it did give me the opportunity to get recognized in America, and that is when Todd Skinner called me and asked me if I was interested in climbing on the U.S. team in a World Cup event. That’s how I got involved. 

Have you retired from international competition for good?  

I have left and retired for good unless it becomes an Olympic sport and then I’d like to do a comeback. 

You know Michael Jordan said he was retiring from professional basketball, but he couldn’t keep away.  

I won’t rule it out. I will never forbid myself from competing. If I get the desire, I’ll be there. 

You might be considered a veteran of sorts. Can you comment on how climbing is changing today and how it’s changing for the future?  


I wouldn’t say I’m a veteran. I began traditional climbing, that’s for sure, but I’ve also been one to set the standard in the new generation of climbing as far as training goes, so you have to remember that. In the new generation there’s a lot of youth. What I don’t see is domination from the younger generation. Climbing is a mature sport and requires a lot of experience. And though we are seeing a lot of the younger talent come out, I think they happen to be exceptionally talented kids. Chris Sharma and Katie Brown for example. 

Chris Sharma just got second in the World Championships, and it doesn’t appear that he’s been pushed or motivated to his potential yet.  

Yeah, it’s amazing. That’s why he went out there (to be challenged), so it’s been what he wanted. 

How do you feel about the World Cup in general. We’ve all heard stories that it’s in jeopardy in terms of sponsorship money. Is it on its way out?  

Comment on the life of a professional climber for the younger generation that’s aspiring to achieve that kind of lifestyle.  

I can tell you what it’s been like for me. I would say it’s been a lot of hard work, but also it’s been sort of a nice lifestyle because I’ve been able to mix my pleasure with my career and my passion with my career. And I can certainly say to anyone who’s considering it that it takes a lot of hard work. Not only a lot of hard work but a lot of physical hard work which can be taxing for a length of time. I’ve been a professional for the last seven years, and I definitely feel like I’ve been fortunate and an extremely hard worker to be the top in my sport. That’s provided me with a good lifestyle as far as financially but through a lot of hard work. I don’t know if climbing is at the point where there could be many professionals to really live correctly. I know that I had a lot of business experience before I began climbing as a professional and I think that has helped me to gain a lot of respect from my sponsors. Most of my sponsors, I’d say 99% of my sponsors, have been with me for the last eight years. So you’re talking about big commitment. I’m sure we’ll continue to work together for many years to follow. 

I would say to those aspiring, up-and-coming climbers to be aware that it’s a lot of work and a lot of physical work. 

Where do you think you would be if you didn’t have climbing as your self-defining activity?  

Where would I be? I don’t know. I don’t know if I’d be a runner or a triathlete. Maybe a triathlete because I tend to like multisports. Maybe I would have been a triathlete. Maybe I still will be, you never know. Maybe I wouldn’t be a professional athlete at all and just a very active sportswoman. 

I don’t know. You know, it’s kind of a dumb question. I don’t know where I’d be because I’m here.  

  
I’d like to get a comment on your new book and anything else you’d like to say.  

I can’t think of anything else I’d like to say because I don’t have time. However, as far a my book goes, I’d just like to say that it’s out, and it’s really been designed to have something interesting for everybody at all levels of climbing. I hope you enjoy it. 

To give you an idea of the book, it’s designed so that you can basically pull it off the shelf when you’re at a beginner level, get some interesting information, put it back on the shelf, learn that information, pull it back off the shelf when you’re at an intermediate level, get some working tools, put it back on the shelf, perfect those tools, pull it off the shelf when you’re into training, perfect your training, etc, etc. So I’ve really given something for everyone. 


This interview was made by Rock and Groove(Copyright). See linkpage.