Gordon McArthur has been a staple on the World Cup circuit across 15 seasons. We talk about returning to the sport, the story of Storm Giant (the first proposed D16 in the world), and what role ego plays in it all.
🧊 About the episode
Today, we dive into the mindset of a competitor. Gordon McArthur has been a staple on the World Cup circuit across 15 seasons, including a one-year retirement. We talk about the particular highs and lows of returning to the sport, the story of Storm Giant (the first proposed D16 in the world), and what role ego plays in it all.
In particular, our conversation hovers around themes of drive, our relationship to competitiveness, and understanding our true motivations.
We also chat about:
- 🧊 The moment of retirement: Inner Mongolia, 2017
- 🧊 Challenges and reflections from Edmonton
- 🧊 Mentorship and the legacy we leave behind
- 🧊 The story of Storm Giant
- 🧊 Advice for younger climbers
"And, and so to think back to that and the emotional turmoil I felt myself in, if someone asked me, would you still do it? I'd say, 'no, it wasn't worth it'. Because it costs too much emotionally for what you actually get out of the success of climbing something like that."
🧊 Resources and links
You can learn more about Gordon and read some of his reflections at gordonmcarthur.com. To follow him on Instagram, he’s @gord_mcarthur. If you’re curious to see how Storm Giant came together, definitely check out the Outdoor Research film, “Storm Giant: The World's Hardest Drytooling Route”.
🧊 Credits
📸: Cover photo by Jeff Mercier
Intro music by Hannah Noelle Enomoto (thanks, sis!). This episode was edited by Andrew Salomone of salomonesound.com.
🧊 Sponsors:
A huge thanks to Aniiu Gloves and Furnace Industries for supporting this show!
Aniiu Gloves: What do you get when you combine 30 years of ice climbing and product design chops? Well, if you’re into gloves you get Aniiu — a boutique climbing brand on a mission to produce the best ice climbing and drytooling gloves around. Doug, Jun, and the rest of the team spare no expense in the pursuit of durable, dextrous and waterproof. Best yet, they are made from recycled textiles — which saves waste from the landfill — and they are robustly built so they won’t end up there anytime soon. To learn more about your friend in the cold, head to aniiu.com. That is aniiu.com.
Furnace Industries: We get it, ice season never really ends… it just kinda blends between rock, plastic, and plywood until waterfalls freeze over again. No matter how you train in the off-season Furnace Industries keeps you going ‘til your next bout of screaming barfies. With their gym-safe DRY ICE Evolutions you can keep up your fitness indoors. And if you’re looking to challenge yourself on your homewall, they have the largest stock of drytooling holds in America. Check out their full lineup of ice and drytooling gear at furnace-Industries.com… where It’s Always Ice Season.
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