YOUTH BFL

Will youth athletes be performing the strength drills for the qualifying series?

• No, youth athletes will not be performing strength and skill assesments for the qualifying series.

• If they qualify for the BFL Pro Open, they will be required to participate in the strength and skills assessments.

• BFL Youth Series is 5 Competition Boulders, see rules here

Who should participate in this series?

• All youth climbers are welcome, ages 10-14 or U-12 through the U-17 category.

• If you’re unsure about the correct category due to age or size, reach out to your coach or organizer.

Will kids have to weigh themselves?

• The youth series will be self-reported. However if they qualify for BFL Pro, their will be weigh-in.

• The minimum weight requirement to advance to BFL Pro is 100 lbs — to ensure safety and help promote healthy development of young athletes.

Why is there a weight requirement?

• It’s to incentivize healthy growth and create a more level playing field.

• Most pros naturally weigh above 100 lbs, and our youth event is meant to reflect that developmental curve.

How does the weight class system work?

• Inspired by systems like wrestling, 3 weight classes (Under 100, 100-130, 130+) are used instead of gender to:

  • Avoid mismatches (e.g., lighter U15 boys vs. heavier U17 powerhouses).

  • Allow strong younger girls to compete on even terms with slightly older boys.

What’s the philosophy behind this?

• Kids grow at different rates, and age doesn’t always reflect size or power.

• This series aims to reduce confusion and body image struggles caused by disproportionate matchups.

• It also helps spark open dialogue about weight, growth, and performance.

What are coaches saying?

• Coaches have mixed feelings but appreciate the chance to make weight a positive, educational experience.

• We encourage coaches to discuss this openly with their athletes and normalize healthy growth and weight differences.

Is there research or documentation?

• Yes! A research paper is in the works, created by BFL’s team, to help the climbing community understand the role of weight and power in youth development. In the meantime, we encourage reading this well thought paper.

What about emotional safety?

• The series is built to create a safe space for young athletes who:

  • Feel too small or too big.

  • Are navigating changes in their bodies.

  • Need reassurance that growth looks different for everyone.

Individuals: Please follow @climbingcombine on instagram and BFL Climbing Combine on Youtube. Share the event with friends and come to the event!

Brands: If you would like to sponsor or support this event, please contact beastfingerstraining@gmail.com 

PRO BFL

What is a combine?

A combine is used in all sports to test performance, and athletic output of an athlete through a series of tests (Not to be confused with combined climbing event (sport, speed, bouldering).

What is the climbing combine?

The BFL Climbing Combine is a one day showcase of climbing strength and skill hosted by Beast Fingers Climbing in Denver Metro area, where amateur and professional athletes perform a series of physical and mental tests in front of a local and national livestream audience. The BFL Climbing Combine has attracted such athletes as Natalia Grossman, Drew Ruana, and Zach Gala. This event aims to amplify and support new and current athletes with cash prizes for the top 3 athletes in women’s and men’s category and a captive in person and online audience! To watch last year’s combine, visit our livestream recordings here.

We chose to create the climbing combine as a way of measuring climbers performance, and turning it into a competition. However, the most important part of all of this is the data, that allows climbers and all to understand how their strength is applied in real-world climbing scenarios, whether climbing indoors, competing in climbing as in the Olympics, or climbing outside.

Who is allowed to compete?

• Athletes ages 15 and up are allowed to compete at the BFL Climbing Combine, designed to create an economic opportunity for aspiring and current professional athletes to show off their skills to our sponsors.

• The invitation to compete is open to everyone with hopes that potential sponsors and stakeholders can see your skills and support more up and comers that are trying hard!

• Youth Athletes ages 10-14 who qualify through the Qualifying Series are allowed to compete at the BFL Pro Event

How many competitors?

• At the moment we only allow a maximum of 15 men, and 15 women.

• Unlike BFL Youth, categories are separated by gender.

If I am an athlete, what are my travel & lodging options?

If you are flying in from out of town, you will need to book your ticket to Denver International Airport.

From the airport, Beast Fingers Climbing Gym is 37 minutes by car or 1 hour by public transport (104L to 8). Rentals from the airport or Turo rentals are available but should be booked in advance. Find more information about the train here

Nearby hotels include: The Curtis, Hilton Garden Inn, Clarion Hotel

If I am attending the event, what can I expect in terms of accessibility?

• Physical Access - There are two access points to enter the gym. The main door is located at the top of a small set of stairs with rails. The other access point is located at the loading ramp.

• Space - The gym can accommodate about 100 people. There will be gym equipment throughout the facility but organized as best as possible to facilitate the event and spectators and free pathways to visit the bathrooms or exit the building. Our climbing wall and kilter board is located along the back wall along with a large soft mat. To view the space, see our livestream of the BFL2 from last year.

• Seating - There will be limited seating indoors and outdoors during the event so we do strongly encourage to bring your own seat if possible

If you would like to learn more or would like assistance attending the event, please email beastfingerstraining@gmail.com 

Are spectators allowed?

Yes! We welcome spectators to come and watch. Stay tuned for details on the event and what to expect.

If I don’t live in Denver, how can I watch this event?

We pride ourselves in providing a livestream option for this event. Please subscribe to BFL Climbing Combine on Youtube to watch this event live with some amazing commentators and see the athletes go hard on all of the objectives from your phone or laptop!

Will there be championships?

We would like to host a championship event but are unable to at this time.

This is Awesome! How can I support the event?

Individuals: Please follow @climbingcombine on instagram and BFL Climbing Combine on Youtube. Share the event with friends and come to the event!

Brands: If you would like to sponsor or support this event, please contact beastfingerstraining@gmail.com