Sasha DiGiulian dishes about Dominion Riverrock; America’s Largest Outdoor Sports and Music Festival
Me, and fellow competitors 2 and 3, Alex Johnson and Angela Payne
This past weekend the largest outdoor sports and music festival took place in Richmond, VA. Totaling an estimated 75,000 people at the event over the course of three days, The Dominion Riverrock Festival was without a doubt a huge success. Joyfully, for me, too! For the second year in a row, the Dominion Boulder Bash took form with unique “cage-like” volumes composing two steep, impressive structures. The competition began on Friday with Qualifiers in the evening, then Saturday were Quarterfinals in the morning and Semifinals at night, followed by a fourth round (Finals) on Sunday. Having four rounds of competition was tiring but lightened by the friendly crew of competitors from around the country. My friends from different parts of the US all came to Richmond to compete in this one-of-a-kind event. Honestly, what I love most about competing is the vibrant energy surrounding them and the time that I get to spend with my friends, some of whom I seldom see. At each competition, we are reunited and our laughs pick up from where we left off. I love it!
Details about the competition…
Qualifiers we had two climbs, both of which I flashed and was tied for first with Alex Johnson and Angela Payne.
Quarterfinals comprised of two climbs as well, both of which I flashed, though this time I was the only competitor to complete both, so I was first going into semifinals.
Semifinals were at night and definitely a highlight. The crowd was enormous and the lights and show surrounding the wall were eminent. We only had one climb in this round, which I flashed, and I was the only competitor to complete the climb so I had a good feeling of confidence moving towards finals, though I was also quite nervous because I did not want to mess up and lose my lead in the final round.
Finals were a success! I knew that all I had to do was do the climb my first try in order to win because I had been the only competitor to finish all of the others. Warming up, I felt ready for this final round, though tired from the previous long day of competition. When it was my turn, I took a deep breath and went for it. Thank you to the crowd for the positive energy! I made it to the top and felt that warm sensation of satisfaction as I topped out. Yahoooooooo =]
Here is a short video I created as well from the comp!
On a separate note, amidst the competition I also went to Richmond’s top radio station’s office and aired on “Hot 100.9” and “The River, 103.7.” I will see if I can post a recording of my segment on the radio shows!
Thank you to the organizers and to my sponsors, at this event! I had a wonderful time and look forward to next year’s event.
Next up, I am teaching a PCI clinic with Paul Robinson and Daniel Woods at Brooklyn Boulders May 26-27. If you are on the East Coast, I hope to see you there! To register, please visit www.proclimbers.com, or click Here!
Xoxoxx! Sasha <3
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Source: sasha-digiulian.com