Students from ten Midwest universities convened in Cedar Falls on Feb. 11 & 12 for the Red Bull Silo Summit, an ice climbing event staged on the sides of iced-down silos.
This year’s Red Bull Silo Summit men’s champion, Shaun Lindsay of Iowa State University, defeated the competition with a time of 1:03. Ohio State University’s Jennifer Proffit scaled the silos in 2:42 claiming victory in the women’s division.
Will Gadd commented, “I think it’s an incredible opportunity for young up-and-comers in the sport to experience the thrill or competition without having to drive eighteen hours to the Rockies. The way he’s created such a venue is super innovative, and I’m just excited to see the sport grow in different directions like this.”Each hour of the six hour event seven students ice climbed two different trails up a 70-foot silo. The student’s score is the sum of both climbs. Despite the rough terrain, Lindsay claims that silo ice climbing is a simple sport.
“You just swing a sharp object into the ice, stand-up and repeat,” he suggests. “But it helps if you go fast.”
Approximately 36 students arrived from the University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University, University of Iowa, and Ohio State University to compete in the invitation-only event. Event creator Don Briggs extended invitations to recreation and climbing instructors at schools from throughout the Midwest, who in turn selected students to represent each school’s program.
Briggs, Instructor of Outdoor Pursuits at the University of Northern Iowa, pioneered the event when he sprayed down the sides of silos just five miles from campus to practice ice climbing in an otherwise limited part of the country for such pursuits.