Bolting for Humanity

It try not to be bothered by Joey Kinder's unrepentant self-promotion. It is his job after all. Yet, his recent "I bolt routes for future generations!" campaign is too much to bear. Now, DeadPoint Magazine has fallen for his schtick, posting a laudatory interview with Joe that makes it seem like every sport route in the U.S. was his selfless work.

There are two problems with this crap-ass subterfuge.

For one, pitching route development as humanitarian work is a notion more shoddy than a Rifle clip-up. Mother Teresa never recommended sport climbing development as a way to give back to humanity. Why? Do we even have to answer? Okay, because climbing and all the efforts we go to to perpetuate it amount to nothing more than the perpetuation of possibly the most selfish leisure-time pursuit ever conceived. Bolting for future generations? Pah.

The second problem is that for all his shout-outs to Andrada and Sharma, Joey doesn't give proper due to the massive amount of work expended by the real route developers who came way, way before his tiny efforts. How about Ward Smith, bolter of climbs that made Joe Kinder the climber he is today? How about Randy Leavitt? How about Porter Jarrad, Doug Reed, and a zillion other people who've paid far greater dues and are much more deserving of the attention Joey manages to stir up for himself for bolting, what, maybe 15 climbs? Pitiful.