Lisa Rands

Bio:

Lisa Rands grew up in Southern California, where she spent her early climbing years seeking traditional roped adventure. While studying for her geology degree in college, she was introduced to bouldering, which suited her powerful style well. But it was only after working for a geotechnical firm in Colorado that she decided to devote herself to her sport full-time. She knew she would not be content in life doing anything else and never wanted to have to ask herself, "What if?"

It didn’t take long for Lisa to catch the public’s eye. From 2000 onward she began breaking barriers with first female ascents of bold, cutting-edge lines at premiere bouldering destinations in North America and Europe and scoring huge victories in international competitions. In the summer of 2002, despite her limited competitive experience, she beat the best gym-trained climbers in the world in two major events and ended her first year of international competition ranked number one in the world. She’s dominated the famous outdoor Phoenix Bouldering Contest for the past three years, finishing in 2003 with a score almost three times that of her nearest rival. Even away from the hype of the competitive circuit, Lisa proves herself repeatedly. Venturing to England’s famed gritstone edges, she welcomed a new challenge, making the hardest onsights by any woman on the area’s short but exceptionally bold routes. With her ascent of the spectacular arête, “The End of the Affair,” at Curbar Edge, she became the first woman ever to climb E8. Yet for all of her accomplishments, Lisa is known in the climbing world not only for her exceptional talent, but also her modest personality and friendly demeanor off the rock—truly an inspiration to all who meet her.

Birthdate:

10/21/1975

Favorite Destination:

South Africa

Favorite The North Face Product:

The Nuptse Down Jacket. I'd turn into a Popsicle without it!

Proudest Moment:

Getting my Geology degree.

Words To Live By:

Have Fun!

Favorite Moment In History:

Lynn Hill free climbing the nose on El Capitan. She broke a barrrier for both men and women.

Weakness:

Dark chocolate

Inspiration Within the Sport:

Climbers who are out there for the pure love of the sport.

Dream Vacation:

The rocklands in South Africa is my dream trip. Perfect rock, perfect weather, and all of my good friends in tow.

Three Things I Always Pack:

Lip gloss, sun glasses, puffy jacket.

Web Site:

www.lisarands.com

Career Highlights:

• Winner of the 2004 Triple Crown Bouldering Competition, winning all three events of the series, Oct- Dec 2004
• First woman to boulder two V10s in one day, Targasonne, France, May 2004
• First woman to climb E8 with "The End of the Affair", Curbar, England, October 2004
• Second woman ever to climb E7 on gritstone (and the first in 10 years) and the first woman to onsight E5/6, September, 2003
• First American woman to climb V11/12, completing two ("Chbalanke" and "Sarah" at Hueco Tanks, Texas) in a single weekend, March, 2003
• First American to win an international bouldering contest: Lecco, Italy, June 2002, and again at L'Argentière, France, July 2002
• Ranked No. 1 in the world in competitive bouldering, Nov. 2002
• Three consecutive wins at Phoenix Bouldering Contest/Phoenix BoulderBlast, the world's biggest outdoor climbing contest (2002-2004)
• First American woman to climb a V11 boulder problem with “Plain High Drifter” (V11) in the Buttermilks, California, March, 2001
• Climbed the world's most-famous boulder problem, “Midnight Lightning,” in Yosemite Valley, California, Jan. 2001

Film/Media Highlights:

• Climbing: Feature article with full-page photos, “Lisa Rands—Hard Grit Terapy,” December 2005
• Gripped (Canada): Featured climber in the article “The World’s 15 Strongest Boulderers,” July 2005
• Sports Illustrated: “Extreme Q&A,” interview plus photos in the “Adventure Section,” June 27, 2005
• OLN TV: Outside Magazine’s Ultimate Top Ten: “Adventure Goddesses,” 2004, featured athlete
• The Hit List, DVD by Wills Young: 25-minute feature of Lisa’s climbing
• The Road, DVD by Mike Call: short segment
• Dosage, Vol. 1, DVD by Josh Lowell: featured climber
• Autoroute, DVD by Rob Frost: featured climber
• Frequent Flyers, DVD by Mike Call: featured climber
• The High Life, video by Mike Call: featured climber
• Los Angeles Times: “Outdoors” section cover photos accompanying feature, May 11, 2004
• Outside: interview and double-page photo, Sept. 2002
• Rock & Ice: cover photo, regular reports and double-page feature, Mar. 2003
• Climbing: cover photo, two “Hot Seat” interviews and numerous reports, Dec. 2001
• VBouldering: cover photo, interview and photos, Feb. 2002
• Grimper (France): cover photo, July 2002
• Escalar (Spain): cover photo and interview, spring 2004 (No. 37)
• Climber (U.K.): report and photo, Dec. 2003
• On The Edge (U.K.): full-page photo and report, Nov. 2003
• High/Mountain (U.K.): report and photo, Dec. 2003
• Vertical (France): four-page interview with photos, July 2003
• Rock & Snow (Japan): interview with photos, Dec. 2003
• Website: www.lisarands.com (read the articles, see the photos, and more)
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