Rockcity scaling the heights at Olympics as expansion planned
SUCCESS: Rockcity managing director Mark English. Pictures by Tom Arran
By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor
Climbing centre Rockcity is going for gold at the Paris Olympic Games, as it looks to expand its operation in Hull.
Rockcity, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, has been selected to provide the holds for the competition climbing walls.
It is providing a total of 600 holds for the Games, which run from July 26 to August 11.
The award is the latest global success for Rockcity, which also provided the holds for the Olympic climbing qualifiers in Shanghai, China, and Budapest, Hungary.
Its internationally-recognised expertise in the design of challenging holds also resulted in Rockcity providing the holds for the last Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020 – when competition climbing made its debut.
The company has provided holds for other major competitions in recent years too, including the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Cup in Hachioji, Japan, in 2018, and the European Championships in Zacopane, Poland, the following year, among others.
EXPANSION: Mark English at the Rockcity climbing centre
Now, Rockcity, based on Hawthorne Avenue, west Hull, is planning to expand with a new climbing hold manufacturing factory in the city.
It currently designs all its own holds but has to outsource the manufacturing side to specialist companies across the world.
Rockcity plans to open a new £400,000, 10,000 sq ft facility next to its climbing centre to bring the whole process in-house.
Managing director Mark English, who founded Rockcity as only the fourth indoor climbing centre in the country in 1994, said: “It’s fantastic that a small business in Hull has the expertise to be able to influence the Olympic Games.
“It’s such a high-profile event to be a part of, and it’s brilliant for our profile.
“We’ve developed as a business over time, and we’ve always been interested in the design of the climbing holds.
SELECTED: Climbing holds at Rockcity similar to those being used in the Paris Olympic Games
“We make them from polyurethane, which enables you to have incredible detail and thin holds that would break if they were made from different material.
“They’re excellent for competition climbing because they allow the route setters to make changes to the climbs that really force movement.
“Climbing is one of the very few sports where the field of play is deliberately changed. It’s manipulated to confuse the participants. That’s why these holds are so important.”
Rockcity currently has climbers from the age of just two up to 80, and Mark said it has grown in popularity as people have come to appreciate the health benefits.
“It’s been one of the fastest growing sports in recent years,” he said. “You get a full body workout, using all your major muscle groups. You’re using your own body weight as resistance, and it’s a really good all-round exercise regime.
“What’s also become more and more apparent over the years is that it’s very good for mental health. It’s a sport for people who don’t like other sports or traditional exercise, and it’s just a really enjoyable activity.”
Mark was exhibiting at a trade show in Germany in 2017 when the opportunity presented itself for Rockcity to feature in a catalogue, from which approved products would be selected for major international events.
He and his team developed their holds, presented them and were selected.
Rockcity, with support from Hull City Council’s business advisors, is now applying for £120,000 from the Growing Places Fund towards the development of the new factory, which will create eight full-time jobs. It is hoped the facility will be operational in six months.
Mark said: “We’ve proven there’s demand and we’ve built a brand. We have international sales and marketing, now we want to bring the manufacturing under our own control, in our home city.
“It will allow us to improve the quality, improve the lead times and the pricing. We’ll also be able to be more responsive.
“We’ve always been well supported by Hull City Council’s Business Support Team. They’ve provided us with invaluable advice and support over the years, and have helped us navigate any issues we’ve had.”
Councillor Paul Drake-Davis, the council’s portfolio holder for regeneration and housing, said: “Rockcity is a true Hull success story and it’s great to see a company the council has supported over the years playing a key role in the Paris Olympic Games.
“The company’s plans to expand with a new manufacturing facility in the city, creating local jobs, are also very exciting, and further evidence of its continued success.”