Ashima Shiraishi

Ashima Shiraishi (白石阿島, Shiraishi Ashima, born April 3, 2001) is an American rock climber. Shiraishi started climbing at the age of six at Rat Rock in Central Park, joining her father. Only a few years later, she quickly established herself as one of the top boulderers and sport climbers in the world, and is widely considered to be the best teenage climber regardless of gender. Her numerous accolades include first-place finishes in international competitions, and multiple first female and youngest ascents. Shiraishi is featured in several short documentary-style films, and is the subject of the documentary short "Return to the Red" (2012).[2]

Ashima Shiraishi
Shiraishi at the Climbing World Championships 2018
Personal information
Nationality
Born (2001-04-03) April 3, 2001
New York City, New York, United States
OccupationStudent, rock climber, sport climber
Height154 cm (5 ft 1 in)
Weight40 kg (88 lb)[1]
Climbing career
Type of climberBouldering, Lead climbing
Highest grade
Known forYoungest person to climb a 5.14d/5.15a (9a/9a+)  route, and first female to climb a V15 (8C) boulder
Updated on October 31, 2017.

The New York Times referred to her as a "bouldering phenom".[3] Outside Magazine described her as a "young crusher".[4] And The New Yorker called her "a Gretzky of the granite".[5] At age 13 she became the second[6][7] female, and youngest person, to climb a sport route with a difficulty grade of 5.14d/5.15a (9a/9a+).[8] In 2016, she achieved the second ascent of the Horizon in Mount Hiei, Japan (rated V15 on the Hueco scale) and became the first female climber to climb the grade.[9]

Biography

Shiraishi was born in New York City on April 3, 2001. She is the only child of Tsuya and Hisatoshi Shiraishi, who immigrated from Japan in 1978 to New York City. Her father, Hisatoshi "Poppo" Shiraishi, was trained as a dancer in Butoh.[5] When she was 6 years old, her parents took her to Central Park, where she started climbing at Rat Rock. She later climbed at Brooklyn Boulders in Gowanus, Brooklyn.[10]

Shiraishi began climbing competitively at age 7, in 2008, and paired with coach Obe Carrion, an accomplished climber. Their partnership ended in 2012, largely due to tensions and disagreements between Carrion and Shiraishi's father, who has coached her since.[11]

At age 8, Shiraishi climbed the classic boulder problem Power of Silence (V10), in Hueco Tanks, Texas. At age 9, she climbed Chablanke (V11/12) and Roger in the Shower (V11) in Hueco Tanks, and several other difficult boulders. At age 10, she climbed Fred Nicole's notorious Crown of Aragorn (V13) also in Hueco Tanks. She is the youngest person ever to climb this grade, and one of very few female climbers to climb a confirmed V13.[12]

Shiraishi also excelled in lead climbing. At age 11, in October 2012, she climbed Southern Smoke at the Red River Gorge, a grade 5.14c (8c+) sport route, becoming the youngest person to climb a route of this difficulty.[13]

In 2013, Shiraishi continued to excel at both bouldering and lead climbing, adding to her ticklist a 5.14a (Slow Food at Céüse)[14] two more V13s (One Summer in Paradise and Automator)[15][16] and finally two 5.14c's (24 Karats and 50 Words for Pump).[17] On July 2014, she climbed what might be her first V14, Golden Shadow; however, there is a suggestion that Golden Shadow is V13 or V13/V14.[18] She was the second officially recorded female climber (after Tomoko Ogawa) to successfully climb a V14 problem.[19] On the first day of 2015, she climbed her second V14 (V13/V14), The Swarm, claiming the first female top-out of the problem.[20][21][22]

At age 13, Shiraishi climbed her first 5.14d (9a), Open Your Mind Direct R1 in Santa Linya. The route was thought to be harder while Shiraishi was attempting it, for a few months earlier a hold had broken off near the top.[23][24][25] However, on Christmas Day of 2015, Edu Márin Garcia climbed the route past Shiraishi's end point to the second top and confirmed Shiraishi's route as a 5.14d (9a).[26] In the same climbing trip, Shiraishi climbed Ciudad de Dios, making her the youngest athlete to climb a 5.14d/5.15a (9a/9a+) and the second female climber to climb at this level.[8][23][27] The route has been climbed by 6 other athletes, but there is still no definite consensus on whether the grade is 5.14d or 5.15a.

In 2015, 2016, and 2017 Shiraishi won the IFSC World Youth Championships for both Lead and Bouldering in the Female Youth B category.[28][29] In March 2016, at 14 years old, she climbed the boulder problem Horizon (8C/V15) in Mount Hiei, Japan.[30] She is the second person ever to finish this problem. With this achievement she became the first female climber as well as the youngest climber to climb this bouldering grade.[31] A few months later, she climbed Sleepy Rave, another V15 (or V14 according to some),[32] in Grampians National Park, Australia.[33] 

In 2017, she was the winner of the female sport category at the USA Climbing Sport & Speed Open National Championships (SCS nationals) held in Denver, Colorado, and placed second at the USA Climbing Bouldering Nationals (ABS nationals) to 10-time champion Alex Puccio.[34] In the same year, she started competing in the Climbing World Cup as an adult.[35]

She is sponsored by Evolv, The North Face, Clif Bar, Petzl, Coca-Cola Japan, All Nippon Airways and Nikon.

Rankings

Climbing World Championships

Youth[29]

Discipline 2015
Youth B		 2016
Youth B		 2017
Youth A
Lead 1 1 1
Bouldering 1 1 1
Speed - - 28
Combined - - 2

USA Open Championships
Discipline 2019
Bouldering[36] 1
Lead[37] 2

Notable ascents

Boulder problems

8C (V15):

8B+ (V14):

8B (V13):

Other Bouldering Achievements:

  • Lethal Design - V12 (8A+) - flash
  • Chblanke - V11/V12 (8a/8a+)
  • Ashimandala - V11 (8A)
  • Roger in the Shower - V11 (8A)
  • Power of Silence - V10 (7C+)

Redpointed routes

9a or 9a+ (5.14d or 5.15a):

  • Ciudad de Dios - Santa Linya (ESP) - March 23, 2015 - First female ascent.[8] The route has been repeated by several others, but they have not reached consensus about its grade[8][23][27]

9a (5.14d):

  • Open Your Mind Direct R1 - Santa Linya (ESP) - March 17, 2015 - First female ascent. The route was initially graded 9a (5.14d), but later a hold broke off leading to speculation that the route might have become harder, possibly 9a+. Shiraishi was the first climber who climbed it after the hold had broken.[23][26][27][24][25] However, in December 2015 Edu Márin Garcia climbed the route past Shiraishi's end point to an higher top and confirmed the initial 9a (5.14d) rating for Shiraishi's route.[26]

8c+ (5.14c):

  • Southern Smoke - Red River Gorge (USA) - September 2012[42]
  • Lucifer - Red River Gorge (USA) - September 2012[42]
  • 24 Karats - Red River Gorge (USA) - October 2013[43]
  • 50 Words for Pump - Red River Gorge (USA) - October 2013[43]
  • La Fabela - Santa Linya (ESP) - March 2014 - First female ascent[44]

8c (5.14b):

  • Digital system - Santa Linya (ESP) - March 2014[44]
  • Rollito Sharma extension - Santa Linya (ESP) - March 2014[44]

References
  1. Tilton, Morgan (April 28, 2016). "Ashima Shiraishi: Rock Climbing's Media Darling". Retrieved 2017-07-19.
  2. "Return to the Red". Vimeo.com. 2012-12-08. Archived from the original on 2016-10-02. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
  3. Doyne, Shannon (2012-04-12). "Bouldering Phenom". New York Times. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  4. Roy, Adam (2011-07-09). "Science of Young Crushers". Outside. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  5. Paumgarten, Nick. "The Wall Dancer: Ashima Shiraishi's route to the top". The New Yorker. Condé Nast (2016–01–11).
  6. MacDonald, Dougald (May 11, 2005). "Josune Climbs Possible 5.15". Climbing Magazine. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  7. "Josune Bereziartu repeats a 9a+". UKClimbing.com. UK Climbing. May 2005. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  8. "Ciudad de Dios, 9a/+, by Ashima". UK Climbing. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  9. Planetmountain (22 March 2016). "Ashima Shiraishi claims first female 8C boulder with Horizon".
  10. Bosman, Julie (2012-05-12). "Ashima Shiraishi, 11, Conquers Difficult Bouldering Climbs". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2015-04-21.
  11. Weil, Elizabeth (2015-12-07). "Ashima Shiraishi Could Become Best Female Climber in the World at Just 14". ESPN. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
  12. Fox, Amanda (2012-03-21). "10 year old repeats crown of aragorn". Climbing. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  13. Climbing, DOM (2012-10-26). "Ashima Sends Southern Smoke". DPM Climbing. Archived from the original on 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  14. Larson, Jens (2013-07-26). "Céüse 8b+ by Mirko (12) and Ashima (11)". 8a.nu. Retrieved 2013-10-25.
  15. Parker, Chris (2013-08-15). "12-Year-Olds Mirko Caballero and Ashima Shiraishi Send V13 in Magic Wood". Rock and Ice. Retrieved 2013-10-25.
  16. Kahn, Chris (2013-09-25). "Ashima sends Automator V13/8B". Rock and Ice. Retrieved 2013-10-25.
  17. Hewitt, Andrew (2013-10-07). "Ashima Shiraishi Makes First Female Ascent of 24 Karats (5.14c) in the Red". Rock and Ice. Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2013-10-25.
  18. "Golden Shadow". 27 Crags.
  19. Leslie Hittmeier (11 July 2014). "Ashima Shiraishi Becomes Second Female To Climb V14". Climbing Magazine. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  20. "The Swarm". 27 Crags.
  21. "Ashima Shiraishi and Paige Claassen Join The North Face". 2015-01-29. Archived from the original on 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2015-02-09.
  22. "Ashima Shiraishi Earns FFA of The Swarm". cruxcrush.com. 2015-01-01. Retrieved 2015-02-09.
  23. "Shiraishi Becomes First Female to Climb a 5.15". Outside On Line. 18 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  24. "Ashima Shiraishi climbs 9a/9a+ at Santa Linya in Spain". Planet Mountain.
  25. "VIDEO: Ashima Shiraishi climbs Open your mind direct, ~9a/+, at Santa Linya, Spain". UK Climbing.
  26. Fernández, Isaac. "Edu Marín hace 'Open your mind direct' 9a+: "2015 ha sido uno de mis mejores años"". Desnivel.com. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  27. "Reaching new heights: girl ascends to rock-climbing royalty at only 13". Guardian. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  28. "BOULDERING: Double Victories for Females". Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  29. IFSC, ed. (August 20, 2019). "Shiraishi's profile and rankings". Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  30. "Ashima Shiraishi claims first female 8C boulder with Horizon". PlanetMountain.com. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  31. "Ashima Shiraishi Climbs First V15". Climbing Magazine. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  32. "Ashima repeats Sleepy rave, ~8C". UK Climbing. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  33. "Ascent of Sleepy Rave by Ashima Shiraishi". hardclimbs.info. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  34. Yap, Audrey Cleo. "15-Year-Old Ashima Shiraishi Nabs First Place at USA Climbing Championships". nbcnews.com. NBC News. Retrieved 2017-03-19.
  35. IFSC, ed. (August 20, 2019). "World Cup Rankings". Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  36. "Bouldering Open National Championship Results".
  37. "Sport&Speed Open National Championships Results".
  38. "8B Senders Ladies Club". OnBouldering.com. 2013-08-19. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  39. "Could This 15-Year-Old Redefine Rock Climbing?". 2016-11-03. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  40. "HardClimbs.info | Ascents for Sleepy Rave". www.hardclimbs.info. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  41. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-08-30. Retrieved 2016-12-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  42. "Red River Gorge: Adam Ondra 9a flash and Ashima Shiraishi 8c+ redpoint". planetmountain.com. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
  43. "Ashima Shiraishi Makes First Female Ascent of 24 Karats (5.14c) in the Red". rockandice.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
  44. Cusidó, Oscar (2014-07-26). "Ashima Shiraishi, la niña araña" (in Spanish). Am14. Archived from the original on 2014-12-09. Retrieved 2014-07-30.
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