World Domination

The season opener for the 2002 Bouldering World Cup, held mid-June at Fiera di Primiero, Italy, didn't go well for America's top competition boulderer, Lisa Rands. "I was a little freaked out," says Rands. Despite a disappointing eighth-place finish, Rands thought she could improve her standing at the next event, in Lecco, Italy, simply by finding her groove: "I knew I was as strong as the winners. I just needed to climb better."

Some competition specialists would have locked themselves in a gym until the next event, but Rands concentrated on Switzerland's outdoor bouldering instead. In Chironico, she cranked a V10 arête in six tries over one hour, finding the desperate pinches and heel-hooks "not too bad," despite hot conditions.

At Lecco, in late June, Rands' first-round nerves disappeared in the finals. According to her partner Wills Young, "Every problem she topped out gave her more confidence. By the time she got to the last one, she was climbing almost perfectly." Rands prevailed, making history as the first American woman to win a World Cup bouldering event.

In July, Rands got her groove on again at L'Argentiere La Besse, one of Europe's longest-running events, though it's not part of the World Cup. All the big stars were there, including French champions Myriam Motteau and Martina Cufar, but no one came close to Rands' three top-outs.

Rands returned to the States in early August to catch the second Professional Climbing Association (PCA) competition of the summer, held at The Front in Salt Lake City and sponsored by E-Grips. The top women in North America were there, including a red-hot Tori Allen. Rands' success in Europe made her the favorite, but Allen was looking forward to the contest. "I used to think Lisa was unbeatable," says Allen, "but now I feel like we're pretty close. In Salt Lake, I just focused on beating the wall, because I can't affect what Lisa does anyway."

Rands and Allen qualified neck-and-neck, with Rands just a few points ahead going into the four-problem finals. When Allen flashed problem three, the crowd erupted. Rands fell from the last move and couldn't improve on that in two more tries. Problem four consisted of shoulder-wrenching pulls across an eight-foot roof. Allen made a few moves, then repeatedly stalled on a cone-shaped hold. Rands got to the hold in better control, matched, then yarded to the lip of the cave, earning just enough points to take the win. Chris Sharma edged out Canadian Nels Rossasen in the men's division.

It's not something she'll say herself, but after beating the best competitors and ticking double-digit problems on both sides of the Atlantic, the 27-year-old Rands has to be considered the world's strongest female boulderer. Alma Rands, Lisa's grandmother, says athleticism runs in the family. "Lisa takes after her great-grandfather, who was a star lacrosse player and went snowshoeing in his 80s. Her grandfather climbed Mount Hood many times. And I was a pretty good broad jumper when I was a schoolgirl." With lineage like that, Rands' championship run promises to be a long one.