Flagship City Throw Down 2026

Event Overview

The ASCEND Flagship City Throw Down, scheduled for Saturday, April 11, 2026, happening at ASCEND ERIE, is Erie's premier climbing competition, designed for anyone who likes a little friendly competition while having a great time! We'll continue to add to this event post, so please check back often for the most up-to-date information.

ITINERARY | SATURDAY, APRIL 11 | ASCEND ERIE

  • 9-11a: Youth Competition

    • 11:15a: Youth Competition Awards

  • 12-3p: Community Competition [Wave 1]

  • 4-7p: Community Competition [Wave 2]

    • Both of these waves are the same competition with awards happening after Wave 2, but split into two waves simply to accomodate more people. You may choose which wave you'd like to compete in when registering below, though, each has a maximum capacity, so don't delay in registering for your preferred wave. You must compete within the times you register for, no exceptions!

  • 7:15p: Community Competition Awards

  • 7-8p: After Party!

See below for registration links and more information on all the things.

YOUTH REGISTRATION ADULT REGISTRATION

FLAGSHIP CITY THROW DOWN

PRICING

Youth Competition

  • Through April 5: $40 | $30 for ASCEND Members / A-Team Members (our youth climbing team)

  • After April 5: $50 | $40 for ASCEND Members / A-Team Members (our youth climbing team)

Adult Competition

  • Through April 5: $45 | $35 for active ASCEND Members

  • After April 5: $55 | $45 for active ASCEND Members

EVENT T-SHIRT

You may add-on an official event shirt when registering for $20, but you must register by April 5 to do so!

DETAILS FOR THE

YOUTH COMPETITION

The Youth Competition is for climbers 14 years and younger. It is a non-USA Climbing sanctioned event, but would also serve as great practice for those on a competitive track. That means that every youth climber is welcome to participate! We aim to make this competition fun, challenging, and rewarding for casual climbers, as well as those in the competitive circuit looking to stay sharp.

Rustbelt Roadtrip Redpoint Series (R3S)

ASCEND, The Goat Fort, and Climb Youngstown are proud to introduce the Rustbelt Roadtrip Redpoint Series (R3S), a regional youth bouldering series for climbers 14 and under who are interested in learning about climbing competitions in a low-stress environment. Suitable for kids at all levels of experience and ability, but with a focus on entry level climbers. 2026 marks our pilot year for this series and we hope to expand the scope and number of participating gyms in 2027.

  • ASCEND Erie - April 11, 2026

  • The Goat Fort - May 30th, 2026

  • Climb Youngtown - TBA

  • ASCEND Point Breeze - August 22, 2026

IMPORTANT: All youth climbers who register for Flagship City Throw Down Youth Competition will automatically be enrolled into the Rustbelt Roadtrip Redpoint Series unless you elect to opt-out during registration. If you decide to participate (by not opting-out), there is no cost and the climber will be included as part of the series results, receive a free series sticker, and will be added to our email list to receive information about upcoming events.

Learn more about R3S at ascendclimbing.com/r3s.

FORMAT

CHECK-IN + COMPETITOR MEETING: Please arrive between 8-8:30a and be ready for an important Competitor Meeting to begin promptly at 8:45a.

From 9a-11a, climbers will compete in a redpoint competition, which means that many climbs of varying difficulty will be set for the competition. All of the boulder problems are available to all of the climbers at once, and the competitors may attempt the climbs as many times as they wish within the given time period.

DIVISIONS

This event is open to all climbers ages 6-14. Competitors will be placed into the following divisions based on their age as of December 31, 2026. When you arrive, you will join our SteepScores (phone app) competition where you will select your division and category.

  • STARFISH (U9): 6-8 years old

  • SALAMANDERS (U11): 9-10 years old

  • FALCONS (U13): 11-12 years old

  • BIG CATS (U15): 12-14 years old

CATEGORIES

Competitors will self-identify into the following categories, via the scorecard during the competition:

  • WTNB [Women, Trans, Non-Binary]

  • MTNB [Men, Trans, Non-Binary]

*While ASCEND recognizes that gender is not a binary system, for this competition we are asking that competitors self-select into either the WTNB or MTNB categories. Thank you for your understanding.

ACCOLADES

Awards will happen shortly after 11a!

  • All competitors will receive a competition poster! We encourage you to get your fellow competitors signatures and written words of encouragement!

  • 1st and 2nd place finishers in the respective divisions and categories will receive prizes from ASCEND.

DETAILS FOR THE

COMMUNITY COMPETITION

The Community Competition is for all ages and abilities of climbers. Like the youth competition, we aim to make this competition fun, challenging, and rewarding for casual climbers, as well as those seeking a legitimate competitive experience.

FORMAT

WAVES 1+2: To alleviate crowding and assist us with scoring, we're splitting everyone into two waves. You will select which wave you want to be in when you register. You will not be permitted to climb outside of the times of your wave.

CHECK-IN + COMPETITOR MEETING: Please try to arrive roughly 30-60 minutes before the start of your wave and be prepared for an important Competitor Meeting 15 minutes before the start of the wave.

  • Wave 1: Arrive between 11-11:30a and be ready for an important Competitor Meeting to begin promptly at 11:45a.

  • Wave 2: Arrive between 3-3:30p and be ready for an important Competitor Meeting to begin promptly at 3:45p.

From 12-3p or 4-7p, climbers will compete in a redpoint competition, which means that many, many climbs of varying difficulty will be set for the competition. All of the boulder problems are available to all of the climbers at once, and the competitors may attempt the climbs as many times as they wish within the given time period.

DIVISIONS

You know yourself best, so we're asking you to select which division you'll compete in. Please be aware that once scores have been reviewed, ASCEND reserves the right to move a competitor up a division, but never down. The reason for this is to be as fair as possible, and to prevent a stronger climber from entering themselves into a lower division, either by accident, or, in a nefarious attempt to ensure a first place finish.

When you arrive, you will join our SteepScores (phone app) competition where you will select your division and category.

  • JAZZ: V1-V4 | consistently sends purple circuit (V1-V3), often sends yellow circuit (V2-V4), works on blue circuit (V3-V5)

  • ROCK 'N' ROLL: V3-V6 | consistently sends blue circuit (V3-V5), often sends orange circuit (V4-V6), works on pink circuit (V5-V7)

  • CLASSICAL: V5-V8+ | consistently sends pink circuit (V5-V7), often sends red circuit (V6-V8), works on white circuit (V7-V9)

CATEGORIES

Competitors will self-identify into the following categories:

  • WTNB [Women, Trans, Non-Binary]

  • MTNB [Men, Trans, Non-Binary]

*While ASCEND recognizes that gender is not a binary system, for this competition we are asking that competitors self-select into either the WTNB or MTNB categories. Thank you for your understanding.

ACCOLADES

Awards for Jazz, Rock 'n' Roll, and Classical divisions will happen shortly after 7p!

  • All competitors will receive a competition poster! We encourage you to get your fellow competitors signatures and written words of encouragement!

  • 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers in the respective divisions and categories will receive prizes from ASCEND.

IN DEPTH

SCORING INFORMATION

REDPOINT ROUND

Climbers will compete in a classic redpoint competition, which means that many climbs of varying difficulty will be set for the competition. All of the boulder problems are available to all of the climbers at once, and the competitors may attempt the climbs as many times as they wish within the given time period, however, number of attempts will count in the event of tie. The climbs will be ranked from easiest to hardest and will come with incremental point values.

  • BASE SCORE EXAMPLES: 1 = 700 pts. | 6 = 2,400 pts. | 11 = 8,800 pts. | 16 = 200 pts. | 18 = 10,000 pts.

  • POINT DEDUCTION EXAMPLES

    • Climb #1 was flashed (completed on the first attempt) = 700 pts. / 1 attempt

    • Climb #6 was completed on the second attempt, after just one fall = 2,400 pts. / 2 attempts

    • Climb #11 was completed on the third attempt, after two falls = 8,800 pts. / 3 attempts

    • Climb #16 was completed on the fourth attempt, after three falls = 200 pts. / 4 attempts

    • Climb #18 was completed on the 13th attempt, after 12 falls = 10,000 pts. / 13 attempts

Each climbers' top five scores count toward their total number of points. All scores will be entered into the SteepScores app that competitors will have downloaded. Point values will automatically be determined based on number of attempts input.

ASCEND ERIE

FACILITIES CLOSURES

Don't forget that ASCEND South Side and Point Breeze will be open for you!

  • Tuesday, April 7 - starting in the morning... 2nd Floor Bouldering Room CLOSED for competition setting

  • Wednesday, April 8 - 2nd Floor Bouldering Room CLOSED for competition setting

  • Thursday, April 9 - 2nd Floor Bouldering Room CLOSED for competition setting

  • Friday, April 10 - 2nd Floor Bouldering Room CLOSED for competition setting

  • Saturday, April 11 - 2nd Floor Bouldering Room CLOSED for the competitions

  • Sunday, April 12 - 100% open for redemption

Note: Most yoga, fitness, and climbing classes will run throughout the week, but check calendars to ensure availability. During the competition on April 11, the 2nd Floor Bouldering Room and Fitness + Slackline Area will be closed to the public.

Steel Town Throw Down

2024 Highlight Reel

SEE PHOTOS FROM 2025 FLAGSHIP CITY THROW DOWN