Bringing together the continent’s top athletes — and welcoming competitors from around the world. Climbing Escalade Canada (CEC) and USA Climbing (USAC) are excited to unveil the official calendar for the 2026 North American Cup Series (NACS). Now entering another highly anticipated season, NACS continues to grow as a premier continental circuit, offering world-class competition opportunities in Boulder, Lead, and Speed. NACS brings together the best athletes from across North America, and beyond. The series is open to all athletes holding a membership with their National Federation, regardless of nationality, making NACS an accessible, high-performance stage for emerging and elite competitors alike. Over the past several years, the Series has built a solid and reliable foundation, consistently delivering high-quality events across both the United States and Canada. The 2026 calendar continues this tradition, bringing NACS to renowned climbing venues, supported by passionate local communities and exceptional competition environments — setting the stage for another outstanding season ahead. 2026 North American Cup Series Calendar NACS – Lead & Speed April 25–26, 2026 Bridgeport, PA, USA Hosted by Reach Climbing + Fitness NACS – Boulder May 2–3, 2026 Location TBD, Canada Hosted by Climbing Escalade Canada NACS – Boulder & Speed June 4–7, 2026 Vail, CO, USA Part of the GoPro Mountain Games NACS – Lead & Speed June 26–28, 2026 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Hosted by Climbing Escalade Canada in partnership with Offbeat Entertainment NACS – Boulder, Lead & Speed July 25–28, 2026 Salt Lake City, UT, USA Hosted at the USA Climbing National Training Center A Continental Stage for Global Talent The North American Cup Series continues to serve as a critical pathway for athletes preparing for international competitions, including World Cups and World Championships. With elite-level route setting, professional event delivery, and enthusiastic host communities, NACS has quickly become a highlight of the competitive climbing calendar. “USAC is proud to continue this partnership with CEC,” added Marc Norman, President and CEO of USA Climbing. “NACS provides a rare competitive platform where developing athletes and seasoned competitors stand on the same stage. It elevates the entire pathway, strengthens our sport, and showcases the incredible depth of talent emerging across the continent.” “The North American Cup Series is one of the most exciting initiatives our organizations share,” said Christiane Marceau, CEC Executive Director. “Each season, we see athletes push their limits, discover new opportunities, and build connections across borders. NACS reflects the collaboration, ambition, and community spirit that define our sport.” About the North American Cup Series The North American Cup Series is a collaborative initiative between Climbing Escalade Canada and USA Climbing. The series provides high-level competition opportunities across Boulder, Lead, and Speed, supporting athlete development and strengthening the pathway to international success. For more information, event details, or registration updates, please visit: www.climbingcanada.ca www.usaclimbing.org
The final competition of the 2025 North American Cup Series (NACS) took place in Salt Lake City, Utah over the weekend! More than 150 athletes showed up at USA Climbing’s downtown National Training Center to compete in Lead and Speed. Among those were a number of “comeback” competitors, including Natalia Grossman (an Olympian and highly-decorated World Cup competitor who competed for the first time since receiving ACL + meniscus surgery) and Nathaniel Coleman (an Olympic silver medalist who competed in a sanctioned competition for the first time since 2023). Rothfork and Miner Race to Gold in Speed Finals Speed was on display again, with one competitor (Isis Rothfork) stepping up to the plate just days after getting home from The World Games in Chengdu, China. Surprisingly, Rothfork told us that the quick turnaround affected her “only in a positive way.” Rothfork kept steady momentum throughout Finals, posting a time of 7.11 seconds in the 1/4 final, 6.95 seconds in the 1/2 final, and 6.87 seconds in the big final. That ended up being the fastest women’s time of the weekend and earned Rothfork the gold medal. “I’m feeling pretty psyched,” said Rothfork. “It’s always hard to execute in competitions and it’s been a learning process.” Next on Rothfork’s radar is the IFSC World Cup Guiyang 2025. On the men’s side, Logan Miner had plenty to celebrate, setting a competition personal best (and the second-fastest men’s time of the weekend) of 5.49 seconds in the 1/2 final. He would go on to beat Jasper Zhu in the big final, posting a time of 5.78 seconds and securing the gold medal. “I’ve wanted a National-level win for a while and it’s good to finally get it,” said Miner, who moved to Salt Lake City a little less than two weeks ago. While pursuing a psychology degree at the University of Utah is next on Miner’s mind, he assured us that he’ll also spend the off-season “getting as fast as (he) can.” The Speed discipline also welcomed a wave of U17 (those aged 15-16-years-old) competitors for their own Finals. That’s a new addition to this year’s North American Cup Series, and one that USA Climbing hopes will give young athletes valuable experience and development opportunities at elite competitions. Women’s Speed Podiums: Isis Rothfork (Adult), Alexis Prokopuk (U17) Isabel Piotrowski (Adult), Anabelle Supratman (U17) Natalie Gates (Adult), Hollis Robinson (U17) Men’s Speed Podiums: Logan Miner (Adult), Griffin Smith (U17) Jasper Zhu (Adult), Khoi Tran (U17) Thomas Lin (Adult), Anthony Wise (U17) Grossman Back On Top, Lakhno Wins Gold Again Fans were on the edge of their seats as the Lead rounds welcomed up-and-comers, competition legends, and a few surprises. Natalia Grossman wooed the crowd in Qualification, returning from injury, but looking totally in control and placing first. In the Semi-Final, a demanding perch over her left leg gave Grossman a bit of pause, but she would still place third, easily punching her ticket to Finals. Sergey Lakhno, who just this past spring won National Team Trials, finished first in both Qualification and Semi-Finals, while Dillon Countryman trailed just behind him for both rounds. Nathaniel Coleman had a surprising slip during the Semi-Final, costing him the spot in Finals. Grossman looked confident going into the Women’s Final route, despite the start being a run-and-jump, which she says she hasn’t done in about seven months due to her injury. After her commitment paid off, Grossman took advantage of rests and technical footwork to match Zoe Yi’s previous high point, and then set a new one. Neither Michaela Kiersch nor Analise Van Hoang could surpass that high point, ensuring the gold medal for Grossman. Not only was that her first medal on this Lead wall, but her first time ever competing on this Lead wall, which she often trains on before World Cups. “I didn’t know what to expect coming into this competition,” said Grossman. “I’ve never felt so nervous before a Qualification route in my life. The Semi-Final was frustrating… Going into Finals, I was like, ‘I have nothing to lose.'” Next, Grossman looks forward to competing at the YETI National Championships in February. In the men’s field, all eyes were on Sergey Lakhno, who was aiming for first in all three rounds. Cruz Padilla had already secured the first top of the Men’s Final route, requiring that Lakhno also top to win. A slow lock-off to the final red dish secured him that top and the gold medal, his second win at a National-level event this year. “I think this is some of the best routesetting I’ve seen at a USA Climbing competition,” said Lakhno after the round. Sergey Lakhno will now head to the IFSC World Cup Koper 2025, followed by the IFSC World Championships Seoul 2025. Men’s Lead Podium: Sergey Lakhno Cruz Padilla Nathan Sato Women’s Lead Podium: Natalia Grossman Zoe Yi Analise Van Hoang Full results can be found at usac.results.info. You can rewatch the Semi-Final and Final rounds of the 2025 North American Cup Salt Lake City at any time on the USA Climbing YouTube channel. Follow @usaclimbing on social media for future updates and behind-the-scenes action.
The fourth competition of the 2025 North American Cup Series (NACS) continued this weekend in Vail, Colorado at the GoPro Mountain Games featuring competitors in both Speed and Boulder. The series, which allows athletes from the Americas to compete at an elite level outside of the World Cup circuit, saw participation by rising talent from both the World Cup and Olympic circuit. An incredible 266 athletes traveled to Vail Ski Resort, with 65 of those athletes competing in Speed at Nature Valley Mountain Plaza. Meanwhile, 210 competed in Boulder at The Hangout at Golden Peak. This is the first time Speed has joined the North American Cup Vail, with both disciplines being held outside, framed by Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Hunt Surprises Nobody With Gold Performance at First North American Cup Vail An hour after qualifying for Boulder Finals, Olympian Emma Hunt stepped up to the Speed wall—without her harness. After a quick laugh, she cruised through the 1/8 round with a time of 6.99 seconds, then closed out Finals with a time of 6.44 seconds. Though commentators noted the event was more lighthearted for her, Hunt still came close to her personal best. Despite her Olympic experience, this is Hunt’s first appearance at the North American Cup Vail, largely because Speed climbing—her specialty—wasn’t previously included. With its recent addition, that’s beginning to change not only for Hunt, but for the rest of the podium. Olympian Piper Kelly took Silver, finishing the Final round in 7.39 seconds against fellow Olympian Hunt, while Liberty Runnels claimed Bronze with a time of 8.11 seconds in the Small Final over Kailer Kordewick. In the last move of Runnels’ 1/4 round, she pulled ahead of Emiko Takeuchi, beating her to the next round by 0.08 seconds. Like Hunt, both Kelly and Runnels are relative newcomers to the NACS circuit, taking advantage of Speed’s long-awaited debut. Women’s Speed Podium: Emma Hunt (USA) Piper Kelly (USA) Liberty Runnels (USA) Hom Has Stand-out Performance at First North American Cup Vail Michael Hom, after racing several of his Sender One teammates earlier in the bracket, faced Dylan Le in the Final round, clocking a time of 5.18 seconds. His fastest run of the competition, however, came in the 1/2 round, where he posted a time of 5.14 seconds. Hom decisively earned Gold, with all competitors trailing him by at least half a second. Dylan Le took Silver after racing against Hom in the Final, with his fastest time of 5.73 seconds during the 1/8 round. Lucas Vales took Bronze with his fastest time of 5.90 seconds during the 1/8 round, racing neck-and-neck alongside his competitors almost every round. Like Hom, both Le and Vales are relatively new to the NACS circuit despite prior IFSC World Cup experience, and are now taking full advantage of Speed’s long-awaited inclusion. Men’s Speed Podium: Michael Hom (USA) Dylan Le (USA) Lucas Vales (USA) Countryman Jumps From Fifth to Gold Dillon Countryman narrowly beat Hugo Dorval to Gold after both athletes topped the same number of climbs. However, Countryman prevailed by flashing M3 and M4. Shorter than most of his fellow competitors, Countryman was able to fit into the wingspan boxes intended by the setters on most of his climbs. This asset helped him on M1, where with 15 seconds left, Countryman flew off the finishing hold after being the closest athlete to top it. Climbing from fifth place in Semi-Finals to first in Finals, Countryman was asked what switched for him between both rounds. “I just remind myself that anything can happen, and that I just need to keep my composure together, and whatever happens, happens,” Countryman said. This jump in placement didn’t just happen to Countryman, and in fact, happened to every athlete on the Finals podium. Hugo Dorval and Simon Hibbeler also finished Semi-Finals off the podium in sixth and seventh place respectively, with Countryman and Dorval technically having the same score separated by attempts. Their similar abilities became clearer when Dorval, the only athlete to flash M2, finished just behind Countryman in Finals, earning him Silver. Dorval’s precise footwork gave him the confidence not only to top M4 statically, but to also throw a dyno to the finish—even after securing the top. Meanwhile, Hibbeler squeezed through to Bronze, managing to statically span moves that his opponents had to jump for. Hibbeler finished Finals with the same technical score as Dorval of 84.6. However, Hibbeler took one more attempt on M2, which bumped him down to Bronze. Men’s Boulder Podium: Dillon Countryman (USA) Hugo Dorval (CAN) Simon Hibbeler (USA) Arnold Tops Every Climb and Takes First Gold Courtney Arnold is a frequent NACS competitor but had never podiumed—until now. Her strong skills were on full display on W1, where she became the first athlete to balance on the incredibly shallow second volume before reaching the top on her second attempt. Her reaction showed just how shocked she was, with the roaring crowd reassuring her. With her confidence at an all-time high, Arnold went on to top every climb—something no other athlete was able to do. Arnold finished Finals with a score of 99.2. Norah Chi, a veteran in both the NACS and youth series, made extremely quick progress on every one of her climbs, flashing every one but W3, which she fell on during the last move with 15 seconds left on the clock. Notably, the only athlete to make it past the zone on W3 was Arnold. Still, Chi showed incredible control and composure to make every attempt her best, which was shown by her repeated flashes. Despite her slip, Chi finished Finals in Silver with a score of 85.0. Finally, after just winning Gold in Speed Finals, Olympian Emma Hunt took Bronze at her first Boulder NACS, topping W1 and flashing W4. Hunt finished Finals with a score of 59.9. Women’s Boulder Podium: Courtney Arnold (USA) Norah Chi (USA) Emma Hunt (USA) You can rewatch the Semi-Final and Final rounds of the 2025 NACS Vail at any time on the USA Climbing YouTube Channel. The next NACS competition will be hosted by Climbing Escalade Canada from June 21-22 in Edmonton, Canada and will feature the Lead and Speed disciplines. Follow @usaclimbing on social media for future updates and behind-the-scenes action.
The 2025 North American Cup Series (NACS) continued this weekend in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The series, which allows athletes from the Americas to compete at an elite level outside of the World Cup circuit, saw standout performances across both adult and U17 categories. Nearly 100 athletes traveled to Climb Murfreesboro for the second competition in the series, which featured the Lead discipline. Sato Takes Gold and Third National Victory Nathan Sato impressed the audience with a score of 36+, falling a few moves from the finish. In Semi-Finals, Sato fell above the separator move, which is what originally put him on the podium, before climbing comfortably ahead of Joshua Platko in Finals. Celebrating his third win at a national-level competition, Sato said, “It feels really good. It feels like I’ve been under quite a lot of pressure in the last few rounds and competitions in general, so this time I just tried to focus on having fun.” Platko finished in Silver with a score of 27. Nathan Monte took Bronze with a score of 26+ after successfully fighting to stay on the podium since the Qualification round. Men’s Lead Podium (Adult): Nathan Sato (USA) Joshua Platko (USA) Nathan Monte (USA) Pikiewicz Wins by one Positive Motion Point In one of the closest finishes of the weekend, Kestrel Pikiewicz took Gold by only one positive motion point ahead of Lilah Kottke. After reaching the volume portion of her Finals route, Pikiewicz was able to stick her feet back on after briefly campusing the middle of the section. Pikiewicz also placed first in Semi-Finals, being the only female athlete to top any of the Women’s adult routes throughout the entire competition. This being Pikiewicz’s first time winning a national event, she was asked to comment on her experience, saying, “I’m just expanding into the adult series, so that should be pretty fun.” Only a motion point behind her, Kottke faced similar challenges to Pikiewicz, but used entirely different beta while resting for nearly a full minute on the volume section. Kottke took Silver with a score of 40 compared to Pikiewicz’s score of 40+. In Bronze, Boya Peng, who placed 7th in Semi-Finals, made a comeback with a spot on the podium in Finals. Women’s Lead Podium (Adult): Kestrel Pikiewicz (USA) Lilah Nottke (USA) Boya Peng (USA) Boyer Wins by one Positive Motion Point Mitchell Boyer took Gold after staying consistently in first place in both the Qualification and Finals round. Boyer topped both Qualification routes before scoring a 26+ on his Finals route, being only one positive motion point ahead of Logan VanAntwerp, who took Silver. VanAntwerp came just shy of Gold with a score of 26. In Bronze, Nate Emery tied with Ryan Wylie, sharing a score of 21+, however, Emery entered the competition with a higher national ranking, which in the end, bumped Wylie off the podium. Men’s Lead Podium (U17): Mitchell Boyer (USA) Logan VanAntwerp (USA) Nate Emery (USA) Suleman Takes Gold in Tie-Breaker Both Khadija Magali (KM) Suleman and Maha Ather topped the Women’s Finals route, but it was Suleman who took home the Gold, winning the tie-breaker based on her higher national ranking. Suleman had also tied for first in the Qualification round with Lovisa Nystrom, who was briefly on the podium before making way for Ather in Silver, and Adriana Yockelson in Bronze. Ather and Yockelson had similar beta at the technical volume section of the Finals route, with both athletes opting to go feet-first the entire way through. Yockelson appears committed to the NACS, having just competed in the Greenville Cup last weekend. Women’s Lead Podium (U17): Khadija Magali (km) Suleman (USA) Maha Ather (USA) Adriana Yockelson (USA) You can rewatch the Semi-Final and Final rounds of the 2025 NACS Murfreesboro at any time on the USA Climbing YouTube Channel. The next NACS competition will be hosted by Climbing Escalade Canada from May 3-4 in Montreal, Canada. Follow @usaclimbing on social media for future updates and behind-the-scenes action.
The 2025 North American Cup Series (NACS) kicked off this past weekend in Greenville, South Carolina. NACS allows for athletes from the Americas to compete at an elite level outside of the World Cup circuit. Nearly 150 athletes traveled to BlocHaven for the series opener, which featured the Boulder discipline. It was also the first time that athletes under 17 were able to compete in their own U17 category at a North American Cup. Costanza Finishes 1st in Every Round Melina Costanza had an impressive Gold performance with three tops during the Qualification round, four during Semi-Finals, and two more during her Finals round. From one dynamic coordination move to a paddle dyno, Costanza was the first and only athlete to stick the zone move of W4 as well as being the only athlete to top it. When interviewed, Costanza said the next generation of climbing is already here, giving some encouraging words to the athletes in the U17 category, “The opportunities are endless, the sport is growing, and the community is really cool,” Costanza said. Taking Silver, Jojo Chi topped W3 with 40 seconds left, almost parallel to Waller’s performance in the Men’s category. Overall, Chi had one top, with Costanza being the only athlete to top more than one climb. Finally, Evangelina Briggs had no tops, but still took Bronze with two zones. Women’s Boulder Podium (Adult): Melina Costanza (USA) Jojo Chi (USA) Evangelina Briggs (CAN) Countryman Finishes 1st in Every Round Dillon Countryman also had an impressive Gold performance with four tops during the Qualification round, three during Semi-Finals, and three more during Finals. To encourage young climbers stepping onto the competition scene, Countryman said, “Have fun, stay psyched, and never stop climbing!” In Silver, Matthew Rodriguez had the quickest ascent of M3 in only 40 seconds, and was also the only athlete to top M1. In Bronze, Zander Waller finished with two close calls, including a top on M3 with 40 seconds left and a top on M4 with 4 seconds left. On M1, Waller fell on the last hold after attempting to finish with an inverted toe hook. Men’s Boulder Podium (Adult): Dillon Countryman (USA) Matthew Rodriguez (CAN) Zander Waller (USA) Haddad Takes Gold at first U17 North American Cup Finals Maika Ruiz Haddad, Kailyn Leong, Lauren Williams and Abigail Schlotterback all flashed W1 in Finals. However, Haddad secured Gold, pushing Charley Planegger into Silver by one attempt. Notably, Haddad topped W3 with 3 seconds left on the clock. Other than W1, Planegger had the exact same score as Haddad. Another comeback from the Qualification round, Planegger originally barely made Finals in 8th place, proving herself in Finals. In Bronze, Kailyn Leong was the only athlete to top W2. Women’s Boulder Podium (U17): Maika Ruiz Haddad (USA) Charley Planegger (USA) Kailyn Leong (USA) Cobbs Takes Gold as the Only Men’s U17 Athlete to Top Kai Cobbs was the only male athlete to both flash and top any of the U17 Finals climbs. Cobbs also made a surprising comeback from the Qualification round after originally placing fifth. The Men’s U17 Finals climbs were particularly difficult for every athlete to make progress on, especially climbs M1 and M3, which no athletes were able to zone or top. Impressively, Owen Pham won Silver with a zone on M2. Finally, Vincent Schmidt won Bronze with his zone on M4, which no other athlete was able to accomplish. Men’s Boulder Podium (U17): Kai Cobbs (USA) Owen Pham (USA) Vincent Schmidt (USA) You can rewatch the Semi-Final and Final rounds of the 2025 NACS Greenville at any time on the USA Climbing YouTube Channel. The next NACS competition will be hosted by Climb-Murfreesboro from April 12-13 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Follow @usaclimbing on social media for future updates and behind-the-scenes action.
The 2025 North American Cup Series starts this April and will welcome elite athletes from all over the Americas. With six stops scheduled across the United States and Canada, climbers will have the opportunity to compete at an elite level and develop outside of the World Cup circuit. Last year’s series welcomed hundreds of competitors, from up-and-comers like Emiko Takeuchi, who stood on a North American Cup podium for the first time, to climbing icons like Chris Sharma, who found himself back on the podium at 43-years-old. Each of USA Climbing’s NACS competitions will be open to spectators, while the Semi-Final and Final rounds will stream live on the USA Climbing YouTube channel. How To Watch North American Cup Greenville, SC (Boulder) April 5-6 at BlocHaven Spectator Tickets Streaming LIVE on the USA Climbing YouTube channel North American Cup Murfreesboro, TN (Lead) April 12-13 at Climb Murfreesboro Spectator Tickets Streaming LIVE on the USA Climbing YouTube channel North American Cup Montreal, Canada (Boulder) May 3-4, Hosted by Climbing Escalade Canada Check Climbing Escalade Canada for more info North American Cup Vail, CO (Boulder, Speed) June 5-7 at the GoPro Mountain Games Spectator Info (Free Entry) Streaming LIVE on the USA Climbing YouTube channel North American Cup Edmonton, Canada (Lead, Speed) June 21-22, Hosted by Climbing Escalade Canada Check Climbing Escalade Canada for more info North American Cup Salt Lake City, UT (Lead, Speed) August 22-24 at the USA Climbing National Training Center Spectator Tickets (Coming Soon) Streaming LIVE on the USA Climbing YouTube channel