Kasia Pietras wrestles with women's final problem #2. Photo by Mike Halsall.

This past weekend Everett hosted the third round of competition of the 2013 Dark Horse Bouldering Series and it was a hell of a show! Competitors came from near and far to take part and made it one of the most exciting rounds to date.

The Pro category featured a few familiar faces as well as a number of big names from across the country. Angie Payne and James Webb flew in to compete and ended up taking the top places, making their trips worth every cent. Payne faced a tough set of problems and some fierce competition in Meagan Martin, with both flashing problems 1 and 3. Payne managed to get a few holds farther on #2 to take her prize, winning by a handful of points. Webb flashed Men’s #3, including a tough drive-by pinch and some funky beta above it, to secure his victory in dominating style. Meanwhile, earlier round winners Vasya Vorotnikov and Meagan Martin took second place with Kasia Pietras and Sebastian Lazur taking third. A couple of the climbs proved to be too much for almost all the finalists--only Webb finished Men’s 3 and no one topped Women’s 2.

The Young Guns finals took place earlier in the day with problems covering short slab to steep overhang and just about everything in between. With plenty of action around them in the expansion area of the gym, the crowd roared as the kids worked through the climbs and showed off their stuff. We love to see the next generation of tough climbers at comps; their grit and enthusiasm is infectious and they get so psyched when they top a climb and we are thankful that the crowd who came to see the pros take the time to cheer on the kids.

Congratulations to all the climbers and big ups to the winners for coming out on to