If on 13. and 14. In September, the world's best boulderers compete for the Superfinals at the annual adidas ROCKSTARS Invitational in the Porsche Arena, and are guaranteed spectacular, gravity-defying traits in the vertical. The international climbing event attracts the top stars of the scene to Stuttgart - and stages highly exciting competition bouldering as an impressive climbing show.
The popular invitation competition for the international climbing elite is taking place for the ninth time, and the starting field is also top-class this year. Around 4 sports and music-loving spectators can cheer live from the stands when world and European champions, world cup winners, national champions and possibly future Olympic champions boulder for victory.
Global Event Series: Adidas Rockstars
In recent years, a whole series of qualification competitions for amateurs has developed under the main event adidas Rockstars. These "Ticket to Rockstars" grassroots events are held in climbing gyms in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, Berlin and Zurich. With a total of 21 events in eight countries, three continents and around 5 participants, Ticket to Rockstars is now the largest amateur bouldering series in the world.
Trailer Adidas Rockstars 2019
The winners of the individual "Tourstops" win their "ticket" to the Rockstars Event, meaning they are invited to the Global Ticket to Rockstars Final in Stuttgart, spend a weekend in the official athlete hotel, side by side with the stars, and can also get one Wildcard for the semi-finals of the pros win if they make it in Stuttgart under the Top 3.
Best chances for one of these coveted wildcard places have the newly crowned double Youth World Champion Oriane Bertone (FRA) - winner of Ticket to Rockstars Paris / Fontainebleau - who was the youngest climber to boulder an 8b + issue, 14 talented young Kylie Cullen (USA), who recently joined 2017's adidas rock stars, Alex Puccio, in the final of the Women Up Climbing Competition, as well as the multiple European Youth Cup winner, Léo Favot (FRA).
World class field at the start
Only those who receive an invitation may participate in adidas Rockstars. The start list reads like the Who's Who of the boulder scene. After the completion of the Boulder World Cup season in June and the first Olympic qualifying event for Tokyo 2020 - the IFSC World Championships in Japan in August - some athletes can relax already, because they have their "Olympic ticket" in their pockets. Others need to stay in shape to take the second chance at the Combined Qualifier in Toulouse at the end of November.
In the starting field are this year, among other things, the defending champion Miho Nonaka (JPN), the exceptional athlete Janja Garnbret (SLO), which this year was able to secure both the overall World Cup and a triple World Cup title (Boulder, Lead & Olympic Combined), the three-time adidas Rockstar Sean McColl (CAN), as well as the Boulder Overall World Cup winner of recent years Shauna Coxsey (GBR), Jernej Kruder (SLO) and Jongwon Chon (KOR). Best German in the field is the Essene Yannick Flohewho won the bronze medal in bouldering at the World Championships in Hachioji last month.
Live stream: Semi-finals Adidas Rockstars 2019 - 14.09.2019 / 11.00 a.m.
Live stream: Finale Adidas Rockstars 2019 - 14.09.2019 / 20.15 p.m.
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Credits: Text zVg, Titelbild Vladek Zumr