On Epsiode 66, I sit down in a dumpy hotel in SLC with Angela Van Wiemeersch. Angela’s story began on the sharp blades of competition skating and came full circle when she strapped on crampons for the first time. In the meantime, we hear about a whirlwind life crisscrossing the US and Canada as a traveling soul, hunkering down in the Yukon winter, and finally getting a lucky date in the Ouray Ice Park. Angela’s entry into the hardcore world of ice climbing belies its fierce reputation. And though she has a lot to learn, swinging picks came as natural as hucking double axels.
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Killer interview! So young and she’s already lived more and experienced more than most will…ever. Great finishing question Kalous, I’d wager to bet she evolves from ice climbing into something even more rad. Seems to be the pattern. So envious.
Per the pretty-girls-have-it-easy notion, that deal is basically that you get stuff if you agree to f**k someone, or permit them to think they have a chance of f**king you. Unless you find random people trying to hump your leg pleasing or even tolerable, this could be seen as a cost, and so not really free. What so impressed me about Angela’s presentation is that she doesn’t seem to go there. Her MO seems to be focusing on experiences that she wants rather than potential obstacles to getting there, manifesting the law of having what you put out into the world reflected back at you. It’s f**king beautiful.
I think perhaps the notion that woman trade sex for other favors is taking the Greg Giraldo’s comedy bit, and Cody O’s comment to the extreme. Regardless of Angela’s motives, which were just wanting to ice climb, as a guy speaking for guys (and covered several places in the podcast) I can confidently say that those three dudes would have walked right past some other dude (like me) bumbling around on the ice wall. Does that mean they wanted sex in return for guiding? Hell, no. Does that mean Angela was putting out some sort of come-hither vibe? No way. But did gender and sexual politics play a role in the decision for the guys to say “Hey noobie-that-I-would-normally-blow-off, come climb with us”? Of course it did. It always does. Hell, when I’m in line at the coffee shop, and there is an attractive girl and some dude alternating service behind the bar, I secretly hope my turn is hers, not his. I’ve even counted customers to see if it would work out. Does that mean I want to date, fuck, marry the girl? Nope. Its just the guy in me wanting to exchange banter with an attractive girl rather than another dude. And I’m in a happy solid relationship.
The Giraldo (RIP) bit, like all slightly offensive and good comedy, is funny because its true. I’ve witnessed this very thing in Europe. Guys just totally enamored with American girls and offering to tour the city with them. Seen it with my own eyes, laughed about it with said girls afterward. And, no, I did not get similar offers. In fact, my presence seemed to bother them. Guys are guys are guys all over the damn world. Even supposedly pious Muslim dudes do it. In fact, they’re the most forward i’ve seen.
After the interview, I was wondering if the dynamic of Angela’s crash course in ice climbing would bring up controversy. Not just the gender thing, but also her lack of experience- her jumping the line, so-to-speak. In person, Angela is even more magnetic than she sounds in the interview, so looks aside, she is a force to be reckoned with, and I imagine she fends off the guy climber advances on a daily basis. Is there anyone more hard up then Ice Climber dudes? Good grief, its probably like swimming in a shark tank.
I LOVE this kid and her get-in-there-and-grab-some enthusiasm! What a kick in the pants! Angela, you make a great role model, answering the age-old question, “X is doing it, why I can’t I do it?,” with the simple, “You can–just go do it!”
Fantastic episode. Very inspiring.
I really liked her story, but a lot of it really reminded me on the beginning of this Greg Giraldo bit. Just the first 50 seconds or so of the video, then you can hit stop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP7bzW5_kIQ
Ha. Yeah, I don’t think I would have gotten that tour in the ice park. But we all have our advantages and disadvantages. I’m sure the flip side is trying to be taken seriously once you are a good climber, and not being hit on every 20 seconds by douchie climber guys as per the ladies night episode.