Up against a wall: Ukrainians climb at Rutgers University's Holiday Hang II

Xenia Piaseckyj

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. - The weather outside was mild enough for rock climbing in the great outdoors but on Sunday, December 12, a group of climbing enthusiasts gathered inside at a gym located here at Rutgers University for the second annual rock climbing competition called "Rutgers University Holiday Hang II."

Sanctioned by the American Sport Climbing Federation (ASCF) and sponsored by big climbing industry names such as Pusher and Metolius," this event drew a crowd of around 75 climbers and fans who are among the reported millions of Americans currently engaging in this up-and-coming sport. Arguably, among the best and most ardent rock climbers are members of the Ukrainian American community.

Indeed, the current No. 1 competitive climber in the United States is Ukrainian-born Vadim Vinokur. Though an attendee of "Holiday Hang II," 23-year-old phenom did not officially compete (considering his skill, it wouldn't have been fair to the other competitors).

However, to the delight of his admirers, Vadim (or Wad as he is affectionately called by his colleagues) did put on a show, managing to gracefully ascend the hardest routes the gym's faux rock wall had to offer. His success as the most gifted competitive climber in the United States has been thoroughly documented in this country's most illustrious climbing publications such as Rock & Ice and Climbing. He is known for his great upper body strength, his discipline and his kind spirit.

In response to this curious spectator's questions that day, Mr. Vinokur gently remarked that he has been climbing ever since the age of six. Raised in Kharkiv, Ukraine, he developed his skill by frequenting Crimea's Nikita Botanical Gardens and practiced his climbing technique on various natural rock formations including "Chervonyi Kamin."

Perhaps his talent is in his genes, considering that his father, Ihor Vinokur, was the longtime coach of Ukraine's national climbing team. Denying this "gene" theory, the younger Vinokur said it took him a few years to develop a passion for the sport. Since arriving in the U.S. in 1994, he said he has pursued an education with the same fervor as climbing.

Mr. Vinokur is now just one year away from completing the B.A./M.A. program in criminal justice at City University of New York, John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan. He plans to apply to law schools in New York City and has just taken a stab at the LSAT exam. Likewise, he continues his training so that he can maintain his U.S. rock climbing title.

Having recently returned from the World Championships in Birmingham, England (December 3-5, 1999), where he placed 17th out of approximately 100, Mr. Vinokur says he is happy with his performance, even though preparation for the meet was stressful. He spent two weeks training intensely - although he normally trains about five days a week beginning at 5:30 a.m., working out for two days in a row and then taking a day off in between.

Among his greatest climbing accomplishments, Mr. Vinokur emphatically counts his January 1999 ascent of "Reverse Polarity" on Mount Potasi in Nevada. "Reverse Polarity" (rock formations are often named) has been given a grade of 5.14b - which in climbing vernacular means seriously difficult. To his further credit, Mr. Vinokur has competed continuously over the last five years regionally and nationally, winning three national competitions and placing third at the 1998 X Games.

When asked how it feels to be ranked the No. 1 competitive climber in the United States, Mr. Vinokur responds modestly, "I don't always think about it. I will come in first and it's great, and sometimes I don't believe that I did so well, and they say that I am No. 1 and I think 'am I?'"

He admits that the secrets to successful climbing are subjective. Most have to work very hard by working out and practicing climbing techniques, whereas a few are naturally gifted, for example, world climbing phenomenon Chris Sharma from California (also present at "Hang II"). Unable to adequately verbalize Sharma's unprecedented climbing talent (he has been known to turn his body around under an overhang using only two fingers) Mr. Vinokur was only able to say, "He's the only guy ..."

Others are equally generous with their praise for the former Kharkivite, sometimes cloaking their admiration in humor. Obe Carrion, a top climber and another "Hang ll" visitor, was heard confiding that perhaps Mr. Vinokur should return to the "homeland" (Ukraine) because "that boy's getting too good," becoming a serious challenger to the best in the business.

Ironically, Mr. Vinokur is in fact entertaining the notion of returning to Ukraine for a visit and to do some climbing in the Caucausus. He admits that home sickness set in at the World Championships in Birmingham, where he had an opportunity to catch up with his old Ukrainian colleagues.

Organized competitive climbing still exists in Ukraine, but receives only meager funding from the government. Nonetheless, Ukraine still boasts a number of talented climbers including: Maksym Petrenko, Volodymyr Zakharov, Andrey Vedenmeer, Yevhen Krivocheicev, Maxim Stenkovoi, Olga Zakharova, Elena Repko, Alena Ostapenko and Natalia Perlova.

While on the subject of Ukraine, it becomes obvious to this interviewer that Mr. Vinokur would rather discuss the current state of affairs in Ukraine than his incredible climbing ability. Like most recent immigrants, the declining economic situation in Ukraine after independence drove the Vinokur family to America where his father, Ihor, thought his children might have a better future. Therefore, the younger Mr. Vinokur's editorial comments about Ukrainian politics, society and the economy are often colored with predictable cynicism. On the other hand, while numerous trade magazines commit the cardinal sin of identifying him using the ambivalent Russian/Ukrainian, Ukrainian/Russian label to, Mr. Vinokur steadfastly maintains his Ukrainian-ness in his interviews. When confronted with American ignorance on the subject, he replies indignantly: "There is a difference. I get really upset when people think everyone from the former Soviet Union is Russian ... The Soviet Union was 15 countries with separate cultures and languages and it was always like that ... I am glad to have been raised in Ukraine. Knowing the [Ukrainian] language, I can communicate with other Slavic people. I have Polish friends that I understand and who understand me ... [Knowing the language] is a great thing."

As for the Ukrainian diaspora, Mr. Vinokur describes the Veselka coffee shop and Kiev restaurant on Second Avenue in New York City in glowing terms, grateful for the existence of a "Ukrainian Village" and things familiar on the Lower East Side.

Ukrainian Americans compete

Mr. Vinokur's presence at the Rutgers competition inspired amateur climber and Ukrainian American Deanna Yurchuk of Livingston, N.J., who placed an impressive second in the women's beginner division - just 4 points shy of first place. Out of the 17 possible climbing routes (topropes) of varying difficulty, Deanna attempted eight and successfully completed five.

She explained that personal achievement drives her to climb, "[It] makes you take leaps physically and emotionally. It is an art that involves the mental and physical."

A Rutgers junior and employee of the university's climbing gym, Ms. Yurchak has been training since the beginning of the school year. Indebted to her friends who encouraged her to participate in this her first climbing contest, she called "Hang ll" an "incredible learning experience."

Another participant of Ukrainian descent, Taras Ferencevych of Jersey City, N.J., celebrated his 25th birthday by competing at "Hang II." Having climbed regularly for five years now, Mr. Ferencevych signed up as a contender in the men's intermediate division. His passion for climbing is well known to many members of the Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization, where he has helped incorporate rock climbing into the camping cirriculum. For Mr. Ferencevych, Rutgers' "Holiday Hang II" contest was an opportunity to test his skills and rub elbows with some of the climbing world's elite, including Mr. Vinokur. After meeting the top climbing athlete from Kharkiv, an awestruck Mr. Ferencevych admited, "Vadim's talent is unbelievable. He's almost superhuman!"

Recommended climbing sites: http://www.mountainzone.com/ and http://www.orca.com/

Results of World Championships held in Birmingham, England on December 3-5, 1999.

Men - Difficulty

1.Bernardino Lagni, Italy
2. Yuji Hirayama, Japan
3. Maksym Petrenko, Ukraine
4. Arnoud Petit, France
5. Cristian Brenna, Italy
6. Alexandre Chabot, France
7. Christian Bindhammer, Germany
8. Dai Koyamada, Japan
9. Vadim Vinokur, United States

Women - Difficulty

1. Liv Sansoz, France
2. Muriel Sarkany, Belgium
3. Elena Ovchinnikova, United States
4. Marietta Uhden, Germany
5. Annatina Schultz, Switzerland
6. Martina Cufar, Slovakia
7. Josune Bereciartu Urruzola, Spain

Men-Speed

1. Vladimir Zakharov, Ukraine
2. Vladimir Netsvetaev, Russia
3. Alexei Gadeev, Russia
4. Andrey Vendenmeer, Ukraine
5. Evgeni Krivocheicev, Ukraine
6. Tomasz Oleksy, Poland
7. Eiakov Soubbotin, Russia
8. Maxim Stenkovoi, Ukraine
9. Daniel Andrada, Spain
10. Dmitri Bytchkov, Russia

Women-Speed

1. Olga Zakharova, Ukraine
2. Elena Repko, Ukraine
3. Natalia Novikova, Russia
4. Zosia Podgorbounskikh, Russia
5. Alena Ostapenko, Ukraine
6. Natalia Perlova, Ukraine
7. Maiia Piratinskaia, Russia
8. Renata Piszczek, Poland
9. Kim Anthoni, Belgium
10. Olga Bibik, Russia

Source: Rock & Ice (www.rockandice.com).

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 9, 2000, No. 2, Vol. LXVIII

| Home Page |