Ω Notwithstanding his ridiculous name, Chesley is a man who knows how to perform under pressure. So, when a flock of deranged birds resolved to purée themselves inside the engines of Flight 1549, Chesley didn’t flinch. Instead, he calmly steered the powerless 42,400kg Airbus that he was piloting into the Hudson River; and he was home in time for tea.
David Kopp doesn’t have a ridiculous name per se. And notwithstanding weeks of running for his life around his neighbourhood, he still tips the scales at around 42,400kgs. But he knows how to perform under pressure (Lucy?) and he’s never ever late for tea (unless it’s his sister’s birthday).
What does that have to do with bouldering? Nothing, except that after a year or so in semi-retirement, the Koppulator announced his comeback to the world at Turakirae Head on Saturday with an against-the-odds-under-huge-pressure-to-do-it-before-JP-does-it first ascent of a V6 traverse on the Treestyle boulder. Three minor issues slightly detracted from that momentous occasion: (a) he dabbed (he called a ‘foot scrape’, I didn’t see it) and was then too boxed to repeat the problem sans dab; (b) although the rest of world wanted to be there, it/they was/were busy so it was left to me and Bob to cheerlead; and (c) he broke my nose. Seriously. With his elbow. It went crack and it really hurts today. Anyway, Dave’s going to call the problem The Chesley B. Sullenberger III Traverse.
In other news, Bob continues to flirt with the first re-ascent of Mr Olympia V10. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been to the Chesley B. Sullenberger III school of climbing something tricky really quickly before that old c#$* climbs it. Don’t worry Bobby, when you finally do it, you can use this quote from Chesley: “One way of looking at this might be that for 42 years, I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience: education and training. And on [insert date] the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.” Ω
