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FRB: You are very well known in the climbing world but
          some folks might not have heard of you. Who is
          Luke Parady?

Luke: I'm a climber from Maine who studies engineering at the University of Colorado.

FRB: How did you get into climbing Luke?

Luke: I started climbing at the local gym in Portland and eventually started going outside whenever I could.

FRB: Who were some of your early mentors?

Luke: The manager of the Maine Rock Gym, Nate Kimble, was always influential during my early years of climbing and even now. He's the kind of guy that won't let you get away with being a pussy and that made me try harder. Erik Mushial was the best climber I knew of at that time so watching him climb was a good learning experience. He taught me the art of clever beta.

FRB: Who were some of your early climbing partners?

Luke: David Graham started climbing soon after I did so he was my main climbing partner for about 5 or 6 years. My friends Tom Moulin and Joe Roop were also some climbing partners that I now miss.

FRB: Who are you sponsored by?

Luke: Sterling Rope Company, Prana, Petzl, Five-Ten.

FRB: What else do you like to do besides climb?

Luke: I study a shit-load; it never stops. I also love skateboarding. I've been trying to ride everyday of the week lately but all this snow wasn't in my contract when I moved to Boulder.

FRB: What are some of your favorite moments in
          your climbing career?

Luke: I miss climbing at Rumney. I feel like I developed most of my skill there and had the most fun out of any other climbing area.

FRB: Have you done any first ascents?

Luke: Not very many. I always feel like I need to do the established routes or problems before I move on to the undone. I put up a 13d at Rumney and a few V10ish things here and there.

FRB: Do you have any 'heroes' in climbing?

Luke: Yes, but lately I've been more impressed with the people doing alpine stuff. Anyone who does long free routes is impressive.

FRB: What do you think of enhancing, chipping and
          gluing holds?

Luke: I'm into gluing for reinforcement if it's done neatly. Chipping and enhancing is lame but there seems to be a very fine line between cleaning and chipping.

FRB: What brings you to Boulder, Colorado?

Luke: The school, the sun, the rock, the girls.

FRB: Who makes the best bouldering pads?

Luke: I've been seeing some nice pads out there lately. Metolius and Cordless all do the trick nicely.

FRB: Is one chalk better than another?

Luke: Yes, it is common knowledge that Metolius Super Chalk is the best.

FRB: What competitions have you won?

Luke: I used to win a lot of JCCA comps back in the day. Now I've been doing some bouldering comps in Boulder and winning some of those. I would love to do better in the PCA comps. The level of competition in the PCA is just incredible.

FRB: What makes for a good competition route
          in your opinion?

Luke: I think comps problems should also be visually appealing. The shape, color and arrangement of the holds is very important for making a problem more artistic. The problems that don't look nice are usually uninteresting to watch and climb like crap.

FRB: Where are some of your favorite places
          to climb/boulder?

Luke: I like climbing around Boulder because everything is so close. Chaos Canyon is no more than two hours with the hike and is probably my favorite right now. Back home in Maine, Rumney was 3 hours away. That got old quick.

FRB: What hard problems have you sent
          in the Front Range?

Luke: Last year I sent Nothing But Sunshine V14 in the park by Dave Graham. That problem has all the elements for the perfect problem. I also did the Eternia Roof V13.

FRB: What are some things you don't like about
          the Front Range bouldering scene?

Luke: Not very much. I love the huge cast of characters around here. It makes things much more interesting. It does seem that the traditional climber types generally look down upon sport climbers and boulderers around here.

FRB: What are some of your favorite climbing websites?

Luke: www.nadventure.com, 8a.nu, climbxmedia.

FRB: What direction or trend would you like to
          see in climbing?

Luke: I would like to see more climbing companies contributing to the advancement of the sport. Better sponsorship deals and cheaper equipment would produce stronger climbers I think.

FRB: Do you have any projects right now?

Luke: Lately I've been concentrating on getting strong for indoor climbing. Its easier to juggle plastic climbing and my studies than it is to stay strong for rock.

FRB: Any words of wisdom on how to climb hard?

Luke: Climb a lot but also find something that contrasts with climbing: school, a girl friend, skateboarding, etc.

FRB: Do you ever hit a plateau in your climbing?
          How do you overcome the plateau?

Luke: Find new people to climb with that will push you more.

FRB: Any words of wisdom you can give to someone
          just starting to climb?

Luke: Sample as many of the different climbing types as possible. Find the ones' that fit your lifestyle the best.

FRB: Thanks for the interview Luke?

Luke: Thank you. I was very glad to answer your questions.

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