12/04/2019
Our December Circuit Local is the one + only Scott Benish!
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Benish has been a Circuit regular for years and we love having him as part of our community. He's super strong and crushes projects inside + out of the gym. Plus, he has competed in the Circuit Bowl numerous times (on the Inglorious Masters team). 💪🏆 Give it up for this month's Circuit Local and be sure to say hi next time you see him in the gym!
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Tell us a little about yourself - Where are you from? What do you enjoy outside of climbing?
Hi, I’m Scott – but most people call me Benish. I’ve climbed at The Circuit on-and-off since the first gym opened in 2005 and been a regular since around 2012. I grew up around here (in the suburbs), and when I’m not climbing I’m usually working at my computer. I have a small interactive design company that designs and builds websites, apps, kiosks, and lots of other things.
How did you start climbing?
Back in college (at Oregon State University) there was a dinky climbing gym that was basically underneath the football stadium. You went around the back to a gravel lot, and there was a door in a giant wall that was the backside of the grandstand. It was two old racquetball courts next to each that they converted into a climbing gym. I don’t even remember how I found out about it, as it was pretty under the radar – I don’t even think there was a sign. It definitely wasn’t a great facility, but I didn’t know any better anyway. It was a cool group of people who were stoked to climb, and that’s really what matters the most.
Why do you climb at the Circuit?
I feel like it’s practically a Circuit Local cliché to say “the people” – but it’s probably a cliché because it’s true. Being around people who share a passion for climbing is inspiring, and I love having friends around that motivate me to become a better climber.
What is your favorite outdoor bouldering spot?
If I had to pick just one, I’d go with Fontainebleau, France. Incredible rock, fantastic setting, and any style of boulder you could ever want because there is so much there. I’ve only been there once and it was way too hot, but still had a great time. I was walking around in constant amazement.
What is your favorite climb of all time outside?
Stained Glass, in Bishop. For starters, it’s an amazing line in a gorgeous place. I put a lot of work into that – both the climb itself, and all the work I did to even be in a place where I could give it a good effort. It’s definitely my proudest send. So far.
What is the most important lesson climbing has taught you?
I saw something today that essentially said: to write well, you have to be willing to write poorly. You can substitute many things for “writing” in that idea, including climbing. You can’t be really good at something meaningful or difficult without putting in the work and slogging through a bunch of failures. That’s true for climbing, and it’s true for a lot of other things in life too.
Obviously, there are some people who are extraordinarily gifted climbers, and they can easily do things that are impossible for others – but the thing about climbing is it’s very personal, and very relative. For those climbing mutants, they still need to work through a bunch of failures to get something that is meaningful for them. It’s the same sort of process, the numbers are just different. I get stoked when people do things at their limit – or something they are proud of, for whatever reason – regardless of what the grade is.
Sometimes when you’re climbing you’ll try a move and it feels impossible. But you keep trying it and make micro progress, and eventually you not only do it, you can barely understand how it seemed so difficult in the first place. Witnessing that progression is a great reminder that sometimes you just need to be willing to fail, and willing to keep trying.
