I met Angie Payne in 2004 when she first moved to Boulder. I worked at the Spot Bouldering Gym and she lived at the Spot Bouldering Gym. Not really, but she was there an awful lot. She was quiet, shy, sweet, and studious (she studied in the caf\xe9 where I "worked"). And obviously strong as hell.
\nShe won three ABS National Championships and two PCA competitions during the 2003-2004 season. Over the next six years, Angie stood atop more than ten podiums as a top 3 finisher in bouldering competitions.
\nShe doesn\u2019t just crush inside, though \u2014 Angie has been a trailblazer among female climbers on boulders outside, too. Between 2004 and 2010, Payne did first female ascents of 17 V10-V12 boulder problems.
\nIn 2010, after climbing\xa0European Human Being (video)\xa0V12 and\xa0No More Greener Grasses\xa0V12, Angie completed\xa0The Automator (video), becoming the first woman in the world to climb a confirmed V13. These accomplishments earned her two Climbing Magazine Golden Piton honorable mentions and the 2007 Everest Award in Women\u2019s Bouldering.
\nAngie graciously sat down with me last summer (2013) to talk about how she got to be such a badass, how she continues to be such a badass after so many years competing, and how her "rivals" - who are also some of her best friends - keep her motivated. I'm lookin' at you, Puccio.
\nWe also talk about...\nThanks for listening!