Inertia 1 and 2 DVD Review

You probably won't load this DVD in the machine for a family viewing when the folks come into town
for Thanksgiving but if you climb or are considering breaking in to rock climbing, you probably should
get it and watch it. It isn't the best we've seen but it does contain some must-see action!

Inertia 1 & 2 is broken down (no mystery here, it's in the title) into two sections. Inertia 1 is, without a
doubt, amateurish and sophomoric. The video seems to have been filmed or edited by somebody still
impressed by the special effect features of their equipment. It isn't quite over the top, but some slow
motion sections and a shift to black and white at one point stand out as needless distractions during
what would otherwise be some really good climbing footage.

Worse, the sophomoric elements - the "milk challenge," a mouthful of Wasabi, nose blowing (sans
tissue) and some down-blouse footage of a very, um, blessed young woman - might leave the viewer
with the impression that this sport attracts mostly young, immature men. Even the inclusion of premiere
female climber, Lisa Rands, doesn't offset this impression much and the hard-charging music furthers
the old-folks-need-not-apply mood. It's honestly over the top. But if you can ignore the fluff, garbage
and boys-will-be-boys aspects, Inertia 1 captures some truly impressive climbing with good camera
angles that help showcase the difficulty. In particular, enjoy Tyson Atwell pulling down on some
serious crimpers and Joe Brooks breezing past clips on some amazing, gravity defying roof climbs. Of
course, Chris Sharma and Lisa Rands need neither introduction nor comment. They are both in Inertia
1 and everything they do is spectacular. Standing alone, we would have rated Inertia 1 much lower but
its saving grace on this two parter is the inclussion of Inertia 2.

Inertia 2 is a more refined segment. The music is appealing to a broader audience and the climbing is more complete in this
part (less of a climbing montage). The interjection of some mixed martial arts scenes took away from the flow a bit but
liberal use of the fast forward button on my remote made that less of a nuisance than it could have been.

Particular elements that stand out are more than 10 minutes devoted to Randy Leavitt on a single route (Book of Hate -
5.13d) that will leave you feeling almost as exhausted watching it as Randy must have felt climbing it. The music for this
sequence is pretty engaging, the footage is solid (captured from several angles) and the "feel" of the effort really comes
through well.

Josune Bereziartu's first female ascent of a 5.14c in Onati Spain is absolutely magnificent. What I wouldn't give to climb
with the grace and absolute precision with which she climbs. It's as if the holds just draw her hands and feet to them and
the camera does a good job of capturing most of it.

Bouldering fans have a little less to choose from in Inertia 2 than in 1, but there's still plenty and it's all impressive. Kodee
Weir, Phil Gondoux (this man must have a negative body-fat index) and Thomas Willenburg, among many others, all show
off some amazing skill.

A beginner or rock virgin just considering getting in to the sport might find themselves bored by the bouldering segments in
both 1 & 2. This isn't to say they are boring if you've ever bouldered or have been climbing for sometime. How can
anything on V9 - 13 be boring?! But not knowing how ungodly hard the moves are, watching somebody complete a 3-6
move route just isn't all that exciting for a beginner. Experienced climbers, on the other hand, will be appropriately
impressed. I'm not suggesting beginners or those just considering this sport shouldn't pick up the DVD, though. There is
plenty in it that will inspire you, impress you and downright scare the pants off you as you contemplate what it must be like
to climb some of the routes you'll see featured.