Climber Ben Moon: My Hero Samples Utah's Granite


by Ben Tiffany



“Ben Moon’s in Salt Lake?” I shouted in the Snowbird tramline.

“He’s living in Sugarhouse,” said writer/photographer Ken Cangi.

“What’s he here for? The culture or the beer?”

“Neither,” Ken laughed. “Ben’s here for the granite.”

When I was a pup, I had three heroes: Lawrence Taylor, Bob Marley and Ben Moon. Being a reggae-obsessed youngster and infinitely intrigued by the Rastafarian religion/culture, I decided that Moon’s dreadlocks were about the coolest thing I’d ever seen. Like Moon, bouldering was also my favorite climbing discipline. And because my other two heroes were well-known drug addicts, Ben Moon became my role model. And model him I did.

When my hair was long enough, I teased it into knots. I smeared the locks with some paste I found under the kitchen sink. And then for reasons that only a 13-year-old can understand, I trashed and burned every hairbrush and comb in the house. (Mummy had a fit.)

But I knew that more important than my hair was a conviction to build strength and technique. Of course, I never developed fingers like steel springs. And I never became an elite climber. But I became a half-decent climber. And I had a lot of fun along the way.

So you can imagine my excitement when I heard that Ben Moon was in town. Ken and I quickly agreed that an interview was in order. And it became one of the main features of our annual climbing issue. You’ll see how Ben and the rest of the climbing elite have come to view the granite if our backyard. You’ll find out Ben’s plans for the future. And you’ll see how he’s dealing with life under marital law.

We also have a great story on Salt Lake’s own Black Diamond Equipment. Penn Newhard not only describes how “BD” came to Salt Lake, but he also explains how they have come to set the standard by which all other skiing and climbing equipment manufacturers are judged.

We’ve also included the story of the fearless environmental activist Susan Tixier, a Sports Gadgets review, all of the training articles that you’ve come to expect and much, much more. Enjoy it.


...more Ben Tiffany articles here