This competition is open only to those aged 17 years and over.
If you were approved for Special Consideration in previous years, no need to reapply – purchase your entry directly through the link. If not – please see our FAQ at the bottom of this page.
Saturday 24 August
Osborne Park
tee preorders live until 20 July
West Coast Blocs: Energy
On Saturday 29 August, Osborne Park hosts our one-day, once a year, premier climbing competition. West Coast Blocs is back again to test the best. This year, we’re joined by guest setters Trisha Tham and Jordan Grant.
Let’s go.
For Opens climbers, qualifications run earlier in the day, with finals taking over in the evening with a big crowd and even bigger prizes up for grabs.
Novice and Intermediate categories run a classic pumpfest format.
Expect full sets, continuous climbing, and a festival atmosphere.
Schedule
7:00am – 7:30am Opens Check In
7:30am – 9:30am Opens Qualifications
9:30am – 10:30am Adjustment Setting
10:00am – 10:30am Timeslot 1 Check In (Nov/Int)
10:30am – 12:30pm Timeslot 1 Pumpfest (Nov/Int)
12:15pm – 12:45pm Timeslot 2 Check In (Nov/Int)
12:45pm – 2:45pm Timeslot 2 Pumpfest (Nov/Int)
2:30pm – 3:00pm Timeslot 3 Check In (Nov/Int)
3:00pm – 5:00pm Timeslot 3 Pumpfest (Nov/Int)
5:00pm – 6:00pm Wall Reset and Opens Isolation
6:00pm – 8:30pm Opens Finals
8:30pm – 9:00pm Podiums
10:00pm Bar closes
T-Shirt Preorder
Available to preorder for $40.
Limited qtys on event day for $50.
Preorders close Monday 20 July 11:45pm.
Tees can be collected from Portside Osborne Park on event day.
Age Limits
This competition is open only to those 17 years of age and over.
If you are an Opens climber, under 17 years of age and would like to compete, please see the FAQ at the bottom of this page.
Categories
Novice
Novice Female
Consistently completing yellow
If you consistently complete pink, white, yellows and projecting blue tags, you should enter Novice Female.
Novice Male
Consistently completing blues
If you consistently complete yellow and blues, you should enter Novice Male.
Intermediate
Anyone who has podiumed in Novice categori in previous years must enter this category.
Intermediate Female
Consistently completing blues
If you consistently complete yellow and blues and are projecting some red tags, you should enter Intermediate Female.
Intermediate Male
Consistently completing red
If you consistently complete blues and reds and are projecting some green tags, you should enter Intermediate Male.
Open
Anyone who has podiumed in Intermediate categories in previous years must enter this category. This category is reserved for top-notch climbers from across Australia and Internationally.
Opens Female
Consistently completing red
If you consistently complete blues and red and are projecting some green tags, you should enter Open Female.
Opens Male
Working on green to black
This category is tailored for climbers who project anything between Green and Black tags.
Scoring
Open Qualifiers
Judged boulder jam.
Each gender has 8 unique boulders. Max 8 attempts per boulder.
Scores live ~1 hour after qualis ends.
Top 6 men and women move to finals.
Scored by:
Number of Tops
Number of Attempts to Top
Number of Zones
Novice & Intermediate
Digitally self-scored pumpfest.
21 unique boulders and 4 shared per category.
Scores live ~30 min after final timeslot (5:30-6pm).
Flash = 10pts
2 attempts = 7pts
3 attempts = 4pts
Open Finals
Four World Cup style boulders, judged live.
Top = 25 pts
Zone = 10 pts
Each unsuccessful attempt = -0.1 pts
Vendors
SoiLL
Pro-fit shoes.
Gift with purchase.
Anton’s Bratwurst
German Bratwurst.
Climbit Physio
Massage stall. Appointments available.
Ganba Shed
Exclusive Merch. Support local.
Open Project
Exclusive gear + pads.
FOUND. Beer
Bar + vibes.
Doing the right thing
West Coast Blocs is all about good climbing and vibes for everyone involved. Here’s what we expect from all competitors:
Score honestly and follow the comp rules.
Stick to your chosen category – category selection is integrity-based, so please don’t sandbag or jump categories. Integrity matters.
Climb only during your assigned timeslot – this helps us keep the day running smoothly and safely.
Be a Better Climber – look after your fellow climbers, respect the space, and bring the kind of energy you’d want in return.
Zero tolerance for aggressive behaviour towards staff, judges, or other climbers. If you need to contest a judging decision, we’ll need video evidence or something solid to review.
Portside reserves the right to change your category or disqualify competitors who don’t follow the rules.
Integrity matters. If something looks off, speak to one of our staff wearing a lanyard.
Let’s keep it fun, fair, and friendly. Best of luck, and see you on the wall.
Prizes
Opens Cash Prizes
$1500 first place
$1125 second place
$750 third place
plus a range of fantastic prizes from our sponsors
Pets
For the safety of all attendees, please leave your pets at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do I contact if I have registration questions?
For any questions about categories, timeslots, and more – email wcbregos@portsideboulders.com.au
What is West Coast Blocs?
West Coast Blocs is Portside Boulders’ flagship climbing competition – an annual high-energy event that brings together climbers from across Australia (and beyond) for a full day of grit, movement, and spectacle. With categories for novice, intermediate, and open competitors, the comp welcomes everyone from fresh faces to seasoned elites.
The day builds to a high-stakes finals round, transformed into an immersive viewing experience with over 150 spectators, vibrant crowd energy, and world cup-level routes that push athletes to their limits.
What's a "Pumpfest"?
A competition format where climbers have a set amount of time to complete as many boulders as possible. Every climb counts, so you’ll need to pace yourself, choose your attempts wisely, and keep enough energy for the whole session.
WHEN DO REGISTRATIONS CLOSE?
Friday 28th of August, 4:00pm.
HOW DOES SCORING WORK?
Novice/Intermediate: Pumpfest format. Each category has 21 boulders unique to the category, and 4 shared problems.
Self scored on a digital scorecard.
Flash = 10 pts
2 attempts = 7 pts
3+ attempts = 4 pts
Opens Qualifiers – Each gender has 8 unique boulders. Each boulder will have a judge.
The top 6 Men and Women move to finals.
There are a maximum of 8 attempts per boulder.
Scoring will be judged based on:
Number of Tops
Number of Attempts to Top
Number of Zones
Opens Finals – Four World Cup-style boulders, judged live with new World Cup scoring rules:
4 minutes+
Top = 25 pts
Zone = 10 pts
Each unsuccessful attempt = -0.1 pts
When will scoring be completed?
Opens Qualifiers
Scoring will be completed approx. 1 hour after the Opens Qualifications round concludes. We appreciate your patience while scores are manually reviewed.
Finalists will be announced via Instagram Stories and contacted directly. The full scoreboard will also be published at this time.
Novice/Intermediate Pumpfest
Scoring will be completed approx. 30 min after the final timeslot finishes (scores live approx. 5:30pm). We appreciate your patience while scores are reviewed.
Scores will be announced via Instagram Stories . The full scoreboard will also be published at this time.
HOW DO I DISPUTE MY SCORE?
You have up to 30 minutes after the scores are made Live to dispute your score. You must come into the gym and see the scoring desk for disputes – calling or emailing is not accepted.
We recommend staying at the gym until your score is displayed to ensure you have enough time to dispute it.
ARE SPECTATORS FREE?
As long as you’re not climbing – yes.
ARE PETS ALLOWED?
No – we do not allow pets at our venue during this event due to safety reasons.
Can I have a general session/climb during the competition?
No, sorry. In order to climb during WCB you must be a registered competitor, and can only climb during your allocated timeslot.
Under 17s Special Considerations
Youth may apply for Special Considerations ONLY if the below Eligibility Criteria are met. If you have already been approved for Special Considerations in the past, you do not need to re-apply.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Must be in the Opens category (ie. Climbing Green – Black tags). Applications for other categories will NOT be accepted.
- Must have prior competition climbing experience and be able to prove it.
How to Apply:
- Email wcbregos@portsideboulders.com.au with the below information:
- Reasons why you would like to compete in West Coast Blocs?
- Eligible Youth must provide evidence of prior Opens-level competition experience/history.
We will review Special Consideration requests as they come, and aim to get back to you within 7 business days.