The Whipper has recently been
generating buzz in both the climbing and tech communities as the world's first climbing performance tracker. A clip-on device that helps you improve your technique and endurance quickly for better overall performance? I was immediately curious.
Then I learned that the Whipper is actually the creation of Laura Kassovic and her climbing partner, Matt Baker, both with
MbientLab. Always inspired by women crushing it both on and off the wall, I had to know more. So I went to Laura direct for a little insight into her climbing, her inspiration for the Whipper and her long-term vision for this new technology.
When did your love affair with climbing begin? What type of climbing do you do?
I started climbing when I was an engineer at Intel; that was also my first job out of college. One of my mentors at work was already a climber and invited me out to the local gym. That same day I was hooked. It all started in 2009, and, before I knew, it I was climbing indoors and outdoors, mostly top rope and lead in places like Yosemite.
What was your inspiration for the Whipper? Tell us about the development process.
You can imagine how someone that works at Intel and climbs might one day conjure up a wearable climbing tracker. And that's exactly how it happened; I was finishing a climbing session with my partner Matt, and we were talking about how we often climb. We quickly realized that at the end of a session, we didn't really remember what we did; how long was the session? how many climbs? how many feet? what difficulty? are we even improving? So the idea of the Whipper was born, and we started prototyping.
What is your favorite Whipper feature?
My favorite Whipper feature is the "find a belay partner" feature. We've noticed it's a big issue for climbers and gym owners, and we want to fix it. No more awkward PA system announcement at the gym yelling, "We have someone looking for a belay partner."
What is your favorite climbing area? Destinations on your 'life list' to climb?
Yosemite will forever be my favorite, and I was reminded of this yesterday as I was watching Valley Uprising on Netflix; that movie is highly recommended. I LOVE Yosemite. My fantasy destination for climbing is Patagonia.
Any pre-climbing rituals?
My partner Matt has a love affair with Cliff bars pre-workout. I don't have a pre-climbing ritual that I am aware of.
What will we always find in your crag pack?
Knife, head lamp, food, and water are the essentials for me. After that it depends on where I am going and how long I will be out.
What is your biggest challenge in climbing and how does the Whipper help?
The skill plateaus in climbing are the worst; when you can't get to the next level, you get demoralized pretty quickly. I think that's also why the Whipper is important for me because it helps me surpass my climbing lows.
Single best piece of climbing advice?
Go outdoors if you haven't yet! You can't believe the number of people who climb or boulder at a gym and have never touched a real rock. When they do though, it's just like falling in love! My partner Matt and I often plan outdoor expeditions (in fact he is climbing at Mount Diablo as I am writing this).
Can you share a little bit about the long-term vision/plan for the Whipper? Where do you see it going and how do you see it being used?
We want to open up the Whipper to the entire community so we can connect local guides and climbing gyms to all climbers. If we can find a belay partner for you on a Tuesday evening because you wanted to climb on a whim, then we can also connect you with a guide at Yosemite if you decide to go outdoors for the weekend — on a whim. The Whipper and App will be about connecting the entire climbing community.
Improve your climbing, build the community...and all for a good cause. For every 1000 feet climbed by Whipper users, the Whipper team is donating $1 to the
AccessFund. Now that's definitely something to get behind.
The Whipper Indiegogo campaign launches today. Get yours here for just $99 as an early backer.
