For my upcycling project I will be making a hangboard used to train for rock climbing. Hangboards have seen a surge in popularity and are widely regarded as one of the best ways to get stronger fingers the fastest. Many companies such as Tension and Beastmaker have made successful companies from selling professional quality hangboards.

Most often made of wood these devices are hung up either on a wall, a door frame, or even a tree branch when climbing outdoors. One thing engineering has taught me is that these are not too hard to make. The level of quality will be quite difficult for a novice like myself but as a seasoned rock climber I also know I do not need anything as perfect as these to get stronger.

Usually hangboards are made of either wood or plastic. Wood is the most popular and it is also the material I will be using for my project. I currently have a piece of scrap wood that could make a good hangboard but I want to shop around a little more to see if there is a more visually pleasing piece of scrap wood somewhere.
As far as aesthetics go I have two ideas for how I want to finish the hangboard. The initial process will be done woodworking slots and sanding edges to make soft ledges with the desired depth. However, I still have not decided the direction to go after the initial structure has been completed.
The first direction I am considering is a naturalism aesthetic. By finishing the hangboard with a dark oak colored stain the board will complement and blend in with the trees surrounding the areas I climb in.

This approach would aknowledge the fact that climbing is a sport done in nature. A sport where nature must be respected and maintained for the sport to continue to flourish. I personally enjoy the exploration of new areas and secret spots that feature incredibly diverse scenes and rock quality/texture. If I want to add more artistic flare I would paint on golden Aspen trees as a way to turn the hangboard into a more decorative piece.


The second aesthetic/finish I am considering is painting the hangboard into a boombox from the 90’s. Following a hip hop aesthetic would represent more direct parallels from the era that rock climbing started becoming a serious endeavor. Climbing had a rennaisance in the 90’s with people such as Wolfgang Gullich pushing the limits of climbing to unparalleled heights. It took around 10 years before a level of climbing past what Wolfgang acheived was completed. While Wolfgang was out crushing new climbs other movements were taking over the US such as hiphop. Popular among hiphop was the use of boomboxes to share music or to accompany break dancers. I think the natural rectangular shape of hangboards led me to thinking of painting it like a boombox. This nods towards what else was going on in the era of climbing and gives a little more depth to the rigid rectangular piece of wood.

Figure 7: CAD render of boombox

Citations
(Figure 8) Aesthetics Wiki contributors. (n.d.). Hip-hop aesthetic. Aesthetics Wiki. Retrieved January 29, 2025, from https://aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/Hip-Hop
(Figure 1) 99Boulders. (n.d.). Beginner hangboard training guide. 99Boulders. Retrieved January 29, 2025, from https://www.99boulders.com/beginner-hangboard-training
(Figure 2) Climbing House. (n.d.). Best portable hangboards guide. Climbing House. Retrieved January 29, 2025, from https://climbinghouse.com/best-portable-hangboards-guide/
(Figure 6) Ikonick. (n.d.). Brooklyn boombox. Ikonick. Retrieved January 29, 2025, from https://ikonick.com/products/brooklyn-boombox
(Figure 4) Nature Climbing. (n.d.). Stone hanger black edition. Nature Climbing. Retrieved January 29, 2025, from https://natureclimbing.com/products/stone-hanger-black-edition
(Figure 3) Nature Hills. (n.d.). Aspen quaking tree. Nature Hills. Retrieved January 29, 2025, from https://naturehills.com/products/aspen-quaking
(Figure 7) Reddit user [u/username]. (2022, March 28). Feedback on hangboard design—any ideas appreciated? Reddit. Retrieved January 29, 2025, from https://www.reddit.com/r/climbing/comments/tx9380/feedback_on_hangboard_design_any_ideas_appreciated/
4 Comments. Leave new
Hi Brian! I think your project idea is really cool, and I appreciate the incorporation of two different aesthetics and purposes, making it both useful and visually appealing. Do you expect any specific design challenges, especially in merging the two styles cohesively? I look forward to seeing the outcome.
Hi Clemens thank you for the response. Quickly I wanted to clarify that I do not plan on blending these two aesthetics, instead they were two options that I was exploring and ultimately I will choose one to pursue. As far as design challenges go I think finding wood that will be ideal may prove difficult. I already have an idea for a design but it will need to be altered depending on the size of the recycled wood that I can find. That is most likely going to be my biggest design challenge
I think this is a super great project idea and will be something that you’ll actually use. I like both of your aesthetic ideas, especially the boombox because it could become more of a piece of decoration than workout equipment. Do you think music plays a role in the climbing industry beyond being something you play in the background?
Elise thanks for taking the time to respond. I believe that in a commercial setting in climbing competitions that were held in public gyms. Music was used to elevate the crowd and create a very energetic atmosphere for the competitions. I think the other place music became relevant for climbing was in climbing films. Here the music choice can change the entire viewing experience. Depending on the climbing style, the setting, and what the climb looks like it becomes very important to place fitting music to accompany the raw footage.