UKC

On the long thread about the history of climbing gear and clothes...

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=241927&v=1#3558749

... people were talking about Fires, the history of Boreal rubber, where it came from, what it was made of.

Some had heard it was the same as racing car tyre rubber, some that it was made from recycled tyres. A poster who worked in a gear shop when Fires first arrived remembered being informed that it had to be made in Spain because it had cyanide in it, and Spain was the only place where health and safety laws were lax enough to allow the addition of cyanide to open vats.

So, I emailed Boreal to find out the truth. They say:

"Thank-you for your interst on rock shoe story and BOREAL. I think stories told to you were not exactly right. I have no information about where our rubber came from. It has been made in Spain, but not for the given reasons to you.

I am sorry not being able offering further information."

So, are the origins of Boreal rubber lost for ever in the mists of time?

ps Dear mods, have not posted this under gear, because I reckoned history of gear goes on Rocktalk. Hope that's ok.

In reply to gingerkate:

There's a good article on this by Andy Kirkpatrick in the May issue of Climb

In reply to Jimmy D:
Oh is there? So, what's the answer?

In reply to gingerkate:

Er, can't remember - I'll get back to you!

In reply to Jimmy D:
Thank you!

This thread was started in the ROCKTALK forum and has now been moved.
Please could you try and post in the correct forum, it makes life easier for both users and moderators.

Climbing Gear - Post all your climbing gear-related questions here. You know how you love comparing Friends with Camalots!

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In reply to UKC Forums:


Well, you tried!

In reply to fimm:
Yep! And I still reckon that any history discussions would be better on Rocktalk. Wouldn't matter except for fact that original big thread was on Rocktalk, and so I wanted to make sure that anyone who read that thread and was curious about the rubber questions would see this one. Not that I've been able to find out anything, LOL, except that Boreal have forgotten their own history :oS

In reply to gingerkate: Hi Kate! So I am not exactly right but I'm thinking I may not be exactly wrong either! It would have been good if they could have given us their reasons for making the shoes in Spain. Hmmmm <strokes chin> maybe there's a conspiracy afoot (geddit?) get Woolsack in here!

Thanks for trying though.

In reply to gingerkate:

link to this one in that one?

In reply to gingerkate:

Yup that corporate amnesia thing was rife in the 90s

btw iirc aircraft tyres played a part in the story

In reply to rich:
Oh clever man! Will do...

In reply to callum:
We may still find out the truth if Andy K's article has it!

In reply to Jimmy D:

That's even better than racing car tyres.

In reply to gingerkate:
The article in Climb mentions recycling aircraft tyres.

Ade

In reply to gingerkate:

>I think stories told to you were not exactly right. I have no information about where our rubber came from. It has been made in Spain, but not for the given reasons to you.

What hogwash, if they do not know they cannot say it is not true, and if we are wrong they must be lying about not knowing the history of the rubber.

Just crosslink the two threads so people can tie them together, as you wanted.

In reply to soveda@work:
Interesting.

Sutty: yep, I thought it was a bit odd that he said it wasn't true but he didn't know any of the history. I reckon he was just thinking 'no way, I don't believe that, has to be made up'.

In reply to gingerkate:

Right. The article doesn't actually give that much detail. It does however include a story of a climber sitting on an aircraft tyre in a shop in Spain and hitting on the idea of using the sticky rubber for climbing shoes, and Boreal then starting to use said rubber recycled in their Fires. You could try to contact (e-mail through this site?) Andy K and ask him about his sources, whether he has any more info, etc.

In reply to Jimmy D: Ask Andy Nowman, he was working for WC when Fires first arrived. Or Mark Vallance as he was the one who brought them in - he told me an ace (geddit) story about driving around Spain looking for the factory

In reply to GraemeA at home: Or even Andy Bowman

In reply to GraemeA at home:

Oh was he really? Right, I'll ask Mark then.

In reply to Jimmy D:
Yes, good suggestion, cheers.