Someone needs to try and define the parameters of spray, because ever since the Spray movie came out, the concept has been outright un-googlable. As usual, responsibility falls to sendaustin. Let’s just lay out the basics, and address a few points of potential dispute over this simple etiquette issue that everyone is guilty of fox passing on once in a while.
2 things:
Spray is = self or other person-promotional yakery about grades, sends, and beta. It’s bragging, basically, and then some.
Spray is bad = Unless you are asked directly, it’s best to assume that no one cares about grades, first ascents, flashes, beta, or anything else related to anyone else’s climbing. Spray is fun and interesting among friends with an established “ok to spray” understanding, but it is annoying in a public forum (or place).
2 other things:
“Well but SA posts about first ascents sometimes, you hypocriters!” = We care first and second about access and hotness. Local first ascents of non-cutting edge graded routes are notable because they represent access: a new route for people to go play on. Also, if the first ascender was hot, then, well yeah.
“What if someone else sprayed about me!” – If it was a good friend boasting about your badassery to other friends, it’s nbd. It is not ok, however, to spray about the accomplishments of third party private citizens in a public setting. Once in a while, like when Andrew G did that thing at that place he’d been working on for so long and people posted up on it, it’s cool. But baring serious personal accomplishments of well known and beloved friends, spare us all and cap it.
Examples
healthy pride:
SA: The staff went down to Puente and made like conquistadors, sweeping the comp and eating way more free tacos than we were entitled to. W00t! Me gusta tacos (y winning stuff).
Friend: congrats, you rule!
spray lordery:
SA: And the tech guy did like six 12s, flashed them all natch, and the eds took turns flashing all the other routes, and even sunk bolts on a new line that will be siiick when we go back and project it. It’ll probably go at like a 12c (12c, btw, is the mark of the spray lord) maybe a little softer if we knock some choss off and find some jugs. Also, we made friends with Alex Catlin and Rick Rivera, and those guys totally rule, and they gave us all this secret beta for this rowdy looking 5.13 that we did on bolt to bolt and it hasn’t seen an FA yet and blah blah blah…
friend: STFU!
Incidentally, in the Spray movie trailer (linked up at the top there) they sum up the issue nicely…
It’s nice to climb on the rocks on the beach, it’s so free because there’s no names, there’s no grades…
Everyone sprays now and again. Please mind your name and grade talk.
pic from here, obviously
