Setter Closet Team
ABOUT SETTER CLOSET
Setter Closet was formed to provide holds, setting, and consulting services all in one place. Setter Closet brands include Kilter, Haptic, Urban Plastix, F-Bloc, and Union and together there are over 7,000 shapes to choose from. We also have the Award-winning Kilter Board--a light-up, adjustable training board available in several sizes with both gym and home options.
The Setter Closet Team is made up of professional routesetters who are here to help you succeed. Working in conjunction with the Routesetting Institute we can help you organize your setting program and budget and select holds for any size of project.
Since 2019 Kilter has been an IFSC Authorized Holds Producer. A selection of our holds were chosen to be part of the IFSC T20 Catalogue and were used in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. The Olympic Selection is available here: IFSC T20. Kilter was also a selected brand for the 2024 Olympic Qualifier Series, and you can see that selection here: IFSC S24. We have partnered with Austria Climbing for several years and we also work with other organizers, so look for us in upcoming World Cups!
From 2019-2021 Kilter was a USA Climbing Partner
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Ian Powell - CEO and founder of Kilter and Setter Closet, Ian is a veteran shaper and fine artist with decades of climbing, setting, and shaping experience. Ian has shaped thousands of grips for some of the biggest companies in the game and is widely regarded to be one of the best shapers in the world. If you have climbed in a gym, most likely you have already enjoyed his designs. Since his return to the climbing industry in 2013 he has continued to push new ideas and has built one of the largest hold lines in the world in a few short years with Kilter and the Kilter Board Adjustable Light-Up System. In 2020 Ian was featured on the BBC Outlook Radio Program, which you can listen to here: Ian Powell BBC Radio |
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Jackie Hueftle - COO and co-founder of Kilter and Setter Closet, Jackie is also co-founder of the Routesetting Institute, CWA Routsetting Board member, and USAC Nationally-certified level 4 setter. She has over 22 years of setting and climbing industry experience including several years as Head Setter of The Spot Gym in Boulder until she transitioned to Kilter full time. Jackie currently teaches clinics and sets with the Routesetting Institute and has set, written about, and commentated on major competitions for magazines and podcasts. She learned to boulder in Bishop, is a guide in Hueco, loves sport climbing at Smith, and has sent V-double digits and put up new problems on a variety of rock types. Check out her article on the History of Climbing Holds for Vertical Life's Routesetter Magazine Issue 2. |
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Griffin Whiteside - Setter Closet CFO Griffin is a route setter, prominent outdoor first ascentionist, and one of the strongest underground boulderers in the world. Since he started with Kilter in 2015, Griffin has been an integral part of the company and now he manages many aspects of the business. When he's not at the office he's usually seeking out and sending boulder problems all over Colorado. Griff does anything and everything and is available for all questions, accounting or otherwise. Email: griffin@kiltergrips.com. |
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Kiel Mahar - Our Hold Sales and Kilter Board expert who also manages special projects and partnerships. Kiel created the annual Kilter Board Festival and contributed significantly to development and layout of the original Kilter Board and the new Home Board. He has been climbing for over 20 years, is a guide in Hueco, and has traveled all over the world to climb and do social projects. He also comes with Grimwig, who is the tiniest employee and manages the mailman, dropped snacks, and sunny spots. |
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Kasia Pietras - Longtime setter and Kilter friend Kasia Pietras joined the team in the summer of 2023. Kasia has done it all, from high level competing to coaching to setting and directing programs, to gym ownership and management. She's a fantastic addition to the team and is also a great resource for recommendations for any size of project. |
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| VIDEO TEAM | ||
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Hendrik Pot - Cinematographer Hendrik Pot is a longtime climber who grew up in (and still coaches) gymnastics and is now pursuing his passions of photography and videography in Boulder, CO. He's spends time at Kilter and UP every week filming setting videos with Connor and documenting some of our day-to-day and special projects. Find him on instagram @pothendrik12 | |
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Connor MacLennan - In 2021 Professional Routesetter Connor MacLennan left his Head Setter position at Central Rock Stoneham and moved to Colorado to help us out at Kilter. For a couple of years he and Hendrik filmed regular setting videos where they investigated movement, traveled to set comps, and did setter sessions and other special setting projects. In the Spring of 2023 he moved out of regular work with us and now is just doing videos and special projects. |
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Zach Arenberg - Colorado native Zach has been climbing over half his life and has done some stints helping us out in the shop and with videos. He's mostly climbing as much as he can, but we love having him around and he will likely show up in future videos as well. You can find him on instagram @zach_arenberg | |
IN MEMORY |
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Keith Dickey - To our great sadness, friend, shaper, and US Sales Rep Keith Dickey passed away in 2018 after a battle with cancer. Kilter will continue to sell Keith's hold lines - Stella and Moses - and will continue to pay his royalty to his family for every set sold. | |
INTERNATIONAL SALES |
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CANADA - Kaleb Thomas - Kaleb is a sought after competition setter and for the past 10 years has been one of the most active traveling setters in North America. His high energy approach has helped elevate events around the world including IFSC World Cups, Nationals, International Pro Events, and Continental Championships. Kaleb is currently based out of at Bloc Shop, one of North America's most respected climbing facilities known for it's high level routesetting. He has lived all across Canada and worked at many well known facilities where he gained knowledge and experience as his career has progressed. Kaleb has been working with Kilter and Urban Plastix since 2015 and is available for consultations on all things setting and holds. Email: kaleb@kiltergrips.com |
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OTHER COUNTRIES - We are proud to work with some of the world's foremost reps and distributors. To find out how to get Kilter and Urban Plastix in your country, please see: International Orders | |
SHAPING / R&D / DESIGN |
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URBAN PLASTIX - Peter Juhl - Urban Plastix head designer and sculpture artist who is also in new product and technique development. When he's not out exploring Colorado's great outdoors he's usually in the workshop, but if you have questions about his grips or want to talk to him he's around. Try him on instagram @urbanplastix or mail sales@kiltergrips.com and we'll make sure he gets it. More about Urban Plastix |
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Anders Rasker - Anders is capable of nearly any task and excels at precision and mechanical work, from delicately numbering board holds to all manner of r&d. He's worked with us for years when he's not setting or traveling around the world taking photos and trying exotic beers. A Colorado native, Ders can walk up a hill carrying a lot of stuff much faster than you'd expect and on his days off he can be found climbing in the backcountry or mountain biking with his partner Lauren and their dogs. | |
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Nick Diederich - We met Nick Diederich when he approached us with his Element Earth 3D scanned climbing holds. We helped him, he helped us, and now Nick is a huge part of our technology development team. He also does photo and website stuff and works on various projects of his own including Rock Tags and NFTs. His canine companion, Ziggs, is about the sweetest dog we've ever met. He's also shockingly agile at times and would be great in a circus. More about Element Earth 3D Email: tech@kiltergrips.com |
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HAPTIC SHAPING TEAM |
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Haptic is a line of holds from Ian and Peter as well as other professional climbers, shapers, and setters. Learn more and see holds from the team shapers here: Our Shaping Team | |
SPECIAL TEAM |
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Kevin Cuckovich - Longtime setter and friend Kevin Cuckovich has helped Kilter in various ways since the beginning. He's bouldered around the world and is an awesome personal trainer though so far he'll only train his friends. Kevin has been a huge part of Kilter Board development and testing and has been driving the Kilter Board Verification project, which will show up soon on the Kilter Board App. Kevin's familiar is Royal, the biggest Fuzz, who we sadly lost in 2021 to old age but whose memory lives on. | |
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Ryan Needles - Ryan is a Kilter Board specialist and he can do it all when it comes to board installs. He is also a commercial routesetter, with several years at gyms in Colorado, some custom Kilter Board layouts, and a stint at Urban Climb in Australia. Ryan was such a good gymnast as a child he attended a special gymnastics high school, but injuries forced him to retire. He used to base jump and teach sky diving in Moab, he's climbed all over the west, and he's stronger than he'll ever let on. If he makes something look easy, make sure to try it before guessing at the grade. | |
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Sarah Filler - Routesetting Institute setter Sarah Filler spends most of her time traveling to teach clinics and set at gyms and for comps. She's also a traveling Setter Closet rep! Hit her up for clinics, setting, or consults to help you pick your holds for your next project or reset. Email Sarah at routesettinginstitute@gmail.com | |
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Scott Rennak - Setter Closet has an extra asset in Scott Rennak, veteran comp organizer, route setter, screw-on pioneer behind the award-winning Crater Holds, marketing master, and original founder of the American Bouldering Series. His accolades are too numerous to count but have included work with gyms like The Spot (Boulder/Denver), and various other gyms and projects in the climbing industry. Most recently Scott has taken over Climbing Business Journal and is hard at working making it the best source for industry news. He also recently launched Homewaller which runs regular Homewall Setting Challenges in cooperation with the Routesetting Institute. | |
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Alton Richardson - Alton Richardson (aka AGR Photo) is our good friend who has worked with Kilter in various ways including shooting and editing the Night Sessions videos and taking many amazing photos of our shop and shaping team. He's a photographer, videographer, routesetter, climber, skateboarder, and skier, and he's always open to cool projects. @agrphoto on instagram. | |
ABOUT OUR MATERIAL
Our grips are not poured from buckets in someone’s garage. Instead they are produced by some of the foremost climbing hold factories in the world. Kilter and Urban Plastix US and Kilter and Urban Plastix Europe are unique sets of holds made to go together stylistically, so you can set by combining Kilter US and Kilter Europe holds or Urban Plastix US with Urban Plastix Europe and have lines that look and feel right together.
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US - Kilter and Urban Plastix US are produced by Aragon Elastomers in Louisville, Colorado. They have been producing grips for many popular climbing grip brands since 2006, utilizing the most modern manufacturing techniques in the industry. Ian originally began working with Aragon to develop material for e-Grips in the 90s and now, almost 20 years later, we pour Kilter at Aragon because we believe it is hands down the best material for climbing holds. No other material combines feel, flexibility, and longevity the way that Aragon's mix does. Every Kilter and Urban Plastix US grip comes with a 5 year manufacturer warranty from Aragon. If they break in that time, we will replace them. But they won’t. |
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EUROPE - Kilter and Urban Plastix Europe are poured in Bulgaria at Composite-X. They are made of the proprietory Dannomond material which is a super strong and light polyurethane developed by chemist (and Comp-X owner) Daniel French. Dannomond is his best mix after years of development, and so far it has performed extremely well in testing. We are confident that Kilter and Urban Plastix Europe holds in Dannomond will deliver our customers the quality and longevity they expect. |
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FIBERGLASS - Kilter and Urban Plastix Fiberglass are made in Bulgaria at Walltopia. We were impressed by their quality when we visited in 2019 and decided to finally launch our fiberglass line with them. |
