"When I was 15 years old, my uncle took my brother and I climbing in Southern Missouri. The rock was covered in graffiti and we did our best to avoid landing on broken bottles and shotgun shells. Even though the aesthetic was less than desirable, we still fell in love with the sport. Growing up in Saint Louis, Missouri, we were only able to visit outdoor climbing areas on the weekends in Southern Illinois or Missouri. We spent most of our time during the week climbing on home walls that were built in our parents’ basement or garage walls. We were completely hooked. Even our friends built walls in their attics, underneath decks, or anywhere with enough space. We couldn’t stop." - So iLL est 1997.