At 18 years old, Daniel Woods of Longmont already is one of the premier climbers in the country.
And when the Teva Mountain Games return to Vail this week, featuring a World Cup bouldering competition that has been hosted in the United States only once before, Woods will have an opportunity to prove he is among the best in the world.
Woods’ resume tells a story of rare talent, perhaps akin to another sports legend with the same last name.
By the time he was 5, Woods was playing around in a climbing gym. By age 10, he won his first junior national championship. By 11, he had accepted his first sponsorship with a clothing company called Cickle. By 14, he had collected his first paycheck from climbing.
“I still remember when I got my first check,” Woods said last weekend. “It wasn’t for much money, but it made me think that I could make a living out of a hobby, so I really began to work on my climbing.”
The work has paid off.
He already has won three consecutive bouldering championships at the Teva Mountain Games and is a full-time climber with major sponsors that include North Face and Petzl.
Like most great athletes, Woods was blessed with a powerful body. He stands only 5-feet-7 but has a wingspan that measures nearly 6-1.
“Having long arms really helps when I climb,” Woods said. “It gives me a longer reach over the rock and allows me to cover more distance.”
Long arms aside, Woods’ climbing ability also is a product of his environment. Or, to be more exact, a product of his family, which shares the same passion for the sport.
In 1995, the Woods family was living just north of Dallas. Steve Woods, Daniel’s father, took his first climb in Colorado and instantly was hooked.
“I became obsessed,” said Steve, 41. “All I wanted to do was climb. I even began to run up and down three flights of stairs during my lunch break at work to get in shape for climbing.”
Two years later the family moved to Longmont, where Steve Woods began to teach wife Carol, daughter Amanda and Daniel how to climb.
“We would find time to climb as a family every weekend,” said Carol, 44. “It was an activity that we could all do together in nature, where there were no distractions, and we could really spend time and talk to the kids.”
Daniel and his younger sister began to join climbing teams in Boulder, which is where Daniel’s talent quickly was noticed.
“I met Daniel when he was 9 years old,” said Justen Sjong, who was Daniel’s first climbing coach in Boulder. “Since Day One, he was very mature and was never interested in getting in trouble. He always had this incredible work ethic and would log a serious amount of hours in the gym.”
Tim Harrington of Boulder, who knew Daniel in his youth and is a close friend of the Woods family, isn’t surprised by Daniel’s success.
“Daniel is super-talented and extremely motivated,” said Harrington, 51. “He doesn’t have the big ego that many athletes have. I think that is because he grew up in Boulder climbing with some of the most elite athletes in the world.”
Harrington also mentioned the importance of the Woods family in Daniel’s rise to stardom.
“The Woodses are incredibly close and supportive,” he said. “They never pushed Daniel, and I think that was one of the most important things. With Daniel, it is more of an inner drive.”
That drive has led Daniel to new heights, some which are a bit overwhelming.
Last week, the Woods family was in a restaurant when they glanced at a TV and saw a clip of Daniel climbing in a commercial that related to the Teva Mountain Games.
“I was pretty shocked at first,” Daniel said. “I guess I’m still getting used to these kinds of things.”
Woods also is getting used to the time he spends in other countries. He travels extensively throughout Europe for competitions, and on June 10 he will leave for South Africa for a six-week stay to make a climbing video.
With so much success at a young age, many followers of the sport wonder just how good Daniel can become.
“I have no doubt Daniel will leave his mark in the history books of climbing,” Sjong said. “The only question is how soon he will do it, and in what way.”
Woods has been dominant at the Teva Mountain Games, which start Thursday and conclude Sunday. But this year, the stakes are higher. Teva announced April 8 that the bouldering competition would be upgraded to a World Cup event, which means Woods will be competing against the best international climbers.
“It is going to be one of the biggest challenges of my career,” Woods said. “I just need to stay relaxed and treat it as another climbing day. That is when I do my best.”
Teva Mountain Games
The Teva Mountain Games in and around Vail include competition in kayaking, rafting, climbing, mountain biking and cross country running. Participants range from professionals to beginners. For more information on the schedule and clinics for the public, go to .
THURSDAY
10 a.m.: Steep Creek Championship at Homestake Creek
1:30 p.m.: Difficulty and speed bouldering demo
3:30: Youth bouldering competition
6: Opening ceremony
FRIDAY
9 a.m.: IFSC bouldering World Cup qualifier
Noon and 2 p.m.: Fly-fishing clinic provided by Gore Creek Fly Fisherman
1: Kayak freestyle qualifier
4:30: Kayak freestyle clinic
SATURDAY
8 a.m.: Citizen bouldering competition
8:30: Downriver kayak sprint
9: Fly-fishing qualifier (first round)
10:30: Cross country, junior beginners
11: Kayak freestyle semifinals
11:30: Freeride qualifier
Noon: Cross country, expert and pro divisions
Noon and 3 p.m.: Fly-fishing clinic
1: IFSC bouldering World Cup semifinals
2: Fly-fishing qualifier (second round)
3: Freeride finals
4: Cross country, juniors sport and expert, sport, beginner and 35+ divisions
4:30: Kayak freestyle finals
5: Speed retrieve
5:15: Kayak freestyle clinic
5:30: Slopestyle qualifier
6: IFSC bouldering World Cup finals
7: Teva X-1 mud run at Golden Peak
8: Slopestyle finals
SUNDAY
8 a.m.: Fly-fishing finals
8:30: 10K spring runoff
10: Raftcross
11: Hill climb
11:30: Speed bouldering qualifiers, 8-ball kayak qualifier
Noon: Fly-fishing clinic
1 p.m.: Speed bouldering finals
1:30: Raftcross, big air amateur and semipro finals
2:30: 8-ball kayak finals, big air pro finals
3:30: Fly-fishing weigh-in, Ultimate Mountain Challenge coronation
4: Telluride Mountainfilm on Tour at the Lodge at Vail
