CWA Blog Archive-Honoring The Past, Designing For What’s Next

Honoring The Past, Designing For What’s Next

Pdf Summary

This sponsored piece from EP Climbing previews the company's Heritage holds, new panel materials, and what it will bring to the 2026 CWA Summit. The framing is that the industry has changed a great deal, gyms are larger and more diverse, setting styles keep evolving, and facilities plan further ahead for longevity and maintenance, but some things haven't changed. Good movement still feels good, thoughtful design still matters, and the best tools keep earning their place on the wall year after year. The Heritage Line grew from a simple question: what happens when you take something that worked decades ago and refine it with today's understanding of movement, setting, and facility needs? Inspired by EP's original hexagon-based holds from the 1980s, the line revisits that early design language through a modern lens. The geometry is familiar, but the execution reflects how climbing is set and experienced now, supporting commercial routes, competition-style movement, and creative setting alike. Rather than chasing trends, the focus is consistency, versatility, and usability, with shapes designed to work together across materials and sizes so setters get intuitive, adaptable tools. The article also widens the conversation to materials. Holds are only one part of the experience. The panels, textures, and surfaces they live on shape how movement is perceived and how walls age. As facilities plan for longer lifecycles and more diverse use, material choices become a design decision rather than an afterthought. The throughline, echoed by experienced setters, is that good movement doesn't go out of style, it just evolves.

Asset Caption

Sponsored by EP Climbing: a preview of the Heritage hold line and new panel materials heading to the 2026 CWA Summit. Inspired by EP's 1980s hexagon holds and refined for today's setting, the line prioritizes consistency and versatility, with materials treated as part of the design conversation.