I’m quaffing whiskey this week to an underground badass you’ve probably never heard of–Sam Elias. Since mid March, Sam has been dispatching some of rifle hardest lines including Don’t Trust Whitey(13d/14a), The Collinator (14a), Achilles (14a), and Benign Intervention (14b).

Today, he fired Stockboys Revenge, a stout 14b in Rifle’s Bauhaus on his second try of the day and eighth try overall.

Prior to this season’s burst of baddassery, he had done just a couple 5.14a routes. I’m thoroughly impressed by how much he’s stepped it up this season. Over the winter while the rest of us were eating twinkies and working on our beer bellies, lil’ Sam must have actually been training or some shit. Whatever it was, cheers to you homeboy!

The WW Honorable Mention goes John Cardwell which means you get to take two shots tonight. At the EXACT same time as Sam’s send,  Cardwell was completely OWNING Girl Talk, a new 14c on the same wall.

And that’s just damned awesome.

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