Kilter Grips

Kilter Grips

Kilter Grips logo
Type	Private
ISIN	🆔
Industry	Climbing equipment
Founded 📆	2013
Founders 👔	Ian Powell; Jackie Hueftle
Headquarters 🏙️	Boulder, Colorado, U.S.
Area served 🗺️
Key people	Ian Powell (CEO); Jackie Hueftle (COO)
Products 📟	Climbing holds; training boards (Kilter Board); climbing volumes; training app
Members
Number of employees
🌐 Website	kiltergrips.com
📇 Address
📞 telephone

Kilter Grips (also known as Kilter Climbing) is an American manufacturer of rock climbing holds, climbing wall volumes, and training equipment, based in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 2013 by renowned hold shaper Ian Powell and routesetter Jackie Hueftle, the company has grown into one of the largest climbing hold producers in the world. Kilter’s innovations include the LED-illuminated Kilter Board training wall, which allows climbers to train on standardized problems that light up via a mobile app. The company is known for its ergonomic, setter-friendly hold designs and has received numerous industry awards, including multiple “Grip List” honors from Climbing Business Journal. Kilter’s climbing holds have been used in high-profile competitions—most notably being the only U.S.-based hold brand selected for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in sport climbing.

History

2013–2015: Founding and early development

Kilter was established in 2013 after Ian Powell’s return to the climbing industry following a decade-long hiatus. Powell—who had co-founded the hold company E-Grips in the 1990s—teamed up with Jackie Hueftle, then a head routesetter at The Spot gym in Boulder, to launch Kilter as a new venture. An early investment from a local gym owner provided the seed funding to mold Kilter’s first holds in 2013, an initial batch of around 350 holds organized into 36 sets. Hueftle later noted that she and Powell, along with a third partner, set up Kilter as a separate LLC and quickly began expanding the hold line in the following year. By 2014, Kilter offered over 45 sets of holds, and the brand’s focus on comfortable, functional shapes started to gain a following among indoor climbers and routesetters. In the inaugural Climbing Business Journal “Grip List” industry survey in 2014, Kilter was voted the favorite hold brand by routesetters, signaling the company’s early success.

2016–2019: Expansion and Kilter Board introduction

Over the next few years, Kilter expanded its product range and influence in the routesetting world. The company introduced larger and more complex holds, including fiberglass macros and oversized feature holds. Around 2016, Kilter launched its Kaiju line of extra-large holds (named after the Japanese word for “giant monster”), joining a trend in the industry toward gigantic shapes for modern routesetting. At the time, only a few companies were producing holds of that scale; Kilter’s Kaiju, released alongside Kingdom Climbing’s big holds, helped usher in a “golden age” of creative hold design before the COVID-19 pandemic slowed growth in 2020.

During this period, Kilter continued to earn accolades—in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 the brand won multiple categories in Climbing Business Journal’s Grip List Awards (including “All-Time Favorite” hold company in 2018 and 2019), further cementing its reputation.

In 2018, Kilter unveiled the Kilter Board, a modern take on the classic training spray wall. Developed in collaboration with Aurora Climbing for the lighting and app technology, and with Canadian engineer Abel J. Chouinard’s Lemur Design for an adjustable frame, the Kilter Board featured a grid of holds that illuminate via LED lights around their perimeter. The board’s holds, all designed by Powell, were carefully crafted for comfort and training value (with a variety of slopers, pinches, crimps, and jugs), and the board’s angle could be adjusted to suit different difficulty levels. Kilter officially launched the adjustable Kilter Board system in late 2018, and it quickly attracted attention in the climbing community. By 2019, Kilter’s growth and innovation led to it being the only U.S.-based hold manufacturer selected for the IFSC (International Federation of Sport Climbing) Official Holds Catalogue, a list of approved equipment for use in international competitions.

Athletes competing on IFSC walls; similar holds from Kilter were selected for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

2020–2025: Competition debut and continued growth

Sport climbing made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games (held in 2021), and Kilter’s holds were among those used by routesetters for the Olympic climbing events in both bouldering and lead categories. Kilter was the only American hold brand represented on the Olympic wall, marking a major milestone for the company. That opportunity arose from Kilter’s status as an official IFSC Authorized Hold Producer since 2019, which allowed its equipment to be used in all World Cup and World Championship events from that year onward. Following the Olympics, Kilter holds continued to appear in IFSC World Cup competitions and were again selected for the IFSC hold catalogues in the lead-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics (for example, being included among the official hold suppliers for the 2024 Olympic Qualifier Series).

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021 spurred many climbers to build home climbing walls, and the Kilter Board became a centerpiece of the at-home training boom. Kilter’s free mobile app enabled users around the world to share problems and compete on identical board setups remotely, which increased the board’s popularity. In Climbing Business Journal’s 2021 Grip List survey, the Kilter Board was voted the “Favorite Training Board System” by a wide margin, an honor it continued to earn in 2022, 2023, and 2024 as the board’s user community expanded. By 2023, over 1,000 Kilter Board installations had been sold and installed globally, representing the largest network and route database of any standardized training board on the market. In response to demand, Kilter introduced new board sizes and updates: a larger 16×12-foot Kilter Board was released in 2023 (expanding on the original 12×12-foot design), and Kilter and Lemur Design unveiled a refined, more compact adjustable frame system the same year to make installation easier in gyms with limited space. Also in 2023, Kilter showcased its products at major industry events, such as the Climbing Wall Association Summit, where it demonstrated an adjustable slab version of the Kilter Board and even a collaborative rotating climbing wall (the “Kilter x Treadwall”) to highlight its offerings.

Products

Kilter Board

In 2018, Kilter Grips introduced the Kilter Board, which was the first LED-illuminated training board designed and manufactured in the United States, for the American climbing market. The Kilter Board is an LED-enabled climbing wall that comes with a set of unique holds and an accompanying mobile application. The standard Kilter Board layout (sometimes called the "Original Kilter Board") measures 12 ft wide by 12 ft tall (approximately 3.66 m by 3.66 m) and is typically installed at a 40-degree overhanging angle (adjustable to shallower or steeper angles). Each hold on the board has an embedded LED that lights up around the hold’s perimeter. Using the Kilter Board App (available for iOS and Android), climbers can illuminate specific holds to set boulder problems. The app features a global database of thousands of user-created problems, allowing climbers anywhere to climb the same problem set by someone else, and includes social features like logging ascents, rating climbs, and sharing beta. The Kilter Board’s color-coded lights (green for start holds, purple for finish, blue for handholds, yellow for foot-only) and the ergonomic shape of its holds have made it appealing to a broad range of climbers, from beginners to professionals.

Over time, Kilter expanded the board concept to different sizes and layouts to accommodate various spaces. The Homewall layout, introduced around 2020, is a more compact version of the Kilter Board intended for personal home use or smaller facilities. Homewall Kilter Boards come in sizes such as 7×10 ft, 8×12 ft, 10×10 ft, and 10×12 ft, each using a subset of the standard holds and a slightly different arrangement, while still allowing users to share many of the same problems as the Original 12×12 board. In 2023, Kilter added a larger 16×12 ft variant of the Original Kilter Board, offering an even wider climbing surface and more holds; this "Full Size" board can be set at adjustable angles (e.g. 20–70° overhang) and includes a kickboard for low-start moves. All Kilter Board models use the same app and lighting system, ensuring interoperability of climb databases across different board sizes.

To support the Kilter Board, Kilter offers both the hold sets and the hardware/frame systems. The company partnered with Lemur Design of Canada to create freestanding adjustable frames that can raise or lower the board’s angle at the push of a button. The first Lemur x Kilter Adjustable Wall was released in 2018 alongside the initial board launch, and updated frame designs were rolled out in 2022 focusing on a more compact footprint and easier transport/installation (featuring innovations like a full-length piano hinge and reduced frame weight). Kilter also sells accessories such as padded mats tailored to the board and offers a "white glove" installation service for facilities that purchase a complete package.

Kilter Board versions

Board model	Dimensions (W × H)	Introduced	Notes
Original Kilter Board (standard)	12 ft × 12 ft (3.66 m × 3.66 m); adjustable 0–70°	2018	Flagship training board with full set of Kilter holds and LED perimeter lights. Typically installed at 40°.
Kilter Board Homewall	7×10 ft, 8×12 ft, 10×10 ft, or 10×12 ft (various angles)	2020	Compact version for home gym use or smaller facilities. Uses a subset of standard holds while remaining compatible with the global climb database via the Kilter Board App.
Full-Size Kilter Board	16 ft × 12 ft (4.88 m × 3.66 m); adjustable 0–70°	2023	Larger format with more holds and a wider climbing surface. Includes a kickboard for low-start moves; designed primarily for commercial climbing gyms.
Lemur × Kilter Adjustable Frame	n/a (adjustable freestanding frame)	2018 (updated 2022)	Collaboration with Lemur Design (Canada) to provide an adjustable wall structure for Kilter Boards. Electric actuators allow quick angle changes; 2022 update reduced frame size and weight for easier installation.

Climbing Holds

Kilter’s climbing holds and equipment have become increasingly prominent in competition climbing at both national and international levels. After becoming an IFSC Official Hold Producer in 2019, Kilter holds were approved for use in all IFSC-sanctioned competitions, which include the World Cup series, World Championships, and other continental championships. Routesetters for IFSC events began incorporating Kilter holds into boulder problems and lead routes, especially from the 2019 season onward. Notably, Kilter was the first American hold brand to be featured so extensively in IFSC competitions, as historically many competition holds have come from European brands.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: The highlight of Kilter’s competition debut was the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (climbing events held in August 2021). Kilter was one of a select group of hold manufacturers worldwide – and the only one from the U.S. – chosen to supply holds for the Olympic climbing events. A special Olympic Holds Catalogue (Tokyo 2020 catalogue) was released by the IFSC, listing Kilter among the approved hold sets. In preparation for the Games, Kilter worked with IFSC officials and routesetters to pick a range of hold shapes that would be suitable for the level of competition. These holds were 3D-scanned in France and shipped to Tokyo, where they were used by the Olympic routesetting team to create the problems for the men’s and women’s bouldering finals and the routes for the lead finals. Observant viewers of the Olympic climbing broadcasts could spot Kilter’s logo on certain holds and volumes on the wall. The Olympic appearance of Kilter holds provided global exposure for the brand and validated its quality at the highest level of competition.

IFSC World Cups and Championships: Since 2019, Kilter holds have been regularly featured in IFSC World Cup events in bouldering. Many World Cup boulder problems now include Kilter holds, often identifiable by their unique shapes and the “K” emblem. For example, during the 2021 World Cup circuit (which included events in Meiringen, Salt Lake City, and Innsbruck), several boulder problems in finals used Kilter volumes and holds. At the 2021 IFSC World Championships in Moscow, Kilter holds were present on some bouldering problems, and again at the 2023 World Championships in Bern, routesetters used an assortment of Kilter’s newer macro holds. While the IFSC requires a mix from multiple brands in each competition, Kilter has become one of the staple names on the circuit alongside companies like Flathold, Cheeta, and Squadra.

National competitions: Kilter’s partnership with USA Climbing (USAC) meant that from 2019 to 2021, many U.S. national-level competitions (such as Youth Nationals, Open Nationals, and the National Cup Series) were set with Kilter holds. Competitors in these events frequently encountered Kilter holds on semifinal and final problems. Routesetters, including those trained or certified by Hueftle’s Routesetting Institute, often incorporate Kilter’s competition sets (such as the Fontainebleau series slopers or the Granite series crimps) to test climbers’ skills. The feedback from these national competitions has sometimes driven Kilter to tweak hold designs or create new sets specifically aimed at competition use (e.g., extra-large screw-on footholds for slab climbs, dual-texture slopers to force coordination moves).

Paris 2024 Olympic cycle: At the 2024 Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) events – a new series leading up to the Paris 2024 Games – Kilter was again listed among official suppliers. In the OQS event in Budapest in 2024, routesetters employed Kilter holds on some boulders, and similarly, Kilter holds are expected to appear in the Paris 2024 Olympic climbing events, given Kilter’s inclusion in the “Paris 24” catalogue of approved holds. This continued presence highlights that Kilter has solidified its role in the highest tiers of competition.

In summary, within a relatively short time, Kilter’s equipment has gone from being a newcomer to being a mainstay in competitions:

• Olympics: Holds used in Tokyo 2020 (climbing debut) and selected for Paris 2024.
• IFSC World Cups/World Championships: Regularly featured since 2019, especially in bouldering events.
• National competitions (U.S. & others): Official supplier for USAC events (2019–21) and used by setters in other countries’ national competitions.
• Special events: Integrated into new competition formats like board contests and Olympic qualifiers.

The adoption of Kilter holds in competitions is a strong endorsement of their quality and versatility, as competition routesetting demands the highest performance from holds (in terms of friction, durability, and novel shapes). It also provides Kilter with valuable publicity and feedback, which can drive further innovation in their designs.

See also

• Climbing hold – overview of artificial holds used for climbing
• MoonBoard – another standardized LED training board system
• Campus board – a training apparatus for climbers (invented in 1988)
• USA Climbing – national governing body for competition climbing in the U.S.
• International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) – the international sport climbing federation

Corporate affairs

Ownership and leadership: Kilter is a privately held company. It was co-founded by Ian Powell and Jackie Hueftle, who remain the principal owners and executives. Powell serves as the company’s CEO and head of product design, channeling his art and sculpting background into the creation of new hold shapes. Hueftle is Kilter’s COO and directs many of the business operations, sales, and outreach; her extensive experience in routesetting (she co-founded the Routesetting Institute and has served on the board of the Climbing Wall Association) influences Kilter’s customer-focused approach.

In a 2020 feature for the BBC's The Boss (BBC) series, Ian Powell reflected on his personal journey from homelessness to becoming a successful entrepreneur, noting how those experiences shaped his leadership at Kilter.

In Kilter’s early years, a third partner (Stephanie Lazewski) was also involved in ownership and administration, and the company established itself as a Colorado LLC. As Kilter grew, it brought on additional team members: for example, Griffin Whiteside joined in 2015 and later became Chief Financial Officer, helping to manage the expanding business.

Further reading

• Walker, Noah. "The Perfect Hold – An Art of the Industry." Gripped Magazine, February 16, 2021 – An in-depth profile of Kilter co-founders Ian Powell and Jackie Hueftle, discussing the company’s history and philosophy.
• "2024 Grip List Awards." Climbing Business Journal, March 1, 2024 – Annual survey results highlighting top climbing hold and board manufacturers (Kilter features prominently).
• Hueftle, Jackie. "History of Climbing Holds." Route Setter Magazine (Vertical-Life), Issue 2, 2019 – Article by Kilter’s co-founder on the evolution of hold design (provides context to Kilter’s design approach).

References

Template:Climbing

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