Cedar Pidgeon and Kindar McNamee claimed victory at the Canadian Lead Climbing National Championships, which took place at the Calgary Climbing Centre in Alberta. In the women’s category, Caiya Taylor Ainslie secured second place while Elnaz Rekabi rounded out the podium in third. The men’s competition showcased an all-British Columbia podium, with Sean McColl in second and Kindar’s brother, Guy McNamee, earning third.

Organized by Climbing Escalade Canada (CEC), the national governing body for climbing in Canada, this championship plays a crucial role in determining national athlete rankings that ultimately influence team selection for international competitions, including the Olympics.

The women’s route was notoriously challenging, featuring a pumpy roof with demanding compression moves and slimpers on the headwall. The competition was fierce; both 2026 Boulder Champion Evangelina Briggs and Rekabi finished with 28+, indicating they completed 28 moves but could not transition to the 29th. Rekabi’s higher points from the semi-finals secured her podium position, with only a two-move difference separating the top three finalists. While no climber managed to top the route, Pidgeon successfully reached the chains in the semi-finals.

In the men’s category, the competitors faced a dynamic route requiring a running start and a jump to the first holds—an exhilarating yet risky maneuver that all successfully executed. Climbers confronted a horizontal roof followed by a technical crux on the vertical headwall, where a few lost their footing. McColl nearly topped the route but fell just before securing the finish. Kindar maintained his edge with one additional move over McColl, though he, too, was unable to clutch the final hold.

Reflecting on his victory, McNamee shared his journey on Instagram, stating, “Well, I just won lead nationals! This marks my sixth national win, including youth. Coming into this competition, I struggled to maintain confidence, especially on slabby walls where I had previously underperformed. In past years, I placed 10th in 2022 and 9th in 2024, which made setting big goals intimidating. I decided to enter this competition with no expectations.”

He emphasized, “This experience proved I can still perform well on these types of walls and rekindled my love for competing. Throughout the event, I felt comfortable and had a lot of fun. This unexpected win is special, especially since my brother Guy also made it to the podium. The finals route was enjoyable, long, and pumpy, allowing me to enter a flow state.”

Women’s Results:
1. Cedar Pidgeon – 31
2. Caiya Taylor Ainslie – 29
3. Elnaz Rekabi – 28+
4. Evangelina Briggs – 28+
5. Riley Doherty – 26
6. Indiana Chapman – 25+
7. Sasha Duchene – 22
8. Grace Kam – 22
9. Adriana Yockelson – 19

Men’s Results:
1. Kindar McNamee – 43+
2. Sean McColl – 42+
3. Guy McNamee – 36
4. Matthew Rodriguez – 36
5. Maxime Thérien – 35+
6. TJ Foley – 33+
7. Carter Colleaux – 33+
8. Victor Baudrand – 15