Longmont Gym Hosts Ice Climbing World Cup After Overcoming Windstorm Damage

Community rallies to rebuild Climbing Collective gym in just 8 days, allowing it to host prestigious competition for second straight year.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Climbing Collective gym in Longmont, Colorado hosted the Ice Climbing World Cup this week, bringing together elite athletes from 16 countries to compete in the sport that is pushing for Olympic inclusion. This was the second consecutive year the gym hosted the event, an impressive feat considering a December windstorm had ripped the roof off the facility just two months prior. However, a swift community response and fundraising effort allowed the gym to be rebuilt and reopened in just 8 days, ensuring the World Cup competition could go on as planned.

Why it matters

Ice climbing is a niche sport working to gain more mainstream recognition, and hosting the prestigious World Cup event two years in a row helps establish Longmont as a hub for the sport. The community's ability to quickly rally and rebuild the damaged gym after the windstorm also showcases the town's resilience and commitment to supporting local businesses and events.

The details

The Climbing Collective gym in Longmont was selected to host the Ice Climbing World Cup for the second straight year, bringing together top athletes from 16 different countries to compete. However, just two months before the event, a powerful windstorm ripped the roof off the gym, leaving the future of the competition in doubt. The gym's co-owner, Bryan Hylenski, said the community responded quickly, launching a successful GoFundMe campaign that allowed the facility to be rebuilt and reopened in just 8 days, ensuring the World Cup could proceed as scheduled.

  • In December 2025, a windstorm ripped the roof off the Climbing Collective gym in Longmont.
  • The gym was able to rebuild and reopen in just 8 days, in time to host the Ice Climbing World Cup in February 2026.
  • The Ice Climbing World Cup took place this week in Longmont.

The players

Climbing Collective

A gym in Longmont, Colorado that hosts the annual Ice Climbing World Cup competition.

Bryan Hylenski

The co-owner of the Climbing Collective gym in Longmont.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We have 16 different countries here fighting to be the ice climbing world cup champion.”

— Bryan Hylenski, Co-owner, Climbing Collective (9news.com)

“Ice climbing, dry tooling — it's something we are trying to get into the Olympics. We will hopefully find out in June.”

— Bryan Hylenski, Co-owner, Climbing Collective (9news.com)

“When the roof went off, there were a lot of mixed feelings about what happened. And so to see something get torn apart, the first thing you think is that something you put so much time and love into is disappearing, and there is nothing you can do — it's incredibly helpless.”

— Bryan Hylenski, Co-owner, Climbing Collective (9news.com)

“It took us eight days, and that's because of the resiliency of Longmont. There was never a mixed feeling around this community.”

— Bryan Hylenski, Co-owner, Climbing Collective (9news.com)

What’s next

Organizers are hoping to learn in June whether ice climbing will be added to the Olympic program.

The takeaway

The Climbing Collective's ability to quickly rebuild and host the prestigious Ice Climbing World Cup for a second straight year, despite suffering major storm damage just months prior, showcases the resilience and community spirit of Longmont. This event helps establish the town as a hub for this niche but growing sport, which is pushing for inclusion in the Olympic Games.