WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao will welcome its first-ever climbing wall on Saturday, December 6, with an official opening at 6:00 p.m. at the Boka Samí community center. The project was initiated by the Curaçao Outdoor Industry Alliance (COIA) and is being led by Terence Ching and Ashwin Behilia under the name Climbing Curaçao.
The initiative aims to offer young people a new physical and mental outlet at a time when increasing reliance on technology is negatively affecting both physical fitness and mental well-being. By introducing climbing as a sport, the organizers hope to provide youth with a constructive alternative that promotes movement, focus, and resilience.
A climbing wall consists of a vertical surface equipped with handholds and footholds that participants use to climb upward. The project also adds diversity to the island’s sports landscape, as climbing is an Olympic sport and continues to grow internationally.
Marlon Regales, coordinator of the Boka Samí community center, immediately recognized the value of the initiative and made the facility available for the project.
“You have to make a plan to get to the top, you need to be in good shape, you must concentrate, stay flexible, and have the courage to take risks,” Regales said. “That’s exactly what you need to succeed in life. It’s a good simulation of what life is like.”
With the opening of the climbing wall, COIA and the Climbing Curaçao team hope to spark long-term interest in outdoor and alternative sports while empowering young people with skills that extend far beyond the wall itself.