Urban Climbing
Red Bull Creepers makes its U.S. debut over the Chattanooga
From dramatic splashdowns to a local climber landing on the podium, Red Bull Creepers brought deep-water solo climbing to Chattanooga’s Market Street Bridge for the first time.
Part of this story
Red Bull Creepers sped up Market Street Bridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee for one of climbing’s most daring formats: psicobloc, or deep-water soloing. The competition marked the event’s first-ever U.S. edition, drawing 16 elite athletes from around the world and more than 1,500 spectators to the Tennessee River waterfront.
Romania’s Darius Râpă, captured the men’s crown with speed and precision, edging out Spain’s Mikel Linacisoro in the final round. The biggest surprise came from the local scene, as qualifier Quinn O’Francia surged past international contenders to secure third place and a spot on the podium.
Darius Rapa, Mikel Linacisoro, Quinn O’Francia at Red Bull Creepers
© Nathalie Dupre Red Bull Content Pool
Rapa expressed how he felt during his climb, “I’m feeling good! I could feel him on my right hand. I could feel that I had a better start and then he had a really, really good start. And then we catch up, and it was really close all the time. Then I had to sprint on the last part. It was really really cool.”
On the women’s side, Slovenia’s Julija Kruder defended her title with another commanding performance, following up her 2021 win in Spain with back-to-back Red Bull Creepers victories. France’s Julia Chanourdrie claimed second, while Germany’s Afra Hönig and Slovenia’s Katja Debevec tied for third after a razor-thin battle.
Julija Kruder, Julia Chanoudrie, Katja Debevec, and Afra Hönig
© Nathalie Dupre / Red Bull Content Pool
“So this one was a bit tougher than the last one, especially because the competition was harder. The route was much harder. So when the route is tougher and it’s at some height, your mind is playing games with you so it was really stressful. At some point, some of the competitors took some bad falls. So, my head was overthinking but I think I always felt comfortable on the wall, confident and safe. I just trusted my feelings and I’m really happy with the last go." Kruder shared.
Before the competition began, climbing icon Chris Sharma set the tone with a demonstration of the route. Notable commentary from Sierra Blair and Jimmy Coleman set the scene and Sasha DiGiulian brought expert insight into all the action.
Sasha DiGiulian interviews Chris Sharma at Red Bull Creepers
© Caleb Timmerman / Red Bull Content Pool
The event unfolded as part of River Games Chattanooga, a three-day celebration of outdoor adventure that included high diving, wake surfing, high-lining, and live music. Together, the festival and Red Bull Creepers underscored Chattanooga’s reputation as a hub for world-class outdoor sports while giving fans a front-row seat to the intensity of deep-water climbing.
28 min
Highlights from Red Bull Creepers 2025
Elite climbers face off in a head-to-head deep-water soloing competition in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Part of this story