Double Gold: In Conversation with Isaac Sutton after his European Youth Championship Win
From no medals to two Golds in two weeks, GEKCO athlete Isaac Sutton is having a seriously impressive summer. He secured his first international youth medal at the European Youth Lead Cup in Imst, taking Gold. Proving it was no fluke, he backed it up with another Gold at the European Youth Championships just two weeks later.
We caught up with Isaac to chat about his back-to-back victories, discover his ultimate chalking routine, and find out what’s next for him…
Issac, you’ve just won not one, but two GOLD youth international medals! Congratulations. How does it feel?
“Yeah, two international medals is truly a dream come true. It’s something I’ve been looking towards ever since my first season, back when I knew this was what I wanted to do.”
How did you feel on the final route at the European Championships? Was there pressure after your last medal in Imst, or were you just focused on the route?
“Going out to the last route was a unique feeling. On one hand, I had a level of confidence that I’ve never had before after Imst. On the other hand, I felt a lot of pressure with the whole team out there watching and my family watching from home!”
Run us through your chalking routine… Are you a Loose, Liquid, or COLD kinda guy?
“To be honest, I use all the GEKCO products! I like to fill my chalk bag with Loose Chalk and then crumble in half a COLD block, which I repeat each round. I also use Liquid Chalk as a base layer just before my route, meaning I don’t have to chalk up for the first 4–5 draws.”
What are your plans from here? A holiday, or straight into winter training?
“From here, I’ve got a week off training (though I’ll still go climbing for fun!). After that, it’s a big winter of training. As I’ve also moved into sixth form, I have more flexibility to train for more hours each day, which I am SO excited for!”
I guess the next thing looming is the senior stage. How are you feeling about that transition?
“I’m looking at World Cups and my final season in U19, which also means my last Youth Worlds. All in all, I am so excited to be competing against people who I have looked up to my whole life. It’s crazy to think that when I was younger, my goal was to just make the GB team—I never imagined I would be properly competing, pushing the rest of my category, and transitioning into the senior circuit!”
On behalf of everyone at GEKCO and our climbing community, we wish Isaac the absolute best of luck! Be sure to join our newsletter for more athlete updates, and don't forget to check out Isaac's favourite chalking essentials to elevate your own climbing routine.
Shop Isaac’s Ultimate Chalking Routine
Eco-friendly high performance fine loose chalk in a fully paper recyclable bag.
Seawater-processed chalk with no additives, drying agents or bulking agents. Just the purest magnesium carbonate, providing high-performance with a low impact. If you're looking for the best climbing chalk for performance, planet and your wallet, you've just found it.
High-performance - no additives, drying agents, or bulking agents, just chalk
Environmentally-friendly - seawater processed chalk in a fully paper recyclable bag
Affordable - Planet before profit, you're only paying for pure chalk
— No additives, fillers or nastiness, just chalk
— 100% the highest purity magnesium carbonate
— 100% FSC sustainably grown/sourced paper
— 100% paper recyclable
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If you’re looking for genuinely the next level in chalk… you’ve just stumbled across it. Fresh out of our development lab, it’s hard to describe how much of a game changer this product is. Think… connies in a tin. Akin to the invention of sticky rubber but for chalk.
COLD is our brand new world-first hybrid of loose and liquid chalk, it gives you the cooling and drying effect of a liquid chalk but in a loose format! This performance-focused product is like no other on the market, with only sustainably-derived ingredients that are good for you, your climbing, and the planet.
No menthol, additives, resins or thickeners
Just seawater processed magnesium and ethanol
Reduces sweating
Improves friction
Perfect for climbers with sensitive skin
Ideal for hot, sweaty conditions
With 2 ways to use COLD, it’s perfect for all climbers in any scenario. Use directly on your skin by crushing a small nugget into your hands for an instant cooling effect - perfect for individual blocs. By using small nuggets, you will get around 30 uses from a 60g and 70 uses from a 140g. Alternatively, crumble a single cube into your chalk bag and mix with regular loose chalk to cool the whole chalk bag down for up to an entire day in summer and up to 3 days in winter! This is perfect for weekends of projecting or long comp days!
Scan the QR code on the tin for detailed instructions and information about the product.
PATENT PENDING
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Eco-friendly, high-performance liquid chalk for climbing, weight lifting, cross-fit, gymnastics and grip sports.
We do things differently here at GEKCO. Most liquid chalk brands are filled with more gunk than chalk. GEKCO is PURE.
The purest magnesium carbonate and alcohol. Zero thickeners or resin. Engineered for the best friction with no detrimental effects to the environment.
Designed ground up by climbers, prioritising friction and our planet before profit.
— Naturally superior grip
— Zero resins or thickeners
— Fast drying
Ingredients: Magnesium Carbonate, Alcohol.
UK SHIPPING: Flat rate £2.95 (Royal Mail Tracked 48)
We DON’T charge more if you order more. Faster services available.
International Shipping calculated at checkout.
