Shauna Coxsey sends Flip Flopera (Font 8B)
- Tuesday 30th May 2023
Shauna Coxsey has capped a tour of northern bouldering spots with an ascent of Flip Flopera (Font 8B) at the Bowderstone.
“Got a bit carried away on the 7s tour and did this 8b. I sure do love pulling on crimps on steep rock. Also, I am soooo happy to be able to drop off the top of this with no knee pain!” Shauna wrote on her social media pages breaking the news.
It’s been an eventful time for Shauna since she retired from competition climbing after the Tokyo Olympics in August 2021. The last year alone has seen the Olympian give birth to her daughter Frankie, and have double knee surgery. Now, however, it’s clear that she’s back on form.
Shauna climbed her hardest-ever boulder, Bernd Zangerl's New Base Line (Font 8B+) at Magic Wood, Switzerland, back in July 2014. At the time she was the third woman in the world to climb Font 8B+.
Originally climbed by Dan Varian, Shauna’s ascent of Flip Flopera is the second ascent by a female climber after Molly Thompson Smith’s ascent back in November 2021. However, Shauna’s repeat of Flip Flopera not only marks her return to hard blocs after giving birth and her knee surgery but breaks in new ground for postpartum climbers, ie, mums, worldwide.
A film of Shauna climbing the best Font 7’s she’s climbed whilst on the tour of northern Britain will be released on her YouTube channel in the future. Meanwhile, you can watch Shauna climbing Flip Flopera on her Instagram page here.