I wanted to create a series of holds that was very classic, but also offered a couple of specific features which played around with symmetry and an aesthetic/visual function. First, I wanted this series to offer a “left”, “right”, and “center” type hold, of which I made five, varying in size, from small-ish to very large. This allows a route setter to keep their routes functional while also providing them the options to get creative and offer a very aesthetic look. Next, to help with that aesthetic look, for each “mini series”, I shaped these holds to be “stackable”. Imagine a set of Russian Tea dolls (AKA Stacking dolls or Matryoshka dolls) – each doll of decreasing size can be placed one inside the other. The Les Gastons work the same way – each hold can be placed next to the adjacent sized hold of its respective “mini series” and the edges will line up perfectly. I really wanted to play around with these two concepts because I know that the human mind is attracted to symmetry and patterns. These holds offer both.

— Joey Jannsen