By merging the artistic vision of the shaper with the technical expertise of the coach, they created a synergy: blending shape mastery and texture feel on one side with the rigorous demands of the international competition circuit on the other.
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Manta: Anatomy of a Shape
The Manta series stems from a collaboration within the ArtLab between Brice Anziutti and Alban Levier, head coach for the French national climbing team and renowned route setter. Together, they developed a hybrid process, bridging traditional hand-shaping with high-tech 3D design.
Alban Levier: Chasing the Dream
A former World Cup winner and elite athlete, Alban Levier is a prominent figure in French bouldering. Following his international competition career representing France, he transitioned into coaching for the French youth national teams.
Driven by years of World Cup experience, Alban brought a surgical intuition for movement and crystal-clear concepts for new shapes. Moving within Artline’s inner circle (ArtLab), he simply stepped through a door that was already wide open; he stepped right into the lab to partner with Brice. Together, they dissected, challenged, and refined the design until bringing it to life.
By merging the artistic vision of the shaper with the technical expertise of the coach, they created a synergy: blending shape mastery and texture feel on one side with the rigorous demands of the international competition circuit on the other.
Bridging Tradition and Innovation
The signature silhouette of the Manta series first took shape in Alban’s mind. Once Brice was on board, Alban modeled the initial matrices in 3D, allowing a 3-axis CNC machine to carve the foam blocks. The result? Too artificial, too predictable : the holds lacked a soul. Brice immediately took back the reins to let the craftsman’s touch work its magic. Dremel in hand, he refined every grip the traditional way. Working hand-in-hand, Alban and Brice perfected every contour, relief, and depth to push technical performance to its limit. The holds were then rescanned, generating the final 3D file sent to the factory to apply the precise dual-texture boundaries according to strict specifications.
Built for World Cup Standards
The meticulous craftsmanship behind the shape and Dual Texture (DT) gives the range a ruthless technicality. The core concept is subtle: a central DT pinch that extends into a sloper, a ledge, or a crimp depending on the model. For climbers, there is no room for error : they must continuously adjust their hand placement along the frictionless line to hit the exact point of friction. On smaller holds, the challenge intensifies: striped DT patterns, no-texture zones, and tricky dual-texture surfaces give route setters the perfect toolbox to enforce strict movement constraints and naturally design high-impact, spectator-friendly beta.
The proof is on the World Cup circuit: from Bern to Innsbruck, the Manta series has pushed the world’s elite climbers to their absolute limits. Even Mejdi Schalck suffered a memorable foot slip on them, costing him the top and the victory. (Sorry, Mejdi!)
The proof is on the World Cup circuit: in Bern as in Innsbruck, the Manta holds pushed the best climbers in the world to their limits. Even Mejdi Schalck had a memorable dry-slip that cost him the attempt and the victory. (Sorry Mejdi!)
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Acknowledgments & Credits
Eliot Defrenne (3D Designer): Converted Alban Levier’s 3D files into production-ready industrial assets.
3D Reality: Handled the high-precision 3D scanning and digital modeling of the holds.
Manusad: Executed the 3-axis CNC machining for the foam matrices.
