Sometimes, the story that takes a little longer to write is worth far more than it’s weight in gold. Yet, other times, the folks you write about, live a life that is far more valuable! Adding to the newborn Pipeworks community, we welcome Sako. And, as you may or may not know, Mom and Pop have quite a story themselves! If you have ever eaten from the FUEL bar varietal or swam to the darkest depths of the sea, then you may have encountered… Shaghig or Jonathan Boynton!!
Member of the Month: Couples Edition – Shaghig & Jonathan Boynton
Bove: Dating waaaay back to 2011, you two got engaged on the top of Lost Arrow Spire in Yosemite National Park. Can you tell us more about this adventurous spectacle?
Shaghig: I was clueless to what was about to happen. Per Jonathan, he had planned to do this earlier, but I had to go and get in a motorcycle accident and ruin the plan! The guys, Josh Leachman, Ryan Gallagher and Nick Wray did an awesome job playing along. They didn’t even tell their significant others about Jonathan’s plan! We spent the night at the summit and had the best kosher dogs that Ryan had ever cooked on a granite slab. We woke up in the AM, and led by Jonathan, embarked on our amazing adventure up the spire. I followed, as Josh, Ryan and Nick waited their turn. When I got to the top, I was shocked to see where we were! The exposure, and what lay ahead of us left me crazy nervous about the Tyrolean traverse. I started telling Jonathan, “Hey, radio down to the guys so they can start climbing,” and he was like, “Hold on one second.”
“Huh? Hold on? No, no, let’s get this show on the road, buddy!!” That’s what I was thinking!
Then, it happened. I was numb as he got down on one knee and proposed. I didn’t know how to react, but at that moment, I think I had every emotion going through my body. Nervous as hell, and looking at the line that we had to traverse, the exposure surrounding us left me shocked. Long story short, I said, “HELL YES!”
The boys came up next, knowing Mr. Leachman, had hauled a champagne bottle with him. So, we popped it and celebrated! Ryan had made an awesome sign (that was a surprise to us all) and our good friend Nick took memorable pics of us while we held the signs. ‘?’ and ‘Yes’.
What a rad moment in my life! I don’t know if anything will match this experience or the excitement I felt once we all made it over safely. Oh, how I screamed and danced! I couldn’t sleep that night, as I lay awake in the back of the Suburban. I was still in shock that Mr. J had done it, after 9 ½ years. 😉
Jonathan: Well, when you take almost 10 years to finally pop the question to the most amazing person in the world, you kinda have to make it as memorable as you can. Like so many of us who are lucky enough to live so close to such an amazing place, Yosemite holds a special place in my heart. I’d climbed the Lost Arrow Spire before and always thought it would be a cool place to propose, but the timing was difficult since Shaghig hurt her knee.
Ryan and Josh had cornered me one night over pizza and beer at Curry Village, basically asking what I was waiting for. So, I told them that my plan was to propose on the spire but that it would be difficult logistically because of her injury. Long story short, they graciously offered to help out and we hatched a plan for all of us to climb the spire together. It was truly one of the best experiences of my life.
I will never forget everything Josh, Ryan, and Nick did to make it so great. Josh and Ryan even kept the secret from their lovely ladies, which was probably more dangerous than climbing the route! In the end, we held it together and she never caught wind of the plan. It was a beautiful day and everything went very smoothly. She was shocked – but she said yes (thankfully) – we celebrated on top – tyrolled back to the rim – Ryan hugged a tree (classic photo) – and we made it back to the valley floor without too much difficulty.
B: Now, being the lucky parents’ of a newborn baby boy, how do you anticipate that your workouts or daily routines will change? Is it true that you were both crushing climbs the same week of delivery?
S: Not much, if you ask me. Yeah, you’re right Jason, we were climbing at the Concord gym, and I started having contractions on our way back home. 11 hours later, Sako was born. The hardest will be when Jonathan is away on travel. It won’t be as easy to go to yoga, however, I do plan on strapping Sako to my chest while I do cardio workouts at the gym. He’s used to the movements and motions since we climbed, as we did Yoga and cardio all throughout my pregnancy.
J: We’re just stoked to bring him into the Sacramento climbing family! Since we’re not the only ones with a noob, we’re hoping we can get together to share in the experiences so we can maintain our active lifestyles. As for crushing climbs, I may have broken a hold or two at one of the gyms, but I did belay Shaghig as she onsighted an 11c at Diablo Rock gym the same day she went into labor!
B: What can you tell us about your delicious FUEL bar endeavor that we may not already know? Besides building the merchandising displays, what do you, Jonathan, add to the mix? Also, does the house ALWAYS smell fantastic?
S: I started making these bars because of my sensitive stomach issues. I wanted a gluten free product that was full of healthy and nutritious ingredients, but also provided a boost of energy. It started off as energy food that I took with me when we went climbing and turned into a small business, which I conduct from my kitchen at home. Currently, it’s a one woman shop. I make, bake, package and deliver the bars/loaves. I love the fact that there are no preservatives in these products. Simple ingredients! It’s been a fun and educational journey so far!!
J: I try not to get anything into the mix while she’s baking – that would ruin the batch, and she’d have to start over! Actually, Fitness Fuel is all Shaghig, although I have applied to be one of her delivery drivers when she makes it big! Seriously, I do help with some tasting of the product as needed (for marketing purposes)…..
B: Other than frequent appearances at Pipeworks, where might people find your family recreating? Do you have a favorite place to do so? Why?
S: Pipeworks is our second home. During the weekdays, we’re either here or there. Weekends, we run away to the mountains or the ocean.
J: If we’re not climbing (preferably outdoors, no offense – we love our Touchstone family), we try to spend as much time in the water as possible. Abalone diving on the North Coast, spearfishing, and diving are all high on our list of fun things to do. My first love is surfing, so we try to get over to the beach when we can, but work and life and little people can make that somewhat challenging!
B: You both come from very different backgrounds and upbringings. What quality or qualities do you feel were most important to you throughout your childhood? Do you feel that they are still a strong part of who you are today?
S: I grew up in Beirut, Lebanon. We moved here in ‘87 when the war was getting pretty crazy again. We spent time in shelters and a lot of time trying to protect ourselves from the war going on outside on our streets. Our house got hit with explosive shells for the 3rd time, the same day we flew to the States. I saw my parents go through a lot leaving everything they knew, and moving to America so they could provide their kids a better opportunity. As a 9 year old, it changed me, and made me become much more mature at a young age, after seeing my parents sacrifice their life for us. My parents are very caring, generous, hard-working, humble and supportive people. Both my sister and I were very much loved by our parents. They spent a lot of time with us, and we did a lot of outdoor activities with family friends. I think those qualities have shaped me to be who I am today, and I do think they are still a very strong part of who I have become. Hopefully, I can pass on the same love and support to our kids as my parents did to us.
J: I grew up on the central coast near San Luis Obispo and pretty much spent all my available time in the water, until I took up climbing the summer after I graduated high school. Climbing really appealed to me for the physical and mental challenges it presents as well as the amazing community of people who share this great sport. I was always really independent growing up, so surfing was great – you could go out with a friend(s) or just go alone and it was almost always a good time. The only bummer is all the attitude you get from the occasional asshole in the lineup. With a finite number of waves to be had, the competition can be fierce! This is rarely the case in climbing, and it was a refreshing change to meet people who wanted to share their sport with others. I had a great upbringing in a small town and my parents were very encouraging, so that definitely had a lot to do with my independence. They taught my brother and I that if we set our minds to it and worked hard we could do whatever we want. There are still more than a few climbs that I haven’t gotten yet, (so I’m not sure that advice is entirely true) but it’s still really good!
B: Staying on the same topic, what qualities in your partner do you find most attractive?
S: I LOVE Jonathan’s sense of humor. I tell him alllllllll the time. He’s a goof and he makes me laugh constantly. He says the funniest things all of the time, and I just find myself laughing my ass off. I just love it!
J: Shaghig is passionate, tenacious, beautiful, and caring. We both share a desire to explore and have fun. I’d say her willingness to get out and do things is one of my favorite qualities she possesses.
B: In the last 10 years, what would you believe to be your most memorable moment?
S: Our proposal on Lost Arrow Spire, when Jonathan and I did the prow, and Sako’s birth.
J: Our wedding day, Lost Arrow, and Sako’s Birthday – all equally amazing!
B: Looking forward, where do you see yourselves in the next 10 years? What do you think your most notable accomplishment will become (either together or separate)?
S: Jonathan and I, without planning this, made big career changes a couple of years ago. We’re still struggling to figure out whether it was the right decision, and if so, how to get to a place of semi-comfort. In the mix of all this, little Sako joined us on September 17th, 2015. I plan to maintain our active lifestyle and find a balance with our careers that allows us to travel with Sako and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. I think doing this thing called ‘life’ as a tag team/family effort, supporting each other when work calls or when workout calls, would be a notable accomplishment. Just gotta take it a day at a time, take a breath, and keep going.
J: We just hope that we will be able to find a comfortable balance between work and family/fun. We both feel most accomplished when we’re out having a good time with great friends/family.
B: Being lovers of both land and sea activities, if given the choice to be either 500 feet in the sky versus 500 feet underwater, which would come first on the list? Is there a particular reason why this is?
S: Took me a millisecond to answer this. Sky sky sky. I love diving, don’t get me wrong, but I’m addicted to climbing. Can’t help it!
J: 500 feet up is much easier than 500 feet below, so I gotta go with below. I’ve never been that deep so I’d like to experience it.
B: If you were asked to give each other a nickname (that was not a romantic pet name), which would you choose?
S: Bad Ass. Can I use that as a nickname? Cause that’s what I think of Jonathan. He’s just bad ass.
J: I’m sorry – I know I eat too many burritos – I love them. Shaghig’s nickname should be Badass (but not because of burritos).
