"Pro" Climbers: Fact or Fiction?

This issue is to me the new world debate in the culture of rock climbing. On one had there are fundamentalists who believe that rock climbing is a purely personal endeavor without commercial value and should be treated as such. In my experience, these are the guys and gals that fought for climbing the hard way by developing boulders, boulting routes, or just trad climbing. They're afraid of the new culture all these little gym rats are creating. With the focus more and more on competitions and gym climbing, I suppose they see their lifelong hobby turning into something more like professional basketball than exploring the woods. I use "they" very loosely on both sides because I find myself split between halves.

stone cold killer

If those climbers who don't like the idea of "pro" climbers can be considered (for simplicity's sake) the old timers, then I guess the Adam Ondras and Ashima Shiraishis are the young bucks pushing the sport to a whole new level of competitiveness.

I used to laugh when my friends asked me if I wanted to become a professional climber since I was at the gym all the time. I told them there was no such thing as a professional climber. Except for a handful of heavily sponsored old farts who dominated the brands, there just wasn't a way to make a living off climbing. That's what I said, apparently I was wrong. Now I know that very few guys outside Sharma and Lynn Hill are making a comfortable living off of rock climbing. Most are just dirtbags with free shoes, but with the way climbing is going, I'm not so sure it'll stay like that.

Like I said before, I find myself split here because I don't like the idea of climbing areas being overrun by hoards of climbers, but at the same time I can't say I blame anyone for trying to make a living off of rock climbing. If I were strong enough to make rock climbing a profession and I had sponsors offering me money to travel and climb, of course I'd do it. So maybe those of us who aren't elite level athletes are just jealous?

With an industry which is growing as rapidly as climbing is, there's really no telling how all the people of the community will be affected. Maybe access will become a real issue and the secrecy with which crags are guarded in the Southeast will become even more fierce. Maybe the community will become so embittered and disenfranchised towards one another that we won't even spot each other at boulder fields anymore. I'm being terribly sarcastic here, or rather hoping that what I've said is sarcastic because it could never happen.

With Tommy Caldwell updating us on his progress day by day, hour by hour, from an iphone while on El Cap, it's clear that times are a changin.

So what does that mean for the rest of us? Are professional athletes the first step in the de evolution of a pure outdoor pursuit, or the greatest tool in the advancement and preservation of the climbing community? Does it all matter? 

I want to know what you think.