Matty Hong

Matthew Jacob Hong (born September 4, 1991) is an American rock climber, filmmaker and photographer.

Hong was born in Boulder, Colorado in 1991.

He began climbing at an early age, brought to climbing spots in Rifle Canyon as a baby by his father Steve Hong and mother Karin Budding, who were both pioneering rock climbers.

He joined a climbing team in middle school and began climbing more seriously at age 15, when he climbed his first and routes in Rifle.

Hong competed at IFSC Climbing World Youth Championships in 2009 and 2010 in the Male Youth Junior (age 17–19) category.

In 2011, Hong recorded the first ascent of Bad Girls Club in Rifle and in 2015, he bolted and completed his first route, La Cucaracha in Wicked Cave, also in Rifle.

He has also competed in the senior climbing circuit, making the final at the 2011 IFSC Lead World Cup event in Boulder, finishing sixth.

After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production at the University of Colorado Boulder, Hong climbed his first route, Papichulo in Oliana, Spain, in March 2016.

As a filmmaker, he directed the 2017 film Break on Through, which documented Margo Hayes completing the first-ever female ascent of a graded sport climbing route, and is featured on the Reel Rock Film Tour.

In 2018, he became the fourth American to climb a route graded at.

In May 2018, he climbed the Fight or Flight in Oliana, Spain, becoming the fourth American to climb the grade after Chris Sharma, Ethan Pringle and Daniel Woods.

In October 2021, Hong completed the second-ever ascent of Flex Luthor, first sent by Tommy Caldwell in 2003.

Hong suggested the grade be revised to from after multiple holds broke making the climb harder.

In November 2022, Jonathan Siegrist made the third repeat of Flex Luthor and downgraded it back to.

In May 2023, Hong made the 20th ascent of Sharma's 2001 route, Realization/Biographie, in Ceuse.