ABOUT US
Meet the neighbors behind the Big Island family.
We are five neighboring families in Minnetonka who believe movement should be fun, inclusive, and rooted in community - always welcoming and never boring! Several years ago, we all got hooked on climbing and wanted to share that joy with others in the west suburbs of Minneapolis.
In the winter of 2024, we teamed up to turn our dream into reality, and by January 2025, our doors were open. As transplants to Minnesota, we’ve all found a warm and welcoming second home here, and now we’re thrilled to create that kind of space for others.
Welcome to the neighborhood!
Chris & Jenny Massoll
Originally from Michigan and Texas, we’ve called Minnesota home for nearly two decades. We’ve learned to embrace the long winters and savor every moment of summer. Our first date was at a climbing wall, so opening Big Island Bouldering feels like destiny. Climbing has taught us so much, including how to fall, how to get back up, and most importantly, how to keep moving forward. Life has its highs and lows, but persistence leads the way. Our vision for Big Island is to create a space where everyone feels welcome, supported, and inspired. Whether it’s your first time climbing or your hundredth, we hope you feel encouraged to keep going. Because wherever you are in the journey, you belong here.
Ray & Andrea Kim
What happens when a girl from Grand Forks, ND invites a boy from San Francisco, CA to join her and her friends to rock climb? Love, marriage, and a climbing gym! We got to know each other climbing the walls of Planet Granite in Belmont, CA and moved to MN in 2010 with our two sons, Joey (17) and Alex (15). While our full-time careers are in the tech sector, we jumped at opportunity to join our neighborhood friends in building Big Island Bouldering. For us, climbing together has always helped us in figuring out how to get to the top of the wall, and more importantly, through life. As if hanging out with our friends in the neighborhood by a backyard fire, or at a dinner gathering, or relaxing on Lake Minnetonka wasn't enough, you can also find us all behind the front desk or on the walls, laughing, joking and critiquing each other’s music playlists.
Don & Ilene Rauscher
Don’s from Boston, Ilene’s from New York, and we moved to Minnesota ten years ago, definitely not to escape our sports rivalry (though it helps). Ilene grew up as a gymnast and got into obstacle training as an adult, which naturally led to climbing. She also thrives on making Don do things outside his comfort zone, so bouldering date nights became a monthly tradition. After years of shoulder injuries stemming from hockey, climbing has helped Don build confidence by challenging him both physically and mentally. When the opportunity arose to build a climbing destination in the west metro with our neighbors, we jumped in. Now climbing is something we share with our kids, Ted (7) and Zoe (5), who are already outclimbing dad and quickly catching up to mom. When he's not chasing his kids around the gym, you can find Don in the co-working space with Dustin and Olive.
Jon & Allison Errickson
Jon’s from Connecticut, Allison’s from Minnetonka, and we met in college in New Hampshire. Somehow, Allison convinced Jon to move to Minnesota “just for a little bit”. Twenty five years later, here we are, raising our kids Kate (off at college) and Drew (Minnetonka High School) in the suburbs. We’ve always loved the outdoors and trying new things, but Minnesota winters taught us to embrace indoor adventures too. When the chance to build a climbing gym with our neighbors came up, we couldn’t pass it up. We’re still new to the sport, but we’re excited to help bring Big Island Bouldering to life. It’s more than a gym and we hope it becomes a place where community thrives.
Dustin & Evelyn Allred
We’re a family of climbing fanatics who’ve wholeheartedly embraced Minnesota. Originally from North Carolina and Indiana (with a quick stop in Georgia), we landed here in 2010, the year the Metrodome collapsed! That first winter was wild, and we wondered what we’d gotten ourselves into. But 15 years later, we’re all in. Our boys, David (19, sophomore at the University of Iowa) and Griffin (17, senior at Minnetonka High School), grew up here and now work at the gym. They’re obsessed with climbing, which made investing in Big Island Bouldering a no-brainer. We wanted to help create an awesome space for west metro climbers, including our own kids. Climbing is a huge part of our lives, and we visit local gyms wherever we travel. In 2025 alone, Dustin and the boys have hit gyms in Vegas, Iowa, NYC, and beyond!
Olive "The Chalk Dog" Allred
Olive is our blue-eyed gym pup who’s still working on her “chalk dog” certification. She loves hanging out at Big Island with her dad, Dustin, and greeting climbers with tail wags and gentle sniffs. Olive’s not much of a climber herself (yet), but she’s a beloved part of the Big Island crew. If you see her around, feel free to say hi - she’s always happy to make new friends!
Our Partners
