Some history of Blue Balls and Cal Gal, from an interview with Fred Nakovic. Fred is one of the original gang of Hueco First (recorded) Ascensionists and is responsible for many of Hueco's classic trad and "sport" routes, such as Huecool on the West Mountain.

" Back in the summer of '82, Todd (Skinner) was working in Ruidoso (New Mexico, about 150 miles north of Hueco) slingin' concrete. He was just starting out climbing; his friend Paul Piana climbed more, and told him about Hueco. I remember you (Steve Crye) were there the first day Todd came out and we met him on the Frontside near Mushroom boulder. Back then, we (the locals) were stronger climbers, and we had our problems wired, 'cause it was our turf and we were familiar with it. That day, all of the locals were happy to show him around, we took him on a tour of the front side, kinda testing him, took him up Scary Boulder (this was before the jug haul was named 'Melon Patch'), soloed Cake Walk with him and stuff. We were showing off 'cause he was not yet a 5.12 climber, but he was strong 5.11 climber and we got along fine with him. He started coming down from Ruidoso whenever he could, I did quite a bit with him.

One day he and I put a toprope on Blue Balls; no one had climbed it yet. We couldn't finish it - I remember I reached the high point that day, somewhere around the big hueco about half way up. In the first group of big huecos, we found two ratty shredded blue baseballs that someone had chucked into the hueco. We tried it a few times more that year but abandoned it without topping out.

The next season (spring of '83), Todd showed up with Sherman (back then they were friends) and some other guy; I think it was Sherman's first trip to Hueco. Todd was climbing stronger and he and Sherman did a lot of routes that season. I remember they had gone to some thrift store and bought a bunch of cheap, gaudy polyester clothes. This stuff was bright, flared pants, really wild looking stuff, like a bunch of Haight-Ashbury hippie outfits, really garish. Mod-Squad stuff. I didn't join them that day, being my usually introverted self, so I wasn't with them when they finished Blue Balls.

Cal-Gal was first climbed by this tall, skinny chick from California - her name was Melissa or Marisella or something. An American chick. She could hang on those tiny crimpers 'cause she was so light and wiry. " Fred Nakovic June 6, 2006