UNITY -- Brian Kim moves gracefully and methodically, like a sloth climbing a tree. His feet and arms work in unison, tying Kim to the rock as he reaches for a rosin bag tied to his waist, leaving only his toes and two fingers anchoring him to the wall.

The muscles in Kim's forearms ripple to the surface as he continues to methodically chew his gum and scan for another hold.

His motion is mesmerizing, both for its skill and for the illusion of ease Kim gives it, giving even fellow climbers a chance to marvel.

"He's got probably the most smooth technique of anyone I've ever seen," says Ryan Torcicollo, who climbs for USA Climbing. "It doesn't even look like he's really trying."

At just 19 years of age, Kim, a sophomore environmental science major at Unity College, is already well on his way toward making his mark in the climbing world. A member of USA Climbing, the national governing body of competition climbing in the United States, Kim is stockpiling titles--including a win in his age group at last year's nationals--and has climbed with national teams in Beijing, China, Mexico and across the country. He recently completed a route up China Beach in New Hampshire, which has a 5.14 rating, the most difficult a climber can face.

Though traditional climbing remains his favorite, Kim thrives on the competition offered by bouldering and sport climbing.

"Climbing is pretty much my life," Kim says. "Everything I do is related to climbing"

It is an unexpected turn for someone who admits he was afraid to climb to sit in the top bleachers at a basketball game when he was younger.

"I fell in love with the climbing part and I just wanted to go higher and higher," Kim says.

The love affair began about nine years ago when Kim started hanging out at the rock climbing gym near his home in Iselin, N.J.

Kim's parents, Kyoung and Moon Kim, immigrants from Korea, raised their son to play golf and baseball. Brian Kim left those sports behind after entering the world of climbing.

"He was a hot shot at the gym," says Julian Cho, Kim's longtime climbing partner. "He was the one with the talent. He was like a 14-year-old instructor. Everyone was older than him, but he was remarkably stronger. I was in awe of him because he was a natural talent."

Kim coupled that natural ability with his discipline. He rarely left the gym and he rarely came off the wall.

"A lot of people at the gym saw I was young and they brought me outside with them," Kim says. "Everything started with the gym."

Kim and his friends could be found at the Shawangunks in upstate New York almost every weekend, and his high school grades played the price. He settled on Unity College to get his grades up before, he hopes, transferring to New York University or Ithaca College in New York next year.

Though Unity College's emphasis on protecting the environment dovetails well with Kim's passion for rock climbing, central Maine has few opportunities to hone Kim's skills.

"This is a good school to get back on track," Kim says. "It wasn't the best decision from a climbing standpoint."

He has helped resurrect the school's climbing club in hopes sharing his passion with those around him.

When he is not in class, Kim spends most of his time on the climbing wall inside the college's gymnasium, trying to stay sharp.

"It's pretty much the only thing around to train on," he says.

Kim already has sponsors eager to pay for his gear--in return he has appeared in national advertising campaigns--and he travels around the world to climb at competitions. Kim hopes to go into environmental engineering, however, because becoming a professional climber is unlikely.

"It's always hard going into it as a professional because it could end bad," Kim says. "There's no money."

USA Climbing is working to make climbing an Olympic sport, however, and Kim would love to have a chance to compete.

"I think in five or 10 years, if he keeps it up the way he is, I think he is a definite possibility," Torcicollo says. "I think he could go really far. I think he could really push the limits of traditional climbing."