Adults branch out to tree climbing

You'd laugh at a contest where plumbers strove to unclog toilets in record speed or where programmers typed code helter-skelter. But with arborists, it's a different story.

There actually is a competition for those who work in trees, and it's coming to town this weekend, when the International Society of Arboriculture hosts the Olympics of the tree-pruning world: the International Tree Climbing Championship (ITCC). It's got saws; it's got ropes; and it all happens a good 50 feet off the ground.

A company horseshoe throw it isn't. More than 50 arborists from 14 countries square off in six events that test their climbing, rope handling and balance while handling work-related challenges like pruning branches. Judges award points, and the whole affair is conducted with the gravity of a professional sports tournament. Drop a tool or fall out of the tree, and you're disqualified.

The ITCC has been around since 1976, when a California arborist named Dick Alvarez got the idea to start a contest where tree workers could trade tips and have a bit of sporting fun. Since then the event has traditionally accompanied the annual convention of the ISA, and a women's bracket was added in 2001.

With the convention in Nashville this year, the ITCC will be right at the front door of Ben Poteet, 23, an arborist from Pegram who represents the southern U.S. chapter of the ISA in this year's contest.

Poteet works with his father, Dale, and three of his brothers for Poteet Tree Service, a family occupation that's stretched over three generations. He's pruned his fair share of trees and rescued a few cats in his day, and he's been training all year for this weekend.

"It's pretty much full-body exercise," he said of scaling trees. "You've got to run a lot to get your heart used to doing that."

Among the contest's events, Poteet favors the footlock speed climb. It is essentially a vertical race where climbers pull themselves up a rope with their hands, lock their feet around the rope to keep their place, and repeat until they're 50 feet in the air.

"It's kind of like a sprint except climbing a rope," he said.

The other events are:

Work climb Climbers must hoist themselves into five different workstations around a tree where they simulate tasks like sawing and pruning. Once done, they ring a bell with the appropriate tool (using a hand forfeits points) and move to the next station. Penalties follow when climbers use unsafe climbing practices or improperly tackle a task. If a tool is dropped, the climber is disqualified.

Aerial rescue A dummy in the top of a tree simulates an injured comrade. Climbers must ascend, stabilize the victim and return him to earth gently. Points are docked for rough handling.

Throwline Contestants hurl ropes through ring targets 40-60 feet high in a tree. They have six minutes to score as many hits as possible.

Belay speed climb A race up a predetermined route to a point 60 feet up a tree. A belay line is attached for safety.

Masters' challenge The climbers with the most points at the end of the day take part in a kind of supercharged work climb with modified stations. The one with the most points is crowned the champion.

There's a lot of talk about points and winning, but Poteet stresses that the point of these competitions is camaraderie and education.

"All the guys there are great," he said. "With a lot of competitions, people don't want to talk about better ways to do things, but at tree climbing competitions everybody's willing to talk about new techniques.