dan kraus
ArboristSite Lurker
Last weekend I flew to CA to help in the setting up and judging of the WC TCC.
It was in Fairmont Park. A incredibly beautiful park surrounding a lake. 80+ ft swamp cypress trees lined the waters edge with their big roots flowing into the water. Large palms.sycamores, eucalyptus, and olive trees were everywhere, as well as many more I was not familiar with.
The work climb was in a sycamore, starting position was at 65ft. The speed climb was in a swamp cypress, a branch scramble to 50+ ft. The Masters challenge was in a huge sycamore, with a hand saw station at 70ft.
There were 30 roaring to go climbers. Everyone did great and lots of personal bests were to be had. New faces were popping up and kicking ass. Of all the climbers, Jared Arbojena captured the show. He won the Aerial rescue( I missed seeing that one). The footlock, with a time of 11 sec flat! And the speed climb, beating the second place time by almost 10 seconds!
In the final four Masters challenge( only the top four go on now), it was Jared Arbojena in first, with a high tec climb that was smooth as silk. His dad Gary Arbojena(last years winner) in second, a passing of the torch. Jesse Bawcum in third. Jesse also won the throwball, by setting a climbing line in a 68ft target and one in a 64ft target in just over 2 minutes. In forth place was Randy Hopp. Randy competed a lot in the 80s,even winning the shinny buckle. He then turned cowboy and rode off into the sunset. Last year he came back. This year he came back again, and placed high in all the events. In the masters challenge he ran into some hard luck tring to set a line. On his 5th and last throw his throwball bouncd and fell into a low branch. I felt sorry for him, thinking how hard it would be to ladder up the tree to a good tie in point at 70ft. I thought he would run out of time, seeing as he had already killed so much messing with throws that were not cooperating. He demonstrated what a great climber he is though. Part rock climber, part lasso thrower, he made short work of getting to the top. Once his line was set high, he flew through the stations and landed with over a minute to spare.
At the end of the day there were many cheers, and smiles of climbers who challenged themselves and walked away with more than they came with, minus the blood left from blistered fingers.
Tree climbing competition is not like many other sports. It needs people to set up the trees in order for the athletes to climb. A park with exceptional trees that may be off limits to climbers regularly is found and permission granted. The trees are cleaned up and courses are designed and set up. The climbers come and study the routs from the ground. Like a prepositioned chess game, where one has to find checkmate in a certain number of moves, the climbers plans his moves."If I drop down over that branch I can get there, then I'll be able to swing to there, then I'll be at a good angle to get out there, etc". Then they get to execute their plan using their athletic skills.
My brother is a soul surfer, sometimes surfing a morning session before work at 7am. He is great, but never competes. Why should he? The waves are the same. He doesn't need to compete in order to ride the waves. TCC climbers need the comps to get the full effect of climbing a well designed course.
Now that the sport is growing so, and a womans competition has been added to the Internationals. I think more small groups of climbers will be getting together to set courses for each other, and work on trick moves. This should help both the industry and the trees. We need more climbers and people who love trees.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.
Robert Frost, 1916.
It was in Fairmont Park. A incredibly beautiful park surrounding a lake. 80+ ft swamp cypress trees lined the waters edge with their big roots flowing into the water. Large palms.sycamores, eucalyptus, and olive trees were everywhere, as well as many more I was not familiar with.
The work climb was in a sycamore, starting position was at 65ft. The speed climb was in a swamp cypress, a branch scramble to 50+ ft. The Masters challenge was in a huge sycamore, with a hand saw station at 70ft.
There were 30 roaring to go climbers. Everyone did great and lots of personal bests were to be had. New faces were popping up and kicking ass. Of all the climbers, Jared Arbojena captured the show. He won the Aerial rescue( I missed seeing that one). The footlock, with a time of 11 sec flat! And the speed climb, beating the second place time by almost 10 seconds!
In the final four Masters challenge( only the top four go on now), it was Jared Arbojena in first, with a high tec climb that was smooth as silk. His dad Gary Arbojena(last years winner) in second, a passing of the torch. Jesse Bawcum in third. Jesse also won the throwball, by setting a climbing line in a 68ft target and one in a 64ft target in just over 2 minutes. In forth place was Randy Hopp. Randy competed a lot in the 80s,even winning the shinny buckle. He then turned cowboy and rode off into the sunset. Last year he came back. This year he came back again, and placed high in all the events. In the masters challenge he ran into some hard luck tring to set a line. On his 5th and last throw his throwball bouncd and fell into a low branch. I felt sorry for him, thinking how hard it would be to ladder up the tree to a good tie in point at 70ft. I thought he would run out of time, seeing as he had already killed so much messing with throws that were not cooperating. He demonstrated what a great climber he is though. Part rock climber, part lasso thrower, he made short work of getting to the top. Once his line was set high, he flew through the stations and landed with over a minute to spare.
At the end of the day there were many cheers, and smiles of climbers who challenged themselves and walked away with more than they came with, minus the blood left from blistered fingers.
Tree climbing competition is not like many other sports. It needs people to set up the trees in order for the athletes to climb. A park with exceptional trees that may be off limits to climbers regularly is found and permission granted. The trees are cleaned up and courses are designed and set up. The climbers come and study the routs from the ground. Like a prepositioned chess game, where one has to find checkmate in a certain number of moves, the climbers plans his moves."If I drop down over that branch I can get there, then I'll be able to swing to there, then I'll be at a good angle to get out there, etc". Then they get to execute their plan using their athletic skills.
My brother is a soul surfer, sometimes surfing a morning session before work at 7am. He is great, but never competes. Why should he? The waves are the same. He doesn't need to compete in order to ride the waves. TCC climbers need the comps to get the full effect of climbing a well designed course.
Now that the sport is growing so, and a womans competition has been added to the Internationals. I think more small groups of climbers will be getting together to set courses for each other, and work on trick moves. This should help both the industry and the trees. We need more climbers and people who love trees.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.
Robert Frost, 1916.
