Tree-climbing pros reach for glory

Arborists are serious scientists, but their sylvan passion stems from their general love of trees

There aren't that many events that give an audience cricks in the necks -- stargazing? -- but the annual International Society of Arboriculture convention will have you reaching for the Aleve. That's because, despite the conference and trade show aspects of the event, it is all about tree-climbing.

They call themselves "arborists," and when they aren't up in trees for fun, they're up there to work. But comparing their sport to lumberjack competitions will earn you a scowl from Craig Johnson of Yorkshire, England.

"Lumberjacks are about harvesting trees," shuddered Johnson, a judge in the competition. "We're about taking care of trees. Lumberjacks wear ... spikes. And spurs!"

Arborists are up there as elevated plant doctors, removing diseased limbs, pruning and servicing the needs of trees. They can also rescue lost kitties. And although the convention also featured chain saw and tree-chipping demonstrations, turning logs into wooden confetti, there was no crying over spilt sap. Sometimes that limb has got to go.

They gathered from all over the world Saturday at the University of Hawaii-Manoa campus, showing off lift machines, woodcraft wares, "Get High" T-shirts, "Chain Saw Safety" how-tos and offering fresh coconut milk to passers-by, but the real action was off the ground.

The climbers to watch are Bernd Strasser of Germany (six-time world champ) and Mark Chisholm of Freehold, N.J. (two-time world champ). We spotted Chisholm off to the side, looking up into a tree. Quel surprise! He explained that his family has been up in trees for generations, so it comes naturally.

"You really have to keep up, though, because there's tremendous change in the science and technology," said Chisholm. "About every seven years, everything you know is no longer valid. The annual convention gives us a chance to bone up on changes, plus see old friends and network.

"And it's always different every time you go up. Like people, trees are individuals. The trees you have on campus here are very unique to me. You should treasure them."

An arborists convention puts competitors in the branches of exotic Manoa specimens

You can be lifted into a tree by a machine. That's for sissies. (And, in Hawaii's small house lots and tight back yards, often impractical.) The pros do it by monkeying up dangling ropes.

There are various styles, methodologies, techniques and tricks to tree-climbing, many of them demonstrated at last weekend's tree-climbing competition at the University of Hawaii-Manoa, part of the annual International Society of Arboriculture convention.

The bottom line, though, is a rope.

It's flung over a branch -- often with a slingshot apparatus -- and the line is doubled and a couple of friction hitches are tied in it -- Blake's or magnus knots. The climber is inserted into a kind of harness to bear the weight and clipped onto the line with carabiners. Going up or going down is a matter of varying the space between the friction hitches.

Various types of climbing hardware are available for pros. The essential skill, though, is rope management.

Head judge Bruce Smith hails from Florida and says that trees there are pretty much like trees here. He was impressed by the spreading baobab outside the UH Art Department -- "normally, you'd have to go to Madagascar to climb an exotic tree like this!" -- and said, naturally, that every tree is different. "Some are taller, some are more spread out, like your trees here."

Making like Tarzan is the key to winning. It's not just completing a set series of arboreal tasks, it's the style with which you do so. "Moving with a sense of speed, fluidity and grace, with safety first and foremost," said Smith. "The event is really about skill levels in the profession -- for a working arborist, it's about money."

It's also, says judge Craig Johnson, about camaraderie. "We get to see each other once a year and show off what we love doing. Arborists from all over the world are here -- more than 50 chapters -- but we do the same job. Combined, more than 1,000 climbers.

"This is only the second convention outside the continental United States, but we'll be in Brisbane, Australia, in 2011." Next year's event is in St. Louis.

In case you're wondering if tree-climbing is a guy thing, roughly one-third of the competitors are women.

"Not that many women work in the business, though," said Smith. "They're in it as a sport. My wife is a climber. But I wish there were more women on work crews -- their attention to detail is higher."

Perhaps one of them will be Elianna de Vre, 11, who clambered up gear manufacturer SherrillTree's "Fun Climb" exhibit set up to introduce newbies to the craft. Aunt Eunice Itoga watched. "I used to climb all the time as kid, but not many opportunities for kids to get up in trees today. Elianna is adventuresome."

"It was fun!" Elianna bubbled. "Kind of hard, pulling on the ropes, but halfway up, I had it all figured out. The gloves kept my hands from hurting. And it's better than climbing trees, because you know you're safe. And it made me feel tall, because I'm short!"

Are you going to keep climbing trees?

"Sure! But not at home!"

"Uh-oh," said Aunt Eunice.

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