Rise and shine
Tree climbing competition held in Little Rock.
“This would be the strangest thing to walk up on … a bunch of astronauts looking up at a tree,” contestant Robbie Wilson said as he and other tree climbing enthusiasts watched the Masters’ Challenge during the 42nd annual Tree Climbing Championship in Little Rock on Sunday.
Wilson was referring to the event’s judges, who were decked out in safety goggles and helmets and standing at the base of the nearly 80-foot tree outside the East Little Rock Community Center.
Hosted by the International Society of Arboriculture’s (ISA) Southern Chapter, the weekend event began on Saturday, with 35 climbers competing in five separate events during the preliminary competition. Saturday’s competition included an aerial rescue, a speed climb, a throwline, an open ascent, and a work climb, with the competitors from the men’s and women’s divisions who scored the highest point totals advancing to Sunday’s Masters’ Challenge.
Three men and two women from the Southern Chapter, and one man and one woman from outside chapters, advanced to the final stage of the event.
The Masters’ Challenge is “basically using all five elements from [Saturday] in one tree,” said Scott Willingham, the event’s organizer.
One at a time, each competitor had 25 minutes to complete the Challenge, which began with a “fullblown inspection of the tree before [they] even [thought] about going up,” he added.
Wilson said the Masters’ Challenge is intended to “simulate a work environment and make sure [the climb] is as safe as possible.”
Robbie Hudson, Little Rock Parks and Recreation’s Urban Forester, was among those watching the Masters’ Challenge Sunday from the ground. The ISA’s Southern Chapter reached out to Hudson about a year ago to help the group find a suitable location in Little Rock to host the competition.
“This is a big deal for me because everybody can kind of see what we go through every day,” Hudson said. “A lot of people don’t have any idea what it takes to get up into a tree and [do it] safely. Our job is one of the most
dangerous in the industry. One wrong move and you’re hurt real bad, or you’re dead.”
Following the inspection, competitors moved on to the throwline portion of the challenge, in which each individual launched a sandbag tied to a thin rope over their desired branch.
After successfully completing this task, they attached their climbing rope to a thin line attached to the sandbag and pulled it over the branch, allowing them to access the tree.
Once in the tree, competitors maneuvered around to ring each of the four bells placed in various branches.
They also had to grab a wooden stick from a bucket hanging from one of the tree’s branches and throw it into a metal bin on the ground below.
After completing the above, climbers had to lower themselves to the ground and retrieve all their gear before the conclusion of their 25 minutes.
Becca Haught of Spartanburg, S.C., was the first competitor to attempt the Masters’ Challenge on Sunday. This is Haught’s first year participating in the Tree Climbing Championship.
“I have fallen in love with the crowd, the people, and the way they support each other,” Haught said. “And I was out there freaking out. My nerves were so locked up,” she said after completing her turn at the Challenge.
It took Haught a few attempts to complete the throwline portion, but she eventually scaled the tree.
During her climb, onlookers shouted words of encouragement to her, such as “You got it Becca!” and “You’ve got plenty of time, don’t worry.”
Although Haught was inches away from ringing the first bell when her time ran out, the crowd below encouraged the participant to ring the bell anyway, and broke out into cheers when she did so.
“Even as competitive as it is, this is one of the only things I’ve ever experienced that even the people you’re competing against are still supportive,” Haught’s husband, Dustin Bishop, said following her climb. “They’re trying to help you succeed while trying to beat you at the same time, right? It’s weird, but it’s kind of refreshing.”
Competition winners Shawn Welch and Nicole Benjamin, both from the Charlotte, N.C., area, will go on to represent the Southern Chapter in the ISA’s 2024 International Tree Climbing Competition in Atlanta from October 24-27.
“I mean, the competition, it’s cool. The camaraderie … it’s really one of a kind because you come out to these events and people are super intimidated when they first come … but everybody here is so friendly,” Welch said.
“Even some of the best climbers would lend you rope or carabiners or whatever you need. It’s a big family,” he added.
This is Welch’s second year in a row ranking first in the men’s division of the competition. He’s been climbing for nearly 14 years, but didn’t enter his first competition until 2017.
“After I started climbing, I had no idea about [competitions], but the community and the people here are so welcoming,” he said. “It blasted me light years in my climbing skills. Coming to these things, learning from everybody, sharing.”
Climbing competitions have taken Welch, “all over the world. From Hong Kong to Canada. Twice. Mexico, all over the United States, from Oregon to New York to Florida.”
“It’s just cool how this community creates a network that spreads out over the world,” said Benjamin, who co-owns a tree service company with her husband. This will be Benjamin’s fourth time winning the women’s division of the Southern Chapter’s competition.
Since Benjamin began competing, she’s learned that the competition is beneficial for all involved.
“It’s super terrifying coming and competing, but what’s cool is there’s another woman here who tried competing one time and didn’t like the pressure. But now she travels all over as a volunteer and judge. And you get just as much experience doing that. You probably actually learn more, because you’re watching how other people do the work instead of focusing on yourself,” Benjamin said.