On March 21 and 22, the greatest climbers in the world are going to compete in the International Tree Climbing Championship (ITCC).
The competition will be held in Tampa, Florida, and will bring together 61 competitors from 17 countries.
The men’s world champion Scott Forrest from NZ will try to retain his title once again!
3 world titles for Scott Forrest
Scott Forrest (ISA New Zealand Chapter) is 34 and has been a working arborist for 17 years.
He was the 2014 men’s returning champion and already holds three World Champion titles (2011, 2013 and 2014).
Action-packed weekend
The competition will last the whole weekend. On Saturday, the 61 competitors will go through the preliminary sessions. On Sunday, the top scorers will compete in the Masters’ Challenge.
Preliminary sessions
On Saturday, March 21, all contestants will compete in five events that will test the ability of the arborists to manoeuvre safely in a tree while efficiently performing various tree care tasks.
• The aerial rescue, in which the climber rescues a “victim” (represented by a dummy) stuck in a tree about 25 feet off the ground.
• The work climb, which tests the contestants’ ability to move about the tree to perform tasks such as pruning.
• The secured footlock and belayed speed climb, are two timed events that measure how fast competitors can climb a tree using these methods.
• The throwline, which tests the ability of a contestant to install a climbing line.
Masters’ Challenge
The top male and female scorers from Saturday’s events will square off in the Masters’ Challenge. During this timed event contestants must assess a tree, install a climbing system, climb the tree, and perform as many as they can of three tree maintenance tasks before time runs out.
ITCC is sponsored by ISA 
The International Tree Climbing Championship (ITCC) is managed by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). The competition rules and technical specifications promote the adoption of best management practices and established industry standards: A way to maintain, improve, and promote knowledge and skills.
See the full 2015 competitors list.
