Did you ever watch ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” when you were younger? I remember those Saturday afternoons, seeing some pretty unique competitions – power lifting, cliff diving and even barrel jumping.
My favorite was the lumberjack competitions.
Most of the events involved chopping logs with axes, or cutting logs with hand-powered crosscut saws or chainsaws. Log rolling in a pond or pool was common, as was the speed climb. The current speed climbing events use either a 60-foot pole or a 90-foot pole.
As you can guess, none of the contestants that I ever watched were from North Dakota. There weren’t many lumberjacks from around here.
Nevertheless, we do have a lot of professional tree-care workers in our state. They’re usually using small hand saws and chain saws, and working from either the ground or from a bucket truck. I’ve seen very few axes in their tool chests.
A few of these folks still climb trees to do their work. Modern tree climbing involves ropes and a lot of hardware borrowed from rock-climbing enthusiasts. It also requires strength, stamina and a love of attaching yourself to a swaying, dynamic, aerial obstacle course.
I love climbing trees, but as I get older, it’s just not happening as much. Go figure.
Tree climbing competitions are actually pretty common. The International Tree Climbing Championship is sponsored by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), one of the leading professional organizations in the tree-care industry. Regional competitions are held throughout the year, sponsored by ISA chapters. The Midwestern Chapter’s competition was held in Parkville, Missouri, in June. The 2023 International Tree Climbing Championship was held earlier this month in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Source: ndsu.edu
Photo Credit: gettyimages-frankvandenbergh
Categories: North Dakota, Rural Lifestyle