by Liz Buxton –
James Earhart, owner of Arbor Care in Essex County, was the overall winner in the masters challenge for the men’s division at the Mid-Atlantic Tree Climbing Championship (TCC), which was conducted April 13 and 14 at the Crofton Country Club in Crofton, Md. Sarah Hood-Recant of Richmond (Davey Tree Expert) was the winner for the women’s division.
The champions will represent the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (MAC-ISA) at the International Tree Climbing Championship (ITCC) in Atlanta on Oct. 24-27.
More than 300 spectators came out to watch the competition. The two-day event brought together some of the best tree care professionals in the region to showcase their climbing skills in a series of competitive events. Climbers competed in five preliminary events on April 13 to qualify as one of the top contestants to advance to the championship round – the Masters’ Challenge. The preliminary events include Ascent Event, Belayed Speed Climb, Aerial Rescue, Work Climb and Throwline. The masters challenge is a timed event that combines these stations:
• Two hand saw stations
• Limb toss station
• Limb walk station
Each station required the contestant to demonstrate the skills and abilities needed to perform safe and efficient tree work.
Tree climbing competitions are offered by each chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture and promote safe working practices, demonstrate improvements and innovations in equipment and techniques and provide industry recognition. It is also an opportunity for climbers to gather and exchange ideas with their professional peers.
Earhart is no stranger to tree climbing competitions. In fact, this year is his 20th year competing. Earhart has won the ITCC, the North American Tree Climbing Competition (twice), and the Mid-Atlantic TCC eight times. To prepare for the TCC this year, he began practicing the masters challenge and traveled to Australia to train with World Champion Barton Allen-Hall.
Earhart was joined in the winner circle by Arbor Care arborists, Blaine Bledsoe and Noah Daigle, who won second and third respectively. Turns out, the practice paid off for the entire crew at Arbor Care.
(Burgess resident Liz Buxton is executive director of Mid Atlantic Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture [MAC-ISA], a trade association for arborists, urban foresters, and others involved in the care of trees.)
