![]() ![]() ![]() Webb started climbing 21 years ago and has been involved in organising the events for 15 years. In an interview with Kim Hill, one competitor described it as “in-tree ballet”. “It’s not really like any other sport in the world,” he said.Īt first glance it looked to me like a combination of rock climbing, gymnastics, kubb and quidditch. The Aerial Rescue competition (Photo: George Driver)īut there is one major barrier to the spectator sport: figuring out what the hell is going on.įortunately I had event organiser Craig Webb to guide me through. Organised by the NZ Arboricultural Association, the event brings together the most talented climbers in the country, all of whom have developed their skills and technique by working as arborists, earning their living pruning, planting, removing and caring for trees. ![]() That weekend, twenty-seven competitors (seven women, 20 men) had gathered on a leafy peninsula on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu for the pinnacle of the domestic sport, the National Tree Climbing Championship. It also has all of the elements of a great sport: danger, skill, chance and a spectacular setting. We’ve won 11 world titles in that time making us arguably better at tree climbing than cricket or rugby. We hold the international title for men’s tree climbing and New Zealanders have dominated the sport for the past decade. ![]()
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