Wintec has another world champion
Posted On: Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Two New Zealanders have proved they are the tree climbing champions of the world.
The International Tree Climbing Championships (ITCC) bought together the world’s best climbers for the annual competition on its first visit to the Southern Hemisphere.
Former Wintec student Scott Forrest became the first New Zealander to take the men’s title and Waikato-based Chrissy Spence won the women’s championship, a title she held in 2005 and 2007.
Entrants from 24 different countries travelled to Parramatta near Sydney for the two-day contest.
Male and female competitors had to take part in five different events which simulate arborists’ working conditions.
Events, such as the speed climb and aerial rescue, test the climber’s ability to perform a timed work-related tree-care task in a safe and professional manner.
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) began running championships in California in 1975. The professional tree climbing competitions are now hosted in 20 countries around the world and provide a platform for the world's best arborists to showcase their skills.
The championship is a great spectator event and helps introduce people to the sport of tree climbing and the daunting branch-hopping skills of professional tree workers.
Champion climber Scott Forrest, 30, said it meant a lot to compete at international levels and he was very happy with his win. “It was a real privilege to go up against the sport’s big name competitors and realise I’m at that level now.”
Forrest credits his former Wintec tutors with teaching him advanced techniques and bringing out the best in him. He said the Institute is very lucky to have the international trainers who have made it such a good facility. “It’s the best [facility] in the whole of New Zealand.”
The world’s best tree climber is currently a contract climber in Australia who will be back in New Zealand for the national competitions held in Masterton in October.
Andrew Harrison, Arboriculture Tutor at Wintec, has competed at the ITCC in the past and gained a fourth place in 2003. This year he attended the championships as a spectator and said it was a good all round performance by all competitors.
“Scott displayed good patience and great composure. It’s quite nerve wracking when you are being watched by thousands of spectators, but he had great poise and positioning.”
Harrison said the kiwi champions will help to raise the profile for arborist. “Everybody will be looking to New Zealand and asking why we have got such strong climbers. It goes to show how good the training is here and the strength and seriousness of our competitions.”
Harrison said all the male competitors in this year’s ITCC had been trained at Wintec.
Another ITCC contestant and former Wintec student, Tauranga arborist James Kilpatrick, set a new world speed record this June at the Asia Pacific Tree Climbing Championships in Singapore.