Dakota Gardener: Tree sports

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.

The lumberjacks’ pole climb is based solely on speed. Climb the pole, ring the bell at the top and descend quickly – and safely! For the tree-care workers, the competition is more complicated. Other skills come into play, such as placing ropes into and throughout the tree crown, working through various stations in the tree crown, and there’s even a component on aerial rescue of injured workers. It’s rather complex and very impressive.

When I think of trees and sports in North Dakota, competitive tree climbing is not on the list. I don’t expect to see the North Dakota High School Activities Association sanctioning tree climbing any time in the near future.

Instead, I envision those countless ball fields in our small communities that are often bounded by windbreaks on one or more sides. These plantings provide much-needed protection to a place where kids can compete in other sports. The youngsters might not understand or appreciate the value of those shelterbelts, but most of their parents and coaches do. And that’s great.

Want to experience trees and sports near you? Go to a local ballfield this summer or fall and support a local team as they strive to win the game or bring home a championship.

Or if you want to feel like a lumberjack, you can try competitive axe throwing at nearly a dozen establishments throughout the state. For real!