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The trees have been selected, and the promise of big trees has been fulfilled. For an example of what to expect, take a look up the belayed speed climb redwood:

If you haven’t already volunteered to help out, there is still time to get involved. Rip Tompkins, ITCC head judge, will be putting together the judging team. Ian MacCallum of the Pacific Northwest Chapter is looking for volunteers to help out with site setup on Friday, July 26, and also is looking for technicians to assist the judges at each event. If you or one of your employees is interested in rubbing elbows with the top climbers in the world, here’s your opportunity. Contact Jessica Marx at the ISA office for details, (888) 472-8733, or jmarx@isa-arbor.com. Experience is not required, and it will be the learning experience of a lifetime.

The International Tree Climbing Championship competition will, for the first time, be conducted over two days. The field of competitors has grown to more than 50, and we expect that number to continue to grow. In view of that fact, the ITCC Committee has decided to start the competition on Saturday, July 27, at 1:00 p.m., with climber check-in and equipment inspections beginning at 7:00 a.m. The two Masters’ Challenge finals will start at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 28, as part of the Field Day activities. First up will be the top two women and then the top four men. Mark Chisholm and Christine Engel, current world champions, will be back to defend their titles. A detailed schedule of the events will be posted on the ITCC Web site and sent out to each chapter, competitor, and judge in early May.

Masters’ Challenge Rule Change

After much deliberation, the ITCC Committee has voted to change the Masters’ Challenge back to the ultimate event. During the ITCC Committee’s open forum in Milwaukee, there was a request for the committee to review the rules related to the scoring of the Masters’ Challenge. It was suggested the committee review the rules for gymnastics because that competition is similar in that there are individual events and also an all-around event that crowns a champion. After a review of the rules, the committee has decided to adopt a similar process. In international gymnastic events, the contestants compete in a series of preliminary events to qualify to compete for the all-around title. In the all-around competition, each of the competitors receives “new life”; that is, they start equal.

A number of issues were discussed before making the decision—in particular, the rules of the Masters’ Challenge, because contestants are sequestered during that event. The Masters’ Challenge is the only ITCC event in which competitors cannot gain an unfair advantage by watching other competitors. The committee also felt the Masters’ Challenge best represents what climbers are doing on a day-to-day basis. Speed, although a factor, is secondary to safety and efficient work practices.

This change is consistent with the intent of the original architects of the revised format. The preliminary events were established to reduce the field down to the top contenders and then have this elite field compete head to head for the title. World champions will be crowned for each of the preliminary events, but the ultimate prize still will be the Masters’ Challenge World Champion’s Buckle.

For more information and updates on rule and format changes, visit http://www.isa-arbor.com/ITCC/rules.aspx.