By Joe Zeleznik, Forester

NDSU Extension

Did you ever watch ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” while you had been youthful? I bear in mind these Saturday afternoons, seeing some fairly distinctive competitions – energy lifting, cliff diving and even barrel leaping.

My favourite was the lumberjack competitions.

Most of the occasions concerned chopping logs with axes, or slicing logs with hand-powered crosscut saws or chainsaws. Log rolling in a pond or pool was frequent, as was the pace climb. The present pace climbing occasions use both a 60-foot pole or a 90-foot pole.

As you possibly can guess, not one of the contestants that I ever watched had been from North Dakota. There weren’t many lumberjacks from round right here.

Nevertheless, we do have numerous skilled tree-care staff in our state. They’re often utilizing small hand saws and chain saws, and dealing from both the bottom or from a bucket truck. I’ve seen only a few axes of their instrument chests.

Just a few of those people nonetheless climb bushes to do their work. Modern tree climbing entails ropes and numerous {hardware} borrowed from rock-climbing fans. It additionally requires power, stamina and a love of attaching your self to a swaying, dynamic, aerial impediment course.

I really like climbing bushes, however as I become older, it’s simply not taking place as a lot. Go determine.

Tree climbing competitions are literally fairly frequent. The International Tree Climbing Championship is sponsored by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), one of many main skilled organizations within the tree-care business. Regional competitions are held all year long, sponsored by ISA chapters. The Midwestern Chapter’s competitors 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 relies solely on pace. Climb the pole, ring the bell on the high and descend rapidly – and safely! For the tree-care staff, the competitors is extra sophisticated. Other expertise come into play, corresponding to putting ropes into and all through the tree crown, working by means of numerous stations within the tree crown, and there’s even a part on aerial rescue of injured staff. It’s somewhat advanced and really spectacular.

When I consider bushes and sports activities in North Dakota, aggressive tree climbing isn’t on the record. I don’t anticipate to see the North Dakota High School Activities Association sanctioning tree climbing any time within the close to future.

Instead, I envision these numerous ball fields in our small communities which might be typically bounded by windbreaks on a number of sides. These plantings present much-needed safety to a spot the place youngsters can compete in different sports activities. The kids may not perceive or recognize the worth of these shelterbelts, however most of their mother and father and coaches do. And that’s nice.

Want to expertise bushes and sports activities close to you? Go to an area ballfield this summer season or fall and help an area workforce as they attempt to win the sport or convey house a championship.

Or if you wish to really feel like a lumberjack, you possibly can strive aggressive axe throwing at practically a dozen institutions all through the state. For actual!

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Aug. 22, 2023

Source: Joe Zeleznik, 701-730-3389, joseph.zeleznik@ndsu.edu

Editor: Kelli Anderson, 701-231-7881, kelli.c.anderson@ndsu.edu