Tree climbers show off speed, skill at Morton Arboretum

A day at The Morton Arboretum usually spells nature and tranquillity, but on Saturday it also was the setting for a show of skill and speed at this year's Illinois Tree Climbing Championship.

Twenty-one competitors - all municipal, commercial or utility tree care workers from across Illinois - squared off in five different events: belayed speed climb, secured footlock, aerial rescue, work climb and throw line.

"It takes a lot to do this," said April Toney, executive director of the Illinois Arborist Association, which sponsored the competition. "They have to be careful in every move, but they also have to be fast. It's a real test, and safety is really important."

Competitor Brandon Dobnick, an arborist for The Morton Arboretum, said the speed climb was pretty challenging. "The way they have it set up, with the peg holds, it's more like rock climbing," he said. "Before it was different, you'd just climb up the branches."

Competition adviser Eduardo Medina of Chicago, an instructor and recruiter for Ohio-based Davey Trees, said judges follow a detailed rule book to assign points. "It all depends on their work (being) safe and efficient," he said.

The top three climbers who scored highest in the first round competed in the afternoon in the master's challenge, won by Beau Nagan, who also works at The Morton Arboretum. He will represent Illinois in the world title quest at the International Tree Climbing Championship in April in Texas.

Spectators mostly included competitors' friends and relatives, like Mary Mueth, whose son is Matt Paule of Caseyville, Illinois. The event was fun to watch and also heartwarming, as the competitors cheered for each other through each round, Mueth said.

Others like Carl Francik of West Chicago came to watch the competition out of curiosity - and possibly to learn something. Francik said he's been climbing for about a year and takes arboriculture classes at College of DuPage.

The event could be even more enjoyable if it added a display of equipment and food vendors, he said.

"I think they missed an opportunity, but it was still worth it," Francik said.

Francik's friend, Leah Brice of Bloomingdale, said she especially was impressed by the aerial rescue, which consists of rescuing a dummy stuck high up on a tree. "They have to get the dummy, talk to it and get it down safely, all in five minutes," she said. "It was very cool."

Competitor Tyler Bowling of Naperville said he fell in love with tree work after he was hired by The Care of Trees in Glen Ellyn. "It's my first time here. I just wanted to do something fun - and yes, it's been fun so far," he said.