Another extreme sport coming to Queenstown

Another extreme sport coming to Queenstown

Queenstown is already world famous as a destination for high adrenaline sports – now some of the best tree-climbers in the world are coming to showcase their skills.

The Queenstown Gardens is the venue for this year’s Husqvarna National Tree Climbing Championships, to be held on Saturday 26 October 2013. Recently crowned women’s world champion Nicky Ward-Allen and fellow Kiwi climber James Kilpatrick, who was a podium finisher in World’s, will be defending their respective female and male national titles. They are both also the current world title holders of the footlock – a specialised event held as part of the competition.

Preliminary events will begin on Saturday at 8:00 am – these test a competitor's ability to professionally, and safely maneuver in a tree, while performing work-related tree-care tasks in a timely manner. Those with the highest scores from the preliminary events will compete in the final championship round for the men’s and women’s national titles, beginning at approximately 2:30 pm.

The champions will earn the honour of representing New Zealand at the International Tree Climbing Championships, held in 2014 in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Another Kiwi Scott Forrest, current World Champion, has automatically qualified for next year’s event and will be in Queenstown to cheer his colleagues on.

The sport provides a competitive but educational opportunity for working arborists to demonstrate and exchange new climbing techniques, equipment and safe work practices. Run by the New Zealand Arboricultural Association as part of their annual conference, the competition provides positive public exposure for the profession, demonstrating some of the skills of professional arborists.

Organiser Mat Palmer encourages everybody to visit the event: “Entrance for spectators is free and it’s a chance to see some of the very best competitors in action.”

Mat adds: “We’re very lucky to have such a big talent pool in New Zealand, it doesn’t get any better than this. The venue is just a short walk from the town centre and is a spectacular setting with some great heritage trees.”

About New Zealand Arboricultural Association
The New Zealand Arboricultural Association (NZ Arb) was created in 1989 in response to a growing demand for the formation of a national body to represent professional and non-professional people involved in New Zealand tree care.

In 1996, NZ Arb joined the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) to become its 32nd Chapter. The New Zealand Arboricultural Association is proud to foster the mission of the ISA; through research, technology and education, promote the professional practice of arboriculture and foster a greater public awareness of the benefits of trees. For more information on NZ Arb visit www.nzarb.org.nz.

ENDS

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