By JACQUELINE GANUN
Nearly 100 arborists clad in helmets and rope harnesses scaled pine, sweetgum and oak trees in a St. Louis park Friday during the International Tree Climbing Championship.
This year marks the competition’s 50th anniversary, where contestants from 22 countries are showcasing their climbing finesse over three days.
During the belayed speed climb, fellow competitors cheered and clapped as climbers raced to the treetop under a sunny, blue sky. Spectators in camping chairs craned their necks to watch the arborists weave through branches to find a dummy during the aerial rescue event.
E.J. Turner’s favorite event is the work climb, where competitors scramble through the 80- to 100-foot trees and ring bells at the end of branches to simulate cuts an arborist would make on the job. Turner, a third-generation climber and winner of five Midwest chapter competitions, said participants are graded on speed, route planning and poise.
“It’s a lot more climbing involved, and a lot more movement throughout the tree, jumping and swinging,” Turner said. “It’s kind of like being a kid.”
Alex Bower pulls himself up as he participates in the Aerial Rescue event, a timed competition that tests a contestant’s ability to climb and safely lower an injured person, on the first day of the three-day International Tree Climbing Championship Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Ashley Morse, right, gets a hug from competition judge Danae Jackson after participating in the Belayed Speed Climb event at the International Tree Climbing Championship Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Frits Van der Werff, of Belgium, rings a bell as part of the Work Climb event, testing a climbers ability to move quickly and safely about a tree, during the International Tree Climbing Championship Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Anna Petova, of the Czech Republic, adjusts her carabiners as she prepares to compete in Aerial Rescue, one of five events held on the first day of the three-day International Tree Climbing Championship, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Along with the belayed speed climb, aerial rescue and work climb, climbers will participate in ascent and throwline events during the first round. Those with the highest scores will advance to the Masters’ Challenge.
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The championship shows what arborists do in their day-to-day jobs, said Caitlyn Pollihan, CEO of the nonprofit International Society of Arboriculture, which puts on the event. Many of the 52 men and 39 women in this year’s contest have competed against one another before.
“There’s this just fascinating camaraderie that you wouldn’t necessarily expect at a competition,” Pollihan said.
The first International Tree Climbing Championship was hosted in St. Louis in 1976. Pollihan said they chose to host the competition in the same city as a nod to the first contest. Organizers plan to make speeches and hand out keepsakes to mark the 50th anniversary.
“We have some fun nods to the fact that this is a big milestone,” Pollihan said.
GaNun is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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