Apr 28, 2014 11:50 AM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

The purpose of the Michigan Tree Climbing Championships isn't just to identify the fastest or boldest tree climbers in the world, but to emphasize the techniques of the profession and reward those who best exemplify them. Thus, participants are typically in the business of cutting and maintaining trees -- not just climbing them.

"All of those preliminary events are things that climbing arborists use in their daily work routine in one capacity or another," Ray Jennings, an arborist and event volunteer, told the Kalamazoo Gazette. "The whole idea of the competition is to allow climbers to demonstrate their proficiency in a safe controlled environment and allow them to hone their skills and work on getting better."

The latest competition took place this weekend in Michigan. Two of the 20 to "more than a dozen" participants qualified for the international competition, Michigan Live reported. Typically, the event is in the fall, but bad weather pushed it back two seasons. Because of the scheduling switch, participation wasn't quite as high as usual. (Some years attract upwards of 30.)

Competitors were judged on five different events: work climb, ascent Footlock, belayed speed climb, aerial rescue, and throw-line. From this short video on USA Today, most of the events required climbers to grab flags positioned on branches ("Fear Factor" style) on their way up or down the tree. Five species of tree were used: red oak, silver maple, Austrian pine, basswood and European copper beech. A few reached 100 feet in height, according to M-Live.

"I just gave it a whirl," said Charity Barnes, a first-time participant, the only female competitor, and one of the two who will move on to international competition. "It was super fun to be here and see all the excellent climbers and to be a part of it."

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