allmark
Participating member
Im interested in hearing how your involvement either climbing,volunteering or attending comps has helped you. Either in life...career...abilities....whatever
How has tree climbing copetitions helped you
- Thread starter allmark
- Start date
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
I've met the coolest people I've ever known at comps.
Obviously I learn a lot of new stuff at every comp too but mainly it's the people.
Obviously I learn a lot of new stuff at every comp too but mainly it's the people.
- Location
- Springfield MO
I can't say enough about these events and how it's helped me in my career, my spiritual path and my personal growth. I don't mean anything over the top cosmic about it helping me spiritually but I've had some really validating experiences at comps. The networking has kept me in work when there was almost none. Two of the best jobs I've ever had were networked through comps. One of them led me to my wife, Meg, who many of you know. I too, quickly learned that it wasn't about competition but about trees and the people.
easyphloem
Branched out member
- Location
- Louisville, KY
I met my current employers at a TCC in 2007. I've met so many people that I consider family at TCCs. It's more about fellowship with like-minded tree people than just a competition for me.
I don't want to think about my life without all of the great friends I have met over the last decade at TCCs.
SZ
I don't want to think about my life without all of the great friends I have met over the last decade at TCCs.
SZ
- Location
- Chardon, OH
I have gained a 20 year supply of very colorful Tee-shirts !
More seriously …………… I am a rec climber, and volunteer for TCC’s.
I have worked in the chemical plant industry all over the world for more than 35 years.
I have worked w/ some really first class plants, organizations, departments, groups, & individuals.
I frequently tell people that the tree people at TCC’s are consistently the best groups I’ve ever worked with. They are truly sharing & caring.
Everyone is more than willing to share techniques, equip, strategy, network contacts, and friendship. They all want to share !
Every TCC is a great learning experience for me ! ! ! Really.
Finally, I had a couple medical speed bumps soon after I started climbing & helping w/ TCC’s.
I had tree folks that I had only met once contact me w/ encouragement ! Great group of friends !
Thanks to All !
More seriously …………… I am a rec climber, and volunteer for TCC’s.
I have worked in the chemical plant industry all over the world for more than 35 years.
I have worked w/ some really first class plants, organizations, departments, groups, & individuals.
I frequently tell people that the tree people at TCC’s are consistently the best groups I’ve ever worked with. They are truly sharing & caring.
Everyone is more than willing to share techniques, equip, strategy, network contacts, and friendship. They all want to share !
Every TCC is a great learning experience for me ! ! ! Really.
Finally, I had a couple medical speed bumps soon after I started climbing & helping w/ TCC’s.
I had tree folks that I had only met once contact me w/ encouragement ! Great group of friends !
Thanks to All !
Climbing competitions totally renewed my joy in tree work and faith in the field as a whole. When I started going to competitions I had seen a lot of shoddy tree work from totally unsafe companies. I learned a ton just at my first competition and met some really cool people. Now I am addicted. I have taught several guys techniques that I have learned at the competitions and it has made them more proficient also. I really do believe that the skills and safety encouraged at the comps have a trickle effect throughout the industry. If you haven't competed you really need to try it!
Greg your a pretty solid dude coming all the way up to Ontario to help out with the climbing competition.. and DQ my limb walk 
, I kid, I kid. But when I heard you came all the way from Ohio to help, that said a lot to me about the people in the competition as well as the people who were there to volunteer. Shout outs to those guys from Sarnia too.
, I kid, I kid. But when I heard you came all the way from Ohio to help, that said a lot to me about the people in the competition as well as the people who were there to volunteer. Shout outs to those guys from Sarnia too.- Location
- Chardon, OH
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Greg your a pretty solid dude coming all the way up to Ontario to help out with the climbing competition.. and DQ my limb walk
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Sorry Ross ....... I must have had the score sheets out of order !
How on earth do you keep track of who TCC volunteers are ? !
Greg your a pretty solid dude coming all the way up to Ontario to help out with the climbing competition.. and DQ my limb walk
[/ QUOTE ]
Sorry Ross ....... I must have had the score sheets out of order !
How on earth do you keep track of who TCC volunteers are ? !
Jeff_Cochran
New member
- Location
- Memphis TN
[ QUOTE ]
I met my current employers at a TCC in 2007. I've met so many people that I consider family at TCCs. It's more about fellowship with like-minded tree people than just a competition for me.
I don't want to think about my life without all of the great friends I have met over the last decade at TCCs.
SZ
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very well said stephan
I met my current employers at a TCC in 2007. I've met so many people that I consider family at TCCs. It's more about fellowship with like-minded tree people than just a competition for me.
I don't want to think about my life without all of the great friends I have met over the last decade at TCCs.
SZ
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very well said stephan
- Location
- Bainbridge Island, WA
As a woman, the comps were the most supportive and friendly group of teaching people I've met in my career. Everyone is so willing to share their knowledge and gear. Ditto on everyone who said people - our PNW crew is getting really tight rec climbing and comping together.
Looking back after one year of training and competing I realize my skills have advanced and expanded much faster than other times in my career. Training helped me focus on practical and everyday valuable skills that I/you'll end up using in work. Except footlocking maybe
Well, ok, I do that at work 
It will shift how you work and who you hang out with and, what you do in your spare time for sure!
Looking back after one year of training and competing I realize my skills have advanced and expanded much faster than other times in my career. Training helped me focus on practical and everyday valuable skills that I/you'll end up using in work. Except footlocking maybe
Well, ok, I do that at work It will shift how you work and who you hang out with and, what you do in your spare time for sure!
I have gone as a spectator for a few years and recently started competing. I have learned so many things that make my job easier climbing in comps than I did watching them. After getting my butt handed to me in ky it motivated me to stop being such a fat slob probably adding years to my life as a bonus. Everyone I have met have been awesome people and being new to competing I'm sure I'll meet a lot more.
- Location
- Retired in Minneapolis
I've met some of my closest friends at comps.
- Location
- Northern California
Tom you have hit the nail on the head. Bottom line outside of saving lives in the work place the competition has taught me, personally, how to innovate and be creative in the work place to stay one step ahead of the competition. Doing more work in less time is what being efficient is all about. Example is a language that everyone can learn from.
The lessons I learned durning my years of competition is immeasurable and worth every effort to not only compete, but to also learn the pains and pleasures of putting on a competition. We can unfortunately learn at the mispleasures of others. The ideas we observe each day can be the creation of new and innovative techniques for tomorrow.
Remember.
In observation chance favors the prepared mind.
The lessons I learned durning my years of competition is immeasurable and worth every effort to not only compete, but to also learn the pains and pleasures of putting on a competition. We can unfortunately learn at the mispleasures of others. The ideas we observe each day can be the creation of new and innovative techniques for tomorrow.
Remember.
In observation chance favors the prepared mind.
- Location
- balancing on the edge . . . .
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I've met the coolest people I've ever known at comps.
Obviously I learn a lot of new stuff at every comp too but mainly it's the people.
[/ QUOTE ]
AHH thanks frogger,
well I meet Mark and scotty and tom and scott and chip and EZ and Simon and Morice and vince and kathy, my hero, and Andrew and I got to go to Chicago, and kentucky and charlotte and florida and all those other fun places and I got my picture taken and got to sleep in a tent and I know Melisa and bear and all the other great women on here and I GET great tshirts
I've met the coolest people I've ever known at comps.
Obviously I learn a lot of new stuff at every comp too but mainly it's the people.
[/ QUOTE ]
AHH thanks frogger,
well I meet Mark and scotty and tom and scott and chip and EZ and Simon and Morice and vince and kathy, my hero, and Andrew and I got to go to Chicago, and kentucky and charlotte and florida and all those other fun places and I got my picture taken and got to sleep in a tent and I know Melisa and bear and all the other great women on here and I GET great tshirts
- Location
- Charlotte, NC.
SZ helped me get a job solely based on an email I sent about a TCC. Since then I've met a lot of great people and ended up going to Hawaii for the first time because of a comp. I should mention I've only been to two comps. that's a lot of benefit for only two, the major plus for me right now is learning from everyone there and getting a chance to improve my climbing. I love this job.
- Location
- Victoria BC
They've given me the opportunity to meet new friends, network for jobs and training, try cool gear and techniques, gain ceu's to stay certified and be connected with a group of people who love trees as much as I do
- Location
- Ft Thomas, KY/ Cincinnati
Last year was my first year to really get into climbing, and I got to see 2 comps. I went to the Ohio TCC in April, the first time I'd even heard of a comp... and volunteered for the AR event. I can tell you this comp- from getting there early to set up, to meeting SO MANY cool people from all over, to working w/ Stephan at AR- was one of the best times I have ever had. As a rec climber, I was pretty blown away to see how these guys (there were no gals) climbed, and I became hopelessly infected w/ climbing fever.
It was also too funny to put TreeBuzz names to a few faces!! Loved that
Throwing my hat into the ring as a competitor for the KY TCC forced me to learn the events and think about training. It was a blast, it was terrifying, and it was ... a blast! I'd say that volunteering was a good way to learn, it helped me when I competed.
The people are hands down the best thing about the comps... even tho I'm new to this, that fact is apparent from the start. It's a great, supportive, crazy, awesome crowd of folks who are drawn to these events.
I look forward to more comps!!! Volunteering and climbing, I'll be learning as I go.
Hope to meet more of you this year!!
It was also too funny to put TreeBuzz names to a few faces!! Loved that
Throwing my hat into the ring as a competitor for the KY TCC forced me to learn the events and think about training. It was a blast, it was terrifying, and it was ... a blast! I'd say that volunteering was a good way to learn, it helped me when I competed.
The people are hands down the best thing about the comps... even tho I'm new to this, that fact is apparent from the start. It's a great, supportive, crazy, awesome crowd of folks who are drawn to these events.
I look forward to more comps!!! Volunteering and climbing, I'll be learning as I go.
Hope to meet more of you this year!!
- Location
- central texas
It motivated me to be a better climber. The first comp i went to was just to watch. Id never heard of them before. My dad had to drag me to it. I was blown away with all the awesome gear and climbing techniques. Id never seen someone footlock before. I made a deal with my dad and told him if he bought the gear then i would stick around and becoming a beter climber. Since then, iv competed in 4 competitions and even got 3rd in the throwline last year and im a certified tree climber. This career has made me the man i am today. Life is good
