Aiming for the Top, Expert Tree Climbers Face Off in the Forest

摘要

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Mark Chisholm craned his neck to peer up into the branches of a 110-foot tulip poplar, mapping out his plan of attack. A few minutes later, as a throng of spectators cheered, he scrambled up a slender rope and disappeared into the leafy canopy above. For more than a quarter century, tree lovers have gathered once a year to compete in the International Tree Climbing Championships. It's the equivalent of the Olympics for professional tree trimmers, or "arborists" as they like to be called. Typically a laid-back affair, it has now sprouted an intense rivalry between two towering figures of the sport.