ISA HK/China --- 2009 ITCC Highlights

Dear Station Members,

The following link was sent in by an enthusiastic TCHK Member after he sourced the 2009 International Tree Climbing Championship (ITCC) online, even before ISA HK/China was given the link:

http://www.davey.com/itcc/

In the contents, the followings can be viewed in an order for a thorough visual enjoyment:

2009 ITCC -01-Introduction 2009
2009 ITCC -02-Event Setup
2009 ITCC -03-Throwline
2009 ITCC -04-Secured Footlock
2009 ITCC -05-Belayed Speed Climb
2009 ITCC -06-Aerial Rescue
2009 ITCC -07-Work Climb
2009 ITCC -08-Spirit of the Competition Award
2009 ITCC -09-Head-to-Head Secured Footlock
2009 ITCC -10-Masters' Challenge
2009 ITCC -11-Rip Tompkins Tribute
2009 ITCC -12-Behind the Scenes

Tree Climbing is always an exciting event & ITCC is the climax of all Tree Climbing from around the world. Only local champions are allowed to join in for this international competition & therefore only the best are to be in. Tree Climbers are usually well built, healthy, focusing & frank. Most have good moral standards because a good Tree Climber simply can not afford to sleep late & abuse himself with toxic living to work aloft. Many are religious & some are superstitious enough to avoid any revenge on tree for wrong-doing.

For the commoners, it would be eye bubbling to see a man or woman dancing from branch to branch +15m up on the ground, & all ye ladies, see those bulging muscles on those masculine's ... Wouldn't you like to be among them for protection & what else? Tree Climbers are a special breed & it is always blood boiling to watch ITCC in action. This series of 12 videos would take about half an hour to watch but the impact may last for days.

ISA HK/China has noticed that there are very few coloured faces in most ITCC events so far. If asked, our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China may only have one or two Tree Climbers competent enough to join the ITCC at present. From all the Tree Climbers that the Station Manger have known, maybe only KW Lee & SY Ho both trained by the Station Manager himself may get somewhere near to compete in any ITCC at present, but this will not happen unless they have been sent through additional training by someone much better than the Station Manager himself for equipment use & techniques.

KW Lee is currently learning further in Australia for advanced Tree Climbing & Professional Tree Work by working among the local experts. ISA HK/China has plan to send him to North America upon his return this June for further training. SY Ho is conducting Tree Work daily in a local organization & would work along with the Station Manager for sophisticated Tree Work from time to time. It appears that HK lacks both the trees & the techniques to train our locals to meet ITCC requirements, & the public do not treasure Tree Climbing as much as in western nations.

It is our plan one day to send one of ours to appear in these ITCC videos, & this will be our honour & our goal.

best regards,

Sammy Au
Station Manager