It’s five o’clock in the morning and I’m not sure why I wake up, but I do. I slept on the outdoor furniture of an AirBandB house on Bevis Drive in Charlotte, North Carolina. I drove six hundred and some miles to get here. It’s not completely dark, but it’s not completely light out either. My dog Indy is still sleeping on the concrete. I can see there is a light on in the kitchen of the house.

As I open the door and walk in, I find Kristian Michael Shultz hand grinding coffee beans with a head lamp on. Everyone else is still maybe sleeping or just rising. I set my own plastic container of instant coffee on the countertop.

“You’re not going to put that in your mouth, are you!?” Kristian gasped.

So that’s how my comp day started, with Kristian making me a nice french pressed cup of coffee. Kindness. Then out walks BJ Brock. He’s a Merry Prankster of the tree climbing world, a lovely mix of talent and charm and arbor-ness. Then out from the shadowy hallway pops Chris Coates in his undies and climber t-shirt, and we are as giddy as third graders on a field trip. Adventures await!

Because it’s The Charlotte.

There’s something happening here, what it is ain’t exactly clear.

This is my second year at the Charlotte Arborists’ Association Open Tree Climbing Competition. For anyone that doesn’t know, it’s not an ISA event. It’s different. It’s its own thing. La Cosa Nostra.

There are four preliminary events: The Work Climb, Aerial Rescue, Open Ascent, and Throwline.

At the climber’s meeting, the head judges included: Chip Hildreth as Head Technician, Nora Bryan as Head Judge, Greg Manning at Throwline, John Trenchard at Open Ascent, Peter Lafreniere at Work Climb and Jonathan Mcneil at Aerial Rescue. Those are just a few of the names from a long and epic list of judges. From a competitor’s standpoint, some of the best eyes in the world watching you climb. It brings out the best. And Scotty Olson is there too, doing what Scotty Olson does, setting the tempo and laying down the laws of the land.

There’s battle lines being drawn, nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong.

I turn around and see faces from all over the country, and all over the world. There is an international draw to this competition. But what is it about The Charlotte that’s really any different?

It’s about good climbing. Nora makes it perfectly clear in the meeting that every consideration has been taken to preserve the health of the trees, and to minimize the impact that the climbing will have on them. No extra points for installing ropes in the throwline event, no speed (efficiency) points in the work climb, no raining debris down from the crown. Don’t climb like a clown. Climb like an arborist. It’s real serious. And everyone abides. And everything else is super chill.

I think we stop, children, what’s that sound? Everybody look what’s going down.

In my group: Dustin Urbanovsky, Boel Hammarstrand, Brick Reilly, Ryan Tullar and Jared Andreas Brown. Every single one an inspiration all their own. We got to feed off one another’s energy, working through the challenges of each event together. Keeping the stoke high.

Because it’s The Charlotte.

I also got the opportunity to watch my good friends and fellow Penn-Del ISA Chapter members Jake Riggs and Derrick Martin qualify for the Master’s Challenge, where Jake ended up finishing second just behind Cormac Nagan (who is pretty much a modern day samurai warrior).

The Aerial Rescue is always the best at The Charlotte. This year, the patient was stuck in the tree, terrified and panicking after cutting their primary climb line with a pole saw. Because the rope was compensated, it was our task to go into the crown and bring them down safely. Unique to this scenario was the extra long ascent to access the climber, and the unassuming large amount of small tasks to do when reaching them: set up a second system to lower them with, deal with the pole saw safely before descending, calming them down, communicating with EMS, packaging them upright and then finally reaching the ground and transferring them into EMS care. At one point I noticed seven or eight local firefighters and other first responders looking on as the simulated rescue was repeated again and again. Once again, in such great company. You won’t fool anyone at The Charlotte.

What a field-day for a heat, A thousand people in the street,  Singing songs and carrying signs, mostly say hooray for our side.

At dinner after the competition I talked with JB Holdway about this feeling of community and family. He brought up the point of how everyone, despite the fact of being in a competition against one another, are so supportive and encouraging to each other, and how this translates into the industry as a whole. JB is one of the kindest men I know, and he gives and gives so much back to the arborist scene. There may be many like him, but only one JB. Be like JB.

Also, I want to talk about some more people. First, Chip Hildreth and Nora Bryan. When I think of The Charlotte, I think of Chip and Nora. I haven’t been a part of this thing for any real amount of time, and I know there are many people that give so much to this event, but Chip and Nora are awesome. They are a perfect embodiment of the progression of our industry, of ourselves as arborists, and of competitive tree climbing in general. You don’t want to mess with Chip and Nora. They are undoubtedly World Class people and they should be recognized as such. I think Chip and Nora are the main reason the climbing is so great at The Charlotte. Be like Chip and Nora.

Scotty Olson is a wild ride into the past and into the future. Next time you see Scotty Olson, and you like tree climbing competitions, thank Scotty Olson. Be more like Scotty Olson. Be a rolling ball of fire.

I also know there were so many people behind the scenes of this, volunteers, and I thank everyone that I didn’t get a chance to meet or get personal with. For your time and energy and passion. Especially Erin Coates who guards and keeps the sacred scores of many competitions!

Richard Mumford, with his little black sunglasses is everywhere that tree climbing is. I’ve known Richard for a few years now, and he is so undoubtedly committed to this scene. Thanks Richard for your beautiful mind and personality and the things you’ve given us.

Also, I had the pleasure to meet many new friends, and hang with many old friends. I want to list them all, but if I forget just one name by accident, which I may, it would bother me.

Freedom Park in Charlotte, which has been the location in the past, is a stunning scene with beautiful trees to climb. Charlotte is known for its trees. I am grateful to the city and the park and the rangers for a beautiful site. This location is just right for such a fine gathering.

We better stop hey, what’s that sound, everybody look what’s going down.

There’s an edgy-ness here. The bar is raised. The stakes are high. There are many cash deals. The Charlotte does it her own way. The best climbing, the best judging, the best people, the best ideas.

For me The Charlotte is one of the best competitions ever. But it’s weird because I can’t exactly tell you why. I feel like it’s a secret of some sort. Like spoiling a good ending to a movie. Or even worse, like, if I was to tell you why, I’d have to…eh, I’d better not. Maybe just go and see for yourself.

That is, if you can even get in.