UK Arb Industry

[Craig Johnson]

no value in representing your country?

[Amelanchier]

Even as a climber with interest in all things trees, its often painfully boring watching a climbing competition for any length of time, and from my experience most of the spectators seem to be made up of WAGS. here lies the key I think. Make it more exciting for the spectators which will draw a bigger crowd, which will in turn draw more revenue leading to a bigger comp, with bigger prizes, and a bigger turn out.

 

Now someone just needs to work out how to make it more exciting for spectators!

 

As an ex-climber, ex-ISA TCC competitor and organiser/judge for the East of England Cutters & Climbers for the past eight years I feel confident in saying that the answer to a successful comp depends on how you define the idea of being successful. Semantic word trickery aside, what I mean is; what is the goal of the comp? Who is it for? What is it trying to achieve for them?

 

If your raison d'etre is crowning a champion and rewarding him/her handsomely then you centre the event primarily around testing climbers to differentiate them based on the qualities you think embody a champion. Everything else is secondary - it has to be; but you shouldn't be surprised if some of those secondary things become so marginal that they barely exist or if entrant numbers dwindle. (It's not a criticism, it's a necessary side effect of that degree of focus.) When you frame the arguments for entering/supporting a comp as "...you might win something if you can beat the other guys who win things regularly..." and "...you might learn something...", I think you unintentionally put people off. That meritocratic angle doesn't recognise individual aspirations, fears or values. I think there is scope for being a lot less serious about things in most competitions.

 

If you want to entertain, and perhaps inform, spectators you have to go about things in a different way. Firstly you have to base the event around them - you have to travel to them (not expect them to come to you), you have to cater, provide access to accommodation (or at least see that someone else does), some free booze after hours and most importantly – you have to recognise that they will get bored/tired of watching climbers and give them something else to do. If you don’t do that, they’ll just go home and not come back. You can help stave off the boredom with some sort of interpretation (info boards / commentary) but you can’t hold it off forever. None of these things can be achieved well in a field in the middle of nowhere. Every decision about comp structure and operation has to be based on whether it’s interesting or amusing to watch.

 

We hold the Cutters & Climbers within a larger show and our remit is to entertain. The competition is secondary and although I’d say it was well rewarded by our sponsors (we give five main prizes >£150 and this year issued general prizes to all 38 competitors) everyone is fully aware that we’re only there to put a show on for the wider event. We always get good public feedback, the show organisers annually concede more arena floorspace and over the last 5 years we've had an average of 40 entrants competing as many times as they like on 3-7 events over two days. Are we challenging international class climbers? Absolutely not and I'm glad – I think we have our balance right .

[MOG]

Wow, great feedback lots of interest by looking at the number of people who have looked at the thread and replied.

 

so what i got from reading this is.

 

Better marketing. is the main thing!

SRT demos.

Rigging Gear demos.

Kit demos.

 

and maybe this will bring in a bigger crowd?

 

But like Tony said, maybe the organisers are not worried about it being bigger. more people, more stress more time etc etc. the comp ran well, the trees were awesome and setup was brilliant. maybe things would be different. i've organised comps before and it takes alot work and time, so hats off to the Volunteers that do it.

 

what is also interesting is there, is other comps on that are doing better than ISA maybe ISA need to change things too. Obviously its not for everyone, than is something we can all agree on.

 

thanks everyone for leaving comments, great to get some feedback.

 

@ RCO it was on Arbtalk as mention before, and how can i predict how many people are going to be there before it happens! funny comment.....but helpful as all ways.

[jomoco]

Many years ago when the fire in my belly burned hot for all things ISA related, I suggested to the powers that be at TCIA that a monthly video highlighting the best firms on the job work practices would be far more beneficial than their current practice of glorifying the fastest climbers at TCC events.

 

IMO the fastest climbers do not necessarily do the best work in this industry by any stretch of the imagination. But by highlighting actual on the job work of the best companies in monthly or weekly video format? They would be tangibly teaching and reaching a larger audience and leading by example.

 

These vids do not need to be geared towards climbing alone either. They can run the gamut, climbing, groundwork, cabling, traffic control, stump grinding, diagnostics etc.

 

Of course my suggestions went in one ear and right out the other of course. But IMO good quality treework is a team effort, therefor vids showing how the best teams working together provide the best means of teaching and leading by example.

 

Glorify that and this industry will get better IMO.

 

Jomoco

[MattyF]

no value in representing your country?

 

 

I'm not really bothered and I don't think I'm good enough to either, my point being if there was interesting prizes it might encourage more people to enter... If that's not the case from what others are saying then it was not a valid point, my point is there are plenty of people who do the job day in and out and maybe an incentive may spur them to enter or pay interest after a hard weeks graft... The only comp I ever entered was hardly a comp and about two people entered who fancied a prize.

 

Any how congrats mog on the win , well done mate.

 

 

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[RC0]

 

@ RCO it was on Arbtalk as mention before, and how can i predict how many people are going to be there before it happens! funny comment.....but helpful as all ways.

 

An added bonus then that my post amused you....I wasn't even trying. If youre going to throw a party its a good policy to send out some invites beforehand. Where was it posted before ?

[Mark Bolam]

This thread isn't about attracting people with no interest in the comp scene.

I fully understand that for a lot of people it's a job, and time off means time off.

 

Then you've got people into the comp scene.

There are a lot more than 17 in the UK!

 

The biggest no. by far are people like me.

Love having a go / would have a go at right place / at the right time / if the mood suited them / if they weren't too drunk / if they were too drunk etc.

 

I wouldn't still be climbing if it wasn't for tips I've picked up over the years from some seriously good comp climbers, although as Matty said earlier, that was from working with them rather than watching them.

 

Some of them do know what to do with a chainsaw.

 

 

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[Joe Newton]

This thread isn't about attracting people with no interest in the comp scene.

I fully understand that for a lot of people it's a job, and time off means time off.

 

Then you've got people into the comp scene.

There are a lot more than 17 in the UK!

 

The biggest no. by far are people like me.

Love having a go / would have a go at right place / at the right time / if the mood suited them / if they weren't too drunk / if they were too drunk etc.

 

I wouldn't still be climbing if it wasn't for tips I've picked up over the years from some seriously good comp climbers, although as Matty said earlier, that was from working with them rather than watching them.

 

Some of them do know what to do with a chainsaw.

 

 

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I reckon the more amateurs that have a go, the less scary it is for others.

 

If I went along and the only competitors were grizzly seasoned comp climbers, I reckon I'd be too intimidated to give it a go.

 

A decent group of beginner comp climbers though, and there'd be a small chance I wouldn't be too bad, relatively. I'd be much more inclined to have a go and wouldn't mind making an arse of myself.

 

Does that make sense?

 

FWIW I'd seriously enjoy the experience.

 

 

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[Mark Bolam]

Makes perfect sense to me Joe, that's a great post.

 

Whilst the comp scene is competitive, I doubt you'll ever see so much genuine support and encouragement from fellow competitors. Tips swapped, gear lent, good vibes.

 

Lets do the next one.

 

If I come 19th I can make it a point on my website that I'm 'officially one of the top 20 climbers in the UK'.

 

 

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[Joe Newton]

Makes perfect sense to me Joe, that's a great post.

 

Whilst the comp scene is competitive, I doubt you'll ever see so much genuine support and encouragement from fellow competitors. Tips swapped, gear lent, good vibes.

 

Lets do the next one.

 

If I come 19th I can make it a point on my website that I'm 'officially one of the top 20 climbers in the UK'.

 

 

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So long as I actually hear about it I'll make a point of getting there.

 

I'll also make a point of getting you and any other competition hammered, to put myself on a more level playing field!

 

 

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