NZ tree climb for Masterton

Masterton is to host the national tree climbing championships on October 22 and 23.
They will be held at Queen Elizabeth Park with the organisation being in the hands of the New Zealand Arboricultural Association.
Prospects of a Kiwi victory too must be high, especially after the international tree climbing championships held in Paramatta, New South Wales last week. There New Zealand won both the men's and women's world titles, seeing off competition from United States, Europe and Australia.
Tree climbing had its origins in professional arboriculture with most competitors being practising tree surgeons.
The format is similar in concept to the pentathalon in track and field with five separate disciplines giving competitors a cumulative points score.
The top scoring climbers then go on to compete in a "climb off", known as the Masters Event, up a particularly challenging tree to decide the final placings.
New Zealand was represented at Paramatta by Chrissy Spence (current NZ women's champion), Scott Forrest (reigning NZ men's champion) and James Kilpatrick (current Asia-Pacific champion). Spence and Forrest won the individual world titles while Kilpatrick won the footlock event, a timed 15m ascent up a free hanging rope.
Spence had won previous world titles in 2005 and 2007 while Forrest's previous highest placing was second in 2008. He won his title in a winning margin being just 0.67secs.