A: ArborSPORTS™ is a new team-based extreme sports competition in which tree crews compete head-to-head and heart-to-heart. The SafeTree™ simulators (pat. pend- ing) provide a high quality, consistent, and safe performance environment so teams can perform at their best! The engineered trees and simulated work zone allow participants to rig, cut, and climb in a safe and controlled setting where they can focus on optimizing skill development and team performance. The goal is to allow teams to showcase innovative solutions to challenges faced by tree workers every day, all while be- ing cheered on by a live audience!! Q: Can you describe the challenges participants will face in the NATS Skills Arena™ and how they prepare competitors for real-world scenarios? A: The challenges consist of hands-on, skills-based work simulations for teams of two that demonstrate core competen- cies such as: proper personal protective equipment (PPE) use, knot tying, tech- nical rigging, and chainsaw applica- tions in the NATS Skills Arena™. Once teams pass the prequalifying events, they will compete at the Arbor- SPORTS™ outdoor stadium in full scale arboriculture, cutting, and rigging sce- narios where the pairs must work to- gether to cut and rig apart engineered SafeTrees™ (pat. pending) and precise- ly land the, top, trunk and limb sec- tions into designated drop zones, just like a real tree removal! Q: What kind of teamwork and indi- vidual skills are tested during the ArborSPORTSTM events? A: While a variety of individual and group-based skills and attributes are tested during the ArborSPORTS™ events, the most important is teamwork. Under the scrutiny of each other, the judges, the clock, and a live audience, participants will raise performance and innovation to unprecedented levels.
A climber showcases OSHA-compliant practices, emphasizing the importance of adherence to safety standards in all ArborSPORTS events.
50 | ArborTIMES™ Winter 2025
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online