There will be an element of unfinished business when Albuquerque hosts the 2023 worlds in August.
Steph had qualified for the 2022 world event in the New Mexico city, but the worldwide pandemic meant it didn’t go ahead.
“I just want to do a good job, basically, and hopefully, the results will come. I’ve always been close, but haven’t been able to pull the whole thing together at the end,” she says.
Championships consist of a series of events including an aerial, belayed speed climb, throw line and head-to-head ascent.
The blue riband event is the Master’s Challenge, where competitors have to ring each one of four bells hung in a tree.
It’s best described by Steph:
“Basically, what you are showing is a display of your climbing skills and ability. You start at the bottom, install your rope with a throw line and climb around the tree safely, with good anchor points. Everybody’s got a different way of doing things and a different plan, so basically, it’s about the different skills and techniques you display.”
The climb is a timed event which takes between 25 and 35 minutes, depending on the size of the tree.
Planning the route is part of the competition, and competitors are not allowed to watch others before they climb.
A quick Google search reveals one of the common tree types in New Mexico is cottonwood.
“There are some similar [trees] at the showgrounds in Te Puke, so hopefully I’ll be able to do a bit of training there to get ready for that.”
She has also been training with current men’s national titleholder Jeremy Miller in Hamilton.
“We do a lot of training together - we just climb trees and try to mimic the competition, and also work on fitness, which is really helpful.”
Not everything in Steph’s day-to-day work with Paul Kenny Contracting translates to competitions, but a lot does.
“How much depends on the week we have, because sometimes we do a lot of inspecting trees, tree felling or general care, but a lot of it - the climbing and the pruning - that definitely translates to competitions, and just the overall fitness.”
Unsurprisingly, the sport and Steph’s involvement in it has grown out of arboriculture. She began competing in 2017.
“When I started my studies at Wintec, there was a keen group of climbers who were all studying with me at the same time. They were all keen on the competitions, so basically, I was encouraged by my peers and the tutors at Wintec - they usually push the competitions as well, just for general development and networking and meeting people - so it just went from there, really.”
She says on top of that, she is stubborn, and that has contributed to her success.
The sport isn’t without its dangers, and branches can break, but it’s not common.
“Before we climb the trees at a competition, they are inspected for defects and stuff that might make them structurally unsound, so if there was something that made them majorly concerned, [they] probably wouldn’t use it.
The Master’s Challenge carries its own risks.
“When you are getting into the top of the canopy - when you put your throw line in and install your rope, you can’t actually see fully what it’s over or if there’s a defect, but they usually have someone called a tree technician who will look over and look over, and talk to the judges below to make sure it’s all sweet.”
While she hasn’t sustained injuries while competing, Steph has dislocated her shoulder a couple of times and torn her ACL.
“But everything’s been pretty sweet for a couple of years.”
