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Event Description: Tree Topping
Similar to the speed climbing, yet with an added challenge, the Tree Topping contest requires 12 competitors to ascend a 65-foot spar pole with a razor-sharp crosscut saw tethered to their bodies. At the top, they must completely cut a disc off of a log that has been affixed to the top of the pole. Only then is time called.
Don't try this at home, folks. It takes an unusually strong, agile, and mentally tough athlete to even attempt this. No wonder many of the competitors in the Speed Climbing competition double up and perform in the Tree Topping. But unlike Speed Climbing, Tree Topping adds that extra element of good sawyering. The winner is not going to be a guy who can simply climb the pole quickly. The guy who wins gold also has to have the strength and technique to cut wood 65 feet up.
If you don't believe it, just check with Wade Stewart. He won gold in the Speed Climbing but was only able to get the bronze in Tree Topping at the 2000 ESPN Great Outdoor Games. Mick Lee managed to climb the pole and saw that piece of wood in less than 45 seconds to capture the gold and the glory. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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Mick Lee tops Greg Hart for the championship.