Like the leader in the Tour de France, the man to beat in Saturday 's Wisconsin Arborist Association 's tree climbing contest wore the yellow jersey, which helped identify him as he swung nimbly through the top of one of Warner Park 's oak trees.
Madison 's Joe House, the 2006 state champion who placed sixth in the world event in Hawaii in July, had plenty of admirers among the tree-climbing cognoscenti on the ground.
"Look at his style -- that 's the difference between an amateur and a pro, " said John Holmes, who works for the Asplundh tree service in Amery in Polk County. "He just jumps and swings from branch to branch. "
"He nailed it, " agreed John Sanborn, of Sanborn 's Tree Service of Franklin, as House shot down a rope to the ground after completing the five aerial tasks in the "work climb " event.
Holmes pulled out his Spiderman pocket watch and checked: "I 've got two and a half minutes. "
"Spiderman " and "squirrel " are both complimentary nicknames in this sport, which emphasizes both speed and safety. Judge Greg Good said the techniques developed for competition have made the industry safer.
After scoring the best of 30 tree climbers in the five morning events, House, Matt Erdmann, Jamie Remme and Chris Ruch squared off in the Master 's Challenge, a devilishly difficult set of tasks performed high in a burr oak.
Breaking a branch will disqualify a climber, and missing any of the fine points of safety costs dearly. The masters had to set their own ropes as they moved through the tree, and had 20 minutes to complete their tasks and return to the ground, bringing all of their gear with them.
House, of Stephenson Tree Care, won again and will represent Wisconsin in the next international contest in St. Louis, where the trees undoubtedly will be different than the giant baobab and the monkey paw tree that were part of the 2007 competition in Hawaii.
Chad Barthman, of Minoqua, the 2002 state champion, said that when he competed in Montreal that year, he learned that Wisconsin climbers can compete among the world 's elite. He credits sport pioneers such as Sean Gere of Columbus, a judge in this year 's event and a six-time Wisconsin champion.
"He 's the one who raised the bar for everyone, " Barthman said. "We all had to get better to compete with Sean. "
The rookies were inspiring, as well.
A year ago, Tammy Spitzer never thought she 'd be swinging through the trees. When she applied for a job with the city of Milwaukee 's urban forestry department, the 28-year-old mother of four envisioned "planting flowers and mowing lawns. " She learned you need seniority for those jobs.
"My first day they threw a rope and saddle at me, " she said. "I was so scared. I cried a lot in training. "
But she persevered and was the only woman among 20 who survived the eight-month training program. On Saturday, co-worker Josh Besnah and her boyfriend, Andrew Rosenberg, were there to cheer her on. So was her mother, Donna Daniels.
"It 's the first time I 've ever seen her do it, " Daniels said. "My hands are sweating. "Wisconsin State Journal
