Why is tree climbing not mainstream?

All I know is as a new person to climbing with rope and other gear is that as I was practicing the knots of the sport and some techniques that I learned off "another" website over the last week, and hangin' a few feet off the ground swingin' in the breez with the tree limbz it was totally hooked on this type of climbing and will be going out to get some gear for bigger better things to come.

People's exposure to the feeling that is caused by participating in this sport will majorly effect the popularity and "knowness" of this sport.

Keep up the great work

Stuck at work,
slingshot

It is refreshing to hear your thoughts as a new tree climber ---BUT--- find a good experienced tree climbing friend and learn as much as you can before getting to high.Everyday I learn somrthing new about this sport but I am only one mistake away from an injury. Be safe and have fun.

A tangent in this thread has been, "Why would we want tree climbing to be mainstream?". I would benefit because there would be more people with whom I might climb. Trees might benefit because of the increased number of people who care for them.

I believe that RTC will be popular - someday. However, I've observed that RTC places me in the non-mainstream activity category on this October day in 2005. I rather like that status. As I hike into the woods, I've never encountered another tree climber. Once I did an ad hoc climbing demonstration for 20 mountain bikers, "the current trend". I don't play Texas Hold'Em, I don't golf, I don't eat at Waffle House's and I don't watch TV sitcoms. I basically don't have a need to fit into a mass culture movement. Prior to 9-11, I would easily have lived in Europe or South America, because I didn't like the mass culture movement that leads the US citizens around by the nose. After 9-11, I had to choose sides. I chose the US in spite of its tendancy towards mass culture.

There are numerous things that will make RTC popular and close to mainstream. It will connect folks to nature in a mutually beneficial manner. For me at this point, it's an expression of individuality. I didn't need the judgment of another person as validation to enter RTC, nor did I need status. I admire the fact that it's difficult to explain to others what I do for recreation. It says that I found something unique to me.

When I'm not climbing, I like to cast editorial comments about the future of RTC. Expansion and popularity will come through the equipment suppliers. Marketing is the nose ring for the US citizens, and it takes sales dollars to fund that. Though the climbing schools were the first in the action for RTC, schooling doesn't build popularity. Remember Pink Floyd 1980: ..."we don't need no education...we don't need no thoughts controls...". It's marketing that will set the wild horses running, and it will be up to the climbing schools to harness it. That's my way of saying the future is bright - if you think numbers make brightness. Schools and equipment suppliers will profit.

Sherrill's catalogue, Ascend, will be the catalyst in RTC. By definition, a catalyst isn't the product of a reaction (hint: I'm a chemist). It makes the reaction happen and provides the product. The product is a liberated spirit in the canopy.

Today, I smile that I participate in RTC. If there are 300,000 more participants tomorrow, my smile is the same. However Sherrill and the school of the day will be jumping up and down.

Regards,
JimK
Keep FIT - Fun in Trees

To me, JimK your post, listed above, was important. I could use it as a catalyst for my own follow-up post consisting of thousands of words.

It is the commercial factor that will lead the masses. Certainly not the purity of the sport or a few dedicated climbing schools.

I like the commercial support we seem to be gaining.
I like having Sherrill becoming the “Bike Nashbar” of recreational tree climbing.
I like the fact that my preferred pastime of tree climbing is NOT (yet) a fad sport. The solitude of 1 or 2 man climbs is plenty for me.

It would seem that for this interlude in time we can have our cake and eat it too. We get support form the schools and the commercial sector yet we are not stampeded by the masses.

So far 15 years has gone by, I still ride MTB but usually alone. The guys with the shaved legs, the too-cool tattoos, and the $4500.00 full suspension Cannondale trail rigs… That was fun but as far as I’m concerned it didn’t ruin my MTB experience, it made it better. Or at least more interesting over the years.

Its kinda funny. At 50 years old I am certainly considered an old fart on the MTB trails. I look at the young fellows decked out in all the latest “must have” accessories and clothing. They look at me and shrug. No problem.

JimK, the masses are coming. Most likely people quite a bit younger than you and I. They will have lots of disposable income and free time. My advice is to “pull up your rope and let them charge on by”. After the dust settles and the fad is well established, you too will be looked at by the new comers as “hey guys, look at that old fart climbing over there”.
And they will be wondering how an old buzzard like you found out about this cool young sport of tree climbing.

Little will they know that JimK and many like you were in the canopy 10 or even 20 years before they ever looked up.

I liked your post. A catalyst indeed!
Electrojake

Great comments.
I'd like to perhaps somewhat disagree though on the "old fart " concept.
I believe that the skills, experience and education that we must attain to safely and efficiently climb, truly set us apart from many thousands of other non-climber persons. So much so, that any new comers, I believe will inquire of us as to who we learned from, why we have the equipment we have, how do we do the neat techniques that we do, etc. --all the things that intrigue a newcomer and even as they advance in skill level.
They will of course respond or inquire of us in order to learn quicker how to do the things we do, as well as, to be a part of the heritage or lineage from which we came(learned), so they can say they are part of a culture. And therefore, in many ways will honor us for what we have taught them. So for example, in skateboarding, my son who is 15, loves to say that he has a certain skateboard just like "so and so", or he is practicing a certain technique that was perfected by "so and so", or he was taught a technique which was passed down by "so and so". In other words, he has the same equipment as some famous founder of the sport or learned a neat technique or was taught by some famous character of the skateboard culture. They actually brag about this amongst theirselves and wear it as a badge of honor.
I believe the same will hold true in the future for tree climbing.
In other words, newcomers as well as experienced alike, will form such a culture that they will honor their heritage or at least be proud of their lineage and educators and maybe even be proud of some of us old farts who have the same equipment or setup as "so and so" or learned our "cool" techniques under "so and so", etc.

Tony Hawk On Rope?
That may be in-store for us too. . .

I agree, learning from the old pros.
In the past skateboarding was rather limited (boring). But now, Tony Hawk and the other modern pros have made it outrageous! The tricks are specific, they all have proper names and can be graded at the competitions. Full safety gear is also acceptable garb for the pros. I realize that this is stuff you are well aware of but I just wanted to underscore the point of someone, sometime in the future taking our sport in that direction. Heck, ya never know what may be in-store! As for age, Tony Hawk is 37 or 38. Not an old fart but NOT a kid anymore.

You have put a nice positive twist on the “old buzzard in a tree’ concept. Once somebody makes it exciting to be in a tree, things should start to move along rather quickly.

On a side note…
Did you ever try to mimic any of the moves your Son does on his board or bike? When I was my Son’s age, back in the 60’s, we had skateboards & bikes too, however, the stuff kids do now-a-days must be appreciated. Recent skateboarding & BMX pros have made significant improvements in all aspects of these sports. The results are positive.

“Youth” is no longer just an awkward place to hide while waiting for your turn at adulthood. Modern youth, it’s extreme, it’s a market!

Sorry I derailed the topic here.
I cant help it.
I’m attracted to off-topic rants, like a moth to a flame.

Ej

Great specific examples Jake as to exactly my point as to what the future could hold for RTC. Thanks.
Ya know, even our more experienced amongst us have many specific tricks or techniques that could be considered just as "cool" as some of Tony Hawks' skateboarding tricks.
Yep that's right! --even amongst us! Just ask Peter "Treeman" Jenkins about his levitating move he once displayed in order to impress a potential new customer
in the tree service business. It's a great move!

P.S. -- Sorry, I can't tell unless Peter gives me permission.

Not to worry…
The levitation thing is a secret

Back on topic…
Why Tree climbing Is Not Mainstream
After reading back, I would say that Treeman’s first post was the best answer to the whole question.
www.tci-forums.com/viewthread.php?tid=367&page=1

Or perhaps it’s just not our sport’s time yet. Its not the right time for Rec Climbing to be hot stuff. Just like the skateboarding thing we were talking about.

For example…
Kids were nailing old tin roller skates to a piece of pine board and skateboarding 50 years ago. Then the rebirth of skateboarding in the late 60’s {bongo drums too} <grin> But it all died back out as fast as it came in. That is until Tony Hawk and followers jumped on it in the right decade. The time was right!

Now it’s lots of money, fancy boards, gear improvements, video games, registered logos, etc…
Why is it that after being around for over 50 years, suddenly in 2000 skateboarding instantly became a million dollar baby?

The time was right, but why?

. . .and When will RTC "click-in"?

Part of it for skateboarding, I believe, is that Tony Hawk and others suddenly were doing things that had never been done before or were making the skateboards do what appeared to be impossible things or tricks. This dazzled or intrigued the world to at least ask, how are they doing that?!
Then everyone's curiosity was peaked. Everyone would say, I had a skateboard when I was young and we would not have even dreamt that such a move or trick like Hawk was doing was even possible with a board on wheels. So then everyone had to try their hand at it again and/or encouraged their kids to try it.
Soooo, seems that curiosity and
re-creation(by creating new moves) was the catalyst for what was once just a boring old sport. For example, who would have imagined when we were young, that you could safely jump or fly over objects or grind down a stair rail with a skateboard?
Sooooo, RTC probably would need a catalyst that would really appeal to the the public's curiosity or to the public's thirst for sensationalism or "coolness", in order for it to really take off. But it (the tricks or whatever other catalyst) would also have to appear to be achievable by them. --Just like the skateboard tricks which were perceived as achievable once they were explained or broken-down into steps for the general public.

Funny the timing of somethings. While this discussion was hitting the keys I was facilitating a group climb for a Professional Skate Boarding Tour.
The Element Skateboarding Tour came thru Grants Pass Oregon on their way up to Portland. This gave them the opportunity to get some air off of their decks.

We got talking about the good ole days of street skating - before there were any designated skate parks or pools. Im talking about the days of ninja skating (sound familiar) this was when we had to jump the fence to enter a private or public drained swimming pool do a few kickflips and bail out before the authorities showed up and booted us kids back onto the street.
While talking to some of the pros, I asked them what their opinion is on the growth and public acceptance of skate boarding. One of their replies was that once mainstream got 'on board' it put up a hugh curtain to what skating was all about. It became about sponsors and media. If you don't have a sponsor it's very hard to get accepted into the Pro. scene. And if you're not in the scene - no one will listen to you.

Some of the "true" professionals are unknown and still sneaking into your local swimming pools. Glad to hear that the spirit of the street is still out there.

This is our time to be heard before others come out of the woodwork and jump on our board. Lets keep our community tight and "sicK"

You can check out Elements website for a few of their photos and/or check out the link to a few photos that I took.

click on adventures in nature - Grants Pass Oregon
http://www.elementskateboards.com/

http://homepage.mac.com/treekster/PhotoAlbum22.html

Tim, thanks for the pictures of the last climb with the scateboarders. I see that those guys are definitely "main stream" by the look of their van's paint job. Even my daughter thinks the climb was "Cool"

Mainstream? I'm in no hurry. In fact, I'm out and out ambivalent.

Pros:
- Other tree lovers to hang out with. Hanging out with Dick Flowers and his class in October at Traverse City Michigan was a BLAST...
- Continued financial solvency for the best RTC suppliers like New Tribe and Sherrill, as well as a living for instructors like at TCI.
- MAYBE having more climbers would lead to more overall respect for the environment. But I'm not sure if that would really work for someone who isn't already somewhat "Green". It is perfectly possible treat a tree as a really cool jungle gym and not much else; kids do that all the time, and more power to them.

Cons:
- Most of my climbs are solos because I don't know any other RTC-ers in the area, but that's actually OK. Part of why I do this on most days is for solitude.
- What'll it do to the trees (and the plant and animal residents of the treetops) if this sport is really common? Will everybody take the same sort of care that most of us (hopefully) do?

Having said all of that, I'm doing my part to spread the word. If you find something as rewarding as this is, your natural inclination is to tell friends about it ("Check this out...").

Cheers,
MarkF