With a loud voice "Whiz", the well-equipped "Like-Ape people" leaped up a tree more than ten meters high, successfully rescuing the wounded trapped in the tree and bringing them back to the ground safely and steadily. The whole process took less than two minutes. This was not a special effect in Hollywood action movies, but a scene in the 2008 China • Xiamen International Tree Climbing Tournament "Aerial Rescue" event.
"Just Climb, Just Fly, prove my presence to the world." On Dec. 28th-30th, 2018, 2018 China • Xiamen International Tree Climbing Tournament was grandly held in Xiamen Botanical Garden, Fujian Province. The competition was directed by Fujian Sports Bureau and Xiamen Sports Bureau, hosted by Fujian Social Sports Guidance Center and Millionser Group, organized by Tree Climbing Sports Co., Ltd., and co-organized by the P.E department of Xiamen University, Xiamen Climbing Outdoor Sports Association, XMU Climbing Association and Hong Kong Protree Association. Heavyweight climbers from all over the world competed on the same platform for friendly exchanges and technical discussions.
The competition covered such wonderful links as project performance, activities, peak forum and children's experiences, which attracted many mainstream medias and websites in China to publicize and follow up. At the same time, in accordance with the ITCC World Tree Climbing Championship, the competition system consisted of preliminary competition, master challenge and double-up competition. The participants competed in the five preliminary events of climbing, ascent event, work climb, speed climb, aerial rescue and throw line, and finally fought for the champion in master challenge.
On the venue of qualifying contest, a lot of young players who had performed amazingly and contributed a lot of exciting moments to us. Weng Shiyang, a veteran of the Chinese mainland tree climbing, began to observe the environment as soon as he entered and set up climbing routes in his mind. When the whistle sounded, he pushed and stepped on the rope in a vigorous posture, and climbed up the tree quickly, showing good adaptability and physical coordination, which made the audience amazed.
On Dec. 30, the Master Challenge Competition was conducted to assess the overall working skills and comprehensive qualities of climbers. The finalists fought hard and carried out a highly ornamental peak duel. During the Master Challenge, Yu Yanling, a Chinese mainland player, quickly circled the tree branches with clear climbing ideas and consistent limb movements, and shuttled and jumped among trees, making her movements steady and smooth. Lin Chubao from Hong Kong, China, was still calm and steady in the face of the complex tree environment. He carefully went to the prescribed route with professional and skillful climbing movements, and broke through the difficulties one by one, winning a lot of applause.
After two days of fierce competition, players achieved excellent results with exquisite climbing skills, highlighting the spirit of the sport of fighting for the first place, while bringing a wonderful sports feast for the scene. Among them, Yu Yanling won the runner-up of the Masters Women's Team, as well as the first prizes of work climb, speed climb and aerial rescue of mainland women's group. Zhang Shiwen, from mainland China, won the first prize in ascent event and throw line in mainland women's group. Weng Shiyang of mainland China won the first prize in ascent event, work climb and aerial rescue in mainland men's group.
During the competition, applause from the professional competition area rose and fell constantly, while the children's experience area on the side of the tree climbing was full of cheers. The young climbers scrambled to try the novel sport of tree climbing first. Parents at the scene said, "Looking at him climbing so high is a little worried, but I am surprised that he is not afraid at all. Tree climbing makes children face difficulties and learn to persevere, which is far more meaningful than improving their physique." In addition, Olympic champion Lin Qingfeng, world Sanda champion Wang Wenzhong and Lin Huimin also came to the site to cheer on the participants and contribute to the popularization of tree climbing.
It is worth mentioning that, as one of the important matching activities of the tournament, 2018 China•Xiamen International Tree Climbing Summit Forum was held in the Science and Art Center of Xiamen University, bringing together experts and scholars from all over the country to discuss the current situation, existing problems, integration, innovation and countermeasures of tree climbing movement. They deeply analyzed the current hot topics in tree climbing industry, and issued a strategic and forward-looking point of view. Tree Climbing Summit Forum not only provided a platform for professionals to exchange and learn, but also brought new enlightenment and thinking for the development of tree climbing sport.
Dance with trees and embrace nature. The successful holding of 2008 China•Xiamen International Tree Climbing Tournament not only promoted the knowledge of forest ecological protection, but also effectively improved the national level of tree climbing technology and safety, speeding up the integration of China's tree climbing level with the world, and fully demonstrating the achievements of China's construction of a strong sports country to the world.
