Jessica Petrini eases her way along an oak tree limb on her way to a far-from-the-trunk target during the International Society of Arboriculture’s West Coast Chapter tree-climbing championships. Petrini scored solid marks on all five events, winning two, to move on to the international championships in July in St. Louis. Courtesy photo
Petrini is now the International Society of Arboriculture’s West Coast women’s tree climbing champion, qualifying her for the international championship in St. Louis on July 26.
"There were only three women in the competition," said Petrini, the mother of three boys. "But I did beat the reigning champion."
Petrini, a University of California, Santa Cruz, graduate, has worked as a gardener and tree climber for her alma mater for eight years, learning to care for the numerous trees on the campus.
However, it was only this year that she began climbing in competition. Petrini says she never thought about doing her job with time limits in mind.
"Safety (at UCSC) is really what’s
No. 1 in their book," she said.
In competition, the events are either timed or have a time limit.
For example, the Secured Footlock event, the most challenging for Petrini, requires the competitor to climb a vertical hanging rope in less than 60 seconds.
Petrini won two of five events, the work climb and the throwline, and garnered enough points in the others to win the overall title.
The work climb took place in an oak tree, and a few of the markers she had to reach were 60 feet up in the air.
She was a bit nervous when she saw the huge oak, but when it came time to climb she simply relied on her training and expertise — and went for it.
Other events were the aerial rescue, in which climbers had to lower a 180-pound dummy to the ground, and the belayed speed climb.
Jose Mercado, chairman of the West Coast Chapter, recruited Petrini and sponsored her with all the necessary equipment to compete.
Petrini say’s being a tree climber is a challenging job and that a book education is helpful, but experience actually caring for trees is what really counts.
"Once you get out there, every tree is different," Petrini said. "You really do need to know how different trees react to different things."
Petrini has never had a close call in a tree, but said she thinks of her three boys —Venny, 9, Anthony, 6, and Niccolo, 4 — before taking risks.
She will travel with her husband, Wade, to the national competition at the end of July.
"I know I’m going to get smoked," Petrini said. "I’ll be lucky to finish everything."
However, Petrini sees the international championship as a learning experience and plans to keep competing in the future.
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