New England Tree Climbing Championship: organiser, place, climber numbers, event points and venues by year
The tree climbing championship of the New England Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA): the June 2026 place, the number of climbers, the points each event carries as the chapter publishes them, the Masters' Challenge route to the world final, and the venues the chapter lists from 2015 to 2026.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the New England Chapter ISA (NEC-ISA) says on its championship page, its news post and its calendar page. The national and regional events are in the table of championships. The chapter posts winners and scores on its page, and this page names no climber because it has not read terms that allow reuse of names.
Where and when
The 2026 championship was held at the Masonic Youth Center, 116 Long Street, Warwick, Rhode Island. The page heading gives June 11 to 13, 2026, while its list of past events and the chapter's news post give June 12 and 13, 2026. The news post adds a Kids Climb, open to families and community members. The page says the chapter's winners go on to the 2026 International Tree Climbing Championship, and the chapter's calendar lists that final for October 9 to 11, 2026, in St. Louis, Missouri.
Climbers and route to the Masters' Challenge
The chapter says each year's championship brings together 36 male and female climbers who compete in five preliminary events. The three men and three women with the highest preliminary scores advance to the Masters' Challenge. The man and the woman with the highest Masters' Challenge scores represent the chapter at the International Tree Climbing Championship. The page lists no entry terms, fees or registration steps for climbers.
Points by event as the chapter publishes them
| Event | Points and what the page says |
|---|---|
| Aerial Rescue | 50 points. A timed rescue of a dummy placed 20 to 40 feet above the ground. |
| Belayed Speed Climb | 20 points. Timed from the climber's second foot leaving the ground to ringing a bell the page places at 60 feet. |
| Ascent Event | 20 points. Scored for speed and for meeting set safety objectives. |
| Throwline | 30 points. Targets worth 3, 5, 7 and 9 points at heights listed from 30 to 60 feet and over, with extra points for climbing lines installed on scored targets. Each climber has 6 minutes. |
| Work Climb | 80 points. Judged on safety, efficiency, technique and poise, with a time limit. |
| Masters' Challenge | 300 points. Set stations in the tree, a set time, and a clock that stops when all of the climber's equipment is out of the tree. |
Venues by year as the chapter lists them
| Year | Place and date on the chapter page |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Warwick, Rhode Island, June 12 and 13 |
| 2025 | Warwick, Rhode Island, June 27 and 28 |
| 2024 | Warwick, Rhode Island, no date given |
| 2023 | UMass Mount Ida Campus, Newton, Massachusetts. The entry carries the date June 17, 2024 under a 2023 heading. |
| 2022 | Farm Pond Park, Framingham, Massachusetts, June 18 |
| 2019 | Masonic Youth Center, Warwick, Rhode Island, June 1 |
| 2018 | Connecticut College Arboretum, New London, Connecticut, June 9 |
| 2017 | Capron Park, Attleboro, Massachusetts, June 2 and 3, a Master's Challenge Invitational |
| 2016 | Deering Oaks Park, Portland, Maine, May 13 and 14 |
| 2015 | Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, June 12 and 13 |
The page lists no 2020 or 2021 event and no 2027 date. It also lists an annual spirit of the competition award, with a recipient for 2026. Earlier entries on the page go back to 2005.
Results
The chapter keeps summary scores, scoreboards, photos and a hall of fame on its page. See the New England championship page for them.
Sources
- New England Chapter ISA, Tree Climbing Championship page, read October 9, 2026
- New England Chapter ISA, Congratulations to all the 2026 New England TCC Competitors, news post, read October 9, 2026
- New England Chapter ISA, ISA 2026 International Tree Climbing Competition, calendar entry, read October 9, 2026