KIRKLAND, Ohio -- Justin McVey and Ellie Vosler climbed to the top of their field on Saturday as the male and female winners of the Ohio Tree Climbing Championships at Holden Arboretum.

About 30 climbers from around the region competed in the day-long event sponsored by the Ohio chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture. Dozens of other professionals, instructors and students served as judges, provided support service and shouted encouragement and advice.

"We feel super-privileged to have it here," said Chad Clink, community forester for the arboretum. "It's a huge opportunity to interface with the public.

"And it's a great opportunity to showcase what we do at a high level of the profession," he said. "High level both literally and figuratively."

"It's a lot of fun," said Vosler, who works for a tree service in Columbus and has been climbing about three years. "This is like the sport version of work -- you can play."

The competition's five events, however, are designed to simulate the working conditions of arborists in the field.

The five-minute "work climb," a favorite of arboretum visitors Saturday, is an aerial obstacle course that tests a climber's ability to advance through various tree-top tasks and work stations.

The secured footlock event measures ability to climb 50 feet in 60 seconds, or less, using the footlock rope-climbing method. The belayed speed climb is a 60-foot ascent on a partner-tended line. The throwline event tests ability to place a climbing line in a tree, at heights up to 60 feet.

The five-minute aerial rescue is a five-minute drill that simulates a job-site emergency with an injured and unconscious tree worker.

The camaraderie of climbers might have been exemplified best by Cody Antonini of Canton, who received the Spirit of the Competition award. A relatively new climber, she competed in memory of her fiance, Randy Alley, an experienced tree worker who died in February.

Last held at the Holden Arboretum a decade ago, the championships could return in three years. They rotate among sites in northern, central and southern Ohio.