MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday 28 October 2010

For immediate release

He’s a lumberjack and he’s okay

World record breaking speed-climber Stirling Hart will be wowing audiences at this year’s Canterbury A&P Show with Extreme Pole Climbing demonstrations on the Village Green daily.

Hart, a 21 year old from Vancouver Canada, starting climbing at the age of 4 and competed at his first event when he was 8. Both his father and grandfather are prior world champs in the sport.

A Professional Lumberjack, Hart recently broke the world record for the 80, 90 and 100 foot speed climb all within one month this year. Speed Climb is a sporting event where the ultimate goal is to ascend and descend a pole in the fastest time.

Using climbing gaffs or spurs, climbing rope and harness, competitors’ race to the top of a pole and return to a cushioned crash pad. On the descent, they must touch the pole with their feet at least once every 20 feet reaching speeds up to 35 mph. These are timed events that start at the signal and end when the competitor returns to the crash pad. The primary challenge of this discipline is strength and coordination on the climb, controlling the speed as the competitor descends and ensuring his spurs touch in the designated areas.

Two 70 foot poles have been sourced locally and erected at the Showgrounds for the Extreme Pole Climbing demonstrations.

The Canterbury A&P Show runs from 10-12 November at Canterbury Agricultural Park Christchurch. Attracting on average 110,000 people, over 7000 livestock and feature competition entries and 600 trade exhibitors, plus three full days of entertainment, it is the largest Agricultural and Pastoral Show in the country.

-ENDS-

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