If you're afraid of heights, scrolling through Zachary Richards' social media posts might not be for you.
Richards, known on Instagram as @zigzagman.zr, is a certified arborist with a passion for climbing and maintaining (sometimes) troublesome trees.
We had a chance to chat with Zachary about why he got into contract climbing, who inspires him, and why good gear‐and lots of practice‐means more than anything.
UNOFFICIAL "GIANT SLAYER"
Originally, Zachary was in trucking, but social media soon changed that. "I had gotten into climbing trees recreationally on weekends off from trucking and saw a post on Instagram from Hans Tielman that read, 'Arborist. Because giant slayer isn’t an official job title,'" Zachary told us. "I thought it was crazy that guys were getting paid to climb trees with chainsaws, and I just had to do it."
Now, he is a full-time independent contract climber. He climbs massive trees‐with chainsaws of course‐to professionally manage them and help prevent damage to houses, power lines, and other structures.
Social media has played a significant role in his professional life, though not in the way you might think, given his more than 20,000 followers. "Social media was a big part of what drew me to the industry in the first place," Zachary says. "Not BECAUSE of social media, but just that I didn’t even know the job existed until social media."
He noticed arborists like Lawrence Shultz and David Driver utilizing GoPro cameras to capture climbing, rigging, and maintaining trees. He was inspired to join in, knowing he could demonstrate quality rigging on every job site and share footage with anyone interested in joining the arborist community. He wanted to pay it forward.
TYPICALLY NON-TYPICAL
In Zachary’s line of work, no two days are the same. As an independent contract climber, he has to be highly adaptable. "A typical day for me is actually pretty non-typical. I’m with different companies/tree services every day, so the landscape and environmental challenges change constantly, as do the crews and crew capabilities," he says. "I’m usually cutting down a tree in a bad location that involves a lot of technical rigging for a safe result, and the longer I do it, the more that seems to be the only thing I do."
Though Zachary has vast experience as a certified arborist and possesses the skills to tackle some of the toughest technical jobs, he still believes in constant practice. "Experience is not the tell-all for skill and success. Hard work, determination, and most importantly, dedicated practice," he tells us. His advice? "Go home after work, practice throwline, climb trees at the park, and access a challenging area of the tree safely. If the only time we work on our craft is the few opportunities during the week that we get on the job, we can never expect to master our trade. I spent my early years climbing until dark every day after work, practicing things I had seen better climbers do. It pays off."
There is no substitute for staying safe on the job while also doing the job right.
Zachary also offers his services locally, focusing on pruning and tree preservation on a smaller scale. From complex tree maintenance to small-scale tree pruning, Zachary loves HAIX® boots for their protection and comfort. "My job is hard enough as it is and requires a lot of focus to stay safe and successful. The less I have to focus on being uncomfortable, the better," he explains. He appreciates our boots for their "exceptional attention to detail, with a very high-quality build from high-quality materials."
For more about Zachary, visit his Instagram page at @zigzagman.zr.
