Last week, the third annual international scaffolding championship, held in the Lithuanian capital, truly soared above expectations. The event attracted over 400 people from across the globe and was live-streamed to thousands more, creating an inspiring atmosphere of camaraderie and competition.
The championship, that’s now dubbed ScaffChamp, not only celebrated the high-level skills within the scaffolding industry but also reinforced the global sense of community amongst its professionals.
The international scaffolding industry came together in a grand spectacle at the annual ScaffChamp 23. This event, hosted last week in Vilnius, Lithuania, by the Baltic Scaffolding Association (BSA) and Layher Baltic, celebrated its third successful year, continuing to grow in size and significance globally.
From its humble beginnings in 2019 to the present, the championship has seen an impressive surge in growth and popularity. This year, it drew a diverse audience of over 400 attendees worldwide, demonstrating its expanding influence in the scaffolding industry.
Again, The competition was live-streamed, which captivated a diverse global audience with skilled commentary by professionals from the USA and Germany who delivered insightful commentary throughout the event.
The event’s key highlight was the intense competition among fifteen international teams. Their challenge: erect and dismantle a specifically designed Layher Allround scaffold structure as swiftly and safely as possible, turning the event into an exciting race against the clock.
The Swedish team, Kaefer AB, emerged victorious, setting a new record with a time of 59 minutes and 1 second. Lithuanian teams, Globalita and defending champions Hotrema secured the second and third positions, respectively, demonstrating their strong scaffolding prowess.
Oleg Abramov, Project and Marketing Manager at Layher Baltic, reflected on the successful execution of ScaffChamp 23. In an interview with ScaffMag, Abramov highlighted the event’s growth from its planning stage in October 2022 to its grand culmination, calling it an “exhilarating adventure filled with determination, collaboration, and the pursuit of excellence.”
One of the most heartwarming moments Abramov noted was the participation of the Mongolian team, NBIK Hawks. “Watching the Mongolian team who travelled a 16-hour flight to Lithuania to take part was my best moment during the event,” said Abramov. Their dedication underscored the sense of global community fostered by this event.
Mark Parkin, Business Development Manager at Richter from the UK, was one of the invited referees at the event. Speaking about the assessment criteria during the competition, he said, “While refereeing, we looked at a number of different things. In the UK we work to SG4 but the rest of the world doesn’t and as this is an international event we looked at the teams walking on ledgers and how many boards they were working from and marked them up or down accordingly.”
Parkin reminisced about the inception of ScaffChamp, “I remember talking to Victor when he had the idea for ScaffChamp; he was worried that only a couple of teams would attend. But look at it now,” he said. “15 teams from around the world with the possibility of 20 plus teams attending next year. It’s been an incredible event.”
Speaking after the event, Abramov extended his gratitude towards the event’s sponsors, KEWAZO, ScaffPlan, and Layher Baltic, UAB. He also emphasised the importance of fostering networking opportunities and building a robust scaffolding community. He lauded the team effort behind the event, thanking referees, broadcast commentators, and influencers for their pivotal roles in ScaffChamp’s success.
The success of ScaffChamp 23 underlines the growing recognition of scaffolding as a skilled profession and its central role in global construction. As the event continues to grow each year, it not only elevates the level of competition but also cements the bonds of this unique international community.
In Abramov’s words, “I invite you all to join in celebrating the success of this incredible journey.”