The Stihl Timbersports Series is a series of
woodsman
Woodsman (also, woodsmen, pl.) is a competitive, co-ed intercollegiate sport in the United States, Canada and elsewhere based on various skills traditionally part of forestry educational and technical training programs. In North America, the s ...
or
wood chopping
Woodchopping (also spelled wood-chopping or wood chopping), called woodchop for short, is a sport that has been around for hundreds of years in several cultures. In woodchopping competitions, skilled contestants attempt to be the first to cut or s ...
competitions where the athletes compete in the use of axes and saws in manners typical for
lumberjack
Lumberjacks are mostly North American workers in the logging industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to loggers in the era (before 1945 in the Unite ...
s. It was founded in 1985, and currently includes six different disciplines, with both professional and collegiate divisions. The terms 'timbersports' and 'timber sports' are trademarked by
Stihl
Stihl (, ) is a German manufacturer of chainsaws and other handheld power equipment including trimmers and blowers. Their headquarters are in Waiblingen, Baden-Württemberg, near Stuttgart, Germany. Stihl was founded in 1926 by Andreas Stihl, an ...
Inc.
History
Stihl Timbersports began in 1985, and the earliest broadcasts were made from a field in
Wisconsin, United States, using a single camera on a forklift. At this time, there was no overall Series championship. Instead, awards were given for performances in individual events on venues around the country. Stihl, however, had a vision of a series that would bring the best athletes together and let them compete in several events and thus determine who was the best overall lumberjack.
With the help of Granite State Lumberjack Shows, the Series evolved and has become a very prestigious competition. Athletes from all around the world take part in the Series with European athletes taking part in the Series since 2005.
The Series has also spawned a
college
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...
series, the Stihl Timbersports Collegiate Series, involving over 60 collegiate woodsman teams in the US and Canada. The winner of this series automatically receives a seed for next year's professional series.
The Canadian Series created their first Women's Professional Division in 2013. 2017 marks the creation of their first Women's Professional Division.
The Series celebrated its 30th anniversary in the spring of 2015.
About
The Series involves both men and women competitors. There are currently three divisions: Men's Rookie Division, Men's Professional Division and Women's Professional Division. The three disciplines that are completed by the Pro Women's Division are Underhand Chop, Single Buck and Stock Saw. The four disciplines completed by the Men's Rookie Division are Underhand Chop, Standing Block Chop, Single Buck and Stock Saw. The six disciplines completed by the Men's Professional Division are Underhand Chop, Standing Block Chop, Spring Board, Single Buck,
Hot Saw Hot Saw is an event or discipline in logging sports. It is also used to describe the type of saw used in the event, a high-powered chainsaw.
Overview
This event is often the crowd's favourite, and certainly the loudest. Compared to other logging s ...
and Stock Saw.
In order to be chosen as a Stihl Timbersports Athlete, one must fill out an application form and an athlete resume. The resume consists of the best times with each discipline. After the application process they choose the top eight athletes from the East Coast for each division and the top eight from the West Coast. The Men's Professional Division automatically move on to the National Championship. The Men's Rookie and the Women's Professional Division have Qualifier Competitions on each coast, where the result being the top four competitors from each division move onto the National Championship. The Men's and Women's Professional Division does not have a maximum age limit. The Men's Rookie Division has a maximum age limit of 25. Currently there is not an established World Championship for the top female competitor. The men's divisions both compete for the top spot to move onto the World Men's Championship and the World Rookie Championship which is held in the European Union every fall. If one wins the World Rookie Division then one automatically must move up to compete in the Men's Professional Division. The Men's Professional Division also compete for spots on Team Canada to partake in the World Relay Champion's Trophy, also held in Europe every fall.
World records
*Springboard - 35.67 seconds, set by
Stirling Hart in 2016, with a wood diameter of 11"
*Stock Saw - 9.445 seconds, set by Martin Komarek in 2010, with a wood diameter of 16"
*Standing Block Chop - 12.11 seconds, set by
Jason Wynyard
Jason Wynyard (14 November 1973 – 4 October 2023) was a New Zealand champion woodchopper from Kawakawa. He won over a hundred world titles in the sport.
Wynyard was born in Te Awamutu on 14 November 1973. Of Māori ancestry, he affiliated ...
in 2003, with a wood diameter of 12"
*Underhand Chop - 12.28 seconds, set by David K. Bolstad in 1999, with a wood diameter of 13"
*Single Buck - 9.395 seconds, set by Jason Wynyard in 2007, with a wood diameter of 19"
*
Hot Saw Hot Saw is an event or discipline in logging sports. It is also used to describe the type of saw used in the event, a high-powered chainsaw.
Overview
This event is often the crowd's favourite, and certainly the loudest. Compared to other logging s ...
- 5.085 seconds, set by Matt Bush in 2003, with a wood diameter of 19"
*Relay - 45.10 seconds, set by Australia in 2018 - teammates Brad De Losa, Brayden Meyer, Glen Gillam and Jamie Head
American records
*Springboard - 39.96 seconds, set by Matt Bush in 2004, with a wood diameter of 11"
[Stihl Timbersports Records](_blank)
/ref>
*Stock Saw - 9.67 seconds, set by Logan Scarborough in 2015, with a wood diameter of 16"Hot Saw Hot Saw is an event or discipline in logging sports. It is also used to describe the type of saw used in the event, a high-powered chainsaw.
Overview
This event is often the crowd's favourite, and certainly the loudest. Compared to other logging s ...
- 5.085 seconds, set by Matt Bush in 2003, with a wood diameter of 19"
Australian records
*Springboard - 45.17 seconds, set by Brayden Meyer in 2017, with a wood diameter of 11"[https://www.stihl.com.au/australian-records.aspx Stihl Timbersports Records]]
*Stock Saw - 11.45 seconds, set by Brad De Losa in 2016, with a wood diameter of 16"Hot Saw Hot Saw is an event or discipline in logging sports. It is also used to describe the type of saw used in the event, a high-powered chainsaw.
Overview
This event is often the crowd's favourite, and certainly the loudest. Compared to other logging s ...
- 6.03 seconds, set by Brad De Losa in 2016, with a wood diameter of 19"
Canadian records
*Springboard - 35.67 seconds, set by Stirling Hart in 2016, with a wood diameter of 11"Hot Saw Hot Saw is an event or discipline in logging sports. It is also used to describe the type of saw used in the event, a high-powered chainsaw.
Overview
This event is often the crowd's favourite, and certainly the loudest. Compared to other logging s ...
- 9:04 seconds, set by Stirling Hart in 2016, with a wood diameter of 20"
Hall of Fame
Each year, starting in 2015, the Stihl Timbersports Series celebrates athletes who have made an impact in the sport by inducting them into the Timbersports Hall of Fame. Here are the inductees:
*Carson Bosworth - 2016
*Harry Burnsworth - 2016
*Spike Milton - 2016
*David Bolstad - 2015
*Matt Bush - 2015
*Rolin Eslinger - 2015
Television coverage
The Series is currently seen by over 20 million viewers annually on a variety of networks across 62 countries, including American Broadcasting Company, ABC, ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
, Eurosport
Eurosport is a group of pay television networks in Europe and parts of Asia. Owned by Warner Bros. Discovery through its international sports unit, it operates two main channels— Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2—across most of its territorie ...
, Outdoor Channel
Outdoor Channel is an American pay television channel focused on the outdoors, offering programming that includes hunting, fishing, Western lifestyle, off-road motorsports and adventure. The network can be viewed on multiple platforms including ...
, Stadium
A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...
and more. It is recognized as the longest running show on ESPN other than SportsCenter. Tommy Sanders
Tommy Sanders (born April 20, 1954) is an American sportscaster and host of ''ESPN Outdoors'', the ESPN network's four-hour block of outdoors programming that airs nationally every Saturday morning.
Biography
Sanders debuted on ESPN when ''ESPN Ou ...
has served as on-air host of the American Series since 1992, whilst Dan Anstey
Dan Anstey (born 19 December 1984 in Brisbane, Queensland), is an Australian radio and television presenter.
He is known for hosting the Nine Network television series '' ManSpace'', the 7mate Stihl Timbersports Series and various shows across t ...
has hosted the Australian edition since 2017.
Events
The Series currently involves six disciplines.
*Springboard - The competitor uses two spring boards to ascend to the top of a nine-foot pole and chop a firmly attached 12" diameter block from the top of the pole. The block must be chopped from both sides.
*STIHL Stock Saw - Competitors begin with both hands on the log. When the signal is given, the sawyers, using identical STIHL professional MS661 C-M chain saws with a 20-inch bar and 33RSC3 chain, make two cuts through identical logs. No more than 4" of wood, which is marked by a black line, can be cut.
*Underhand Chop - The competitor stands, feet apart, on a 12"-14" log. At the signal, he or she begins chopping through the log. Before chopping all the way through he or she must turn and complete the cut from the other side. Time ends when the log is severed completely.
*Single Buck - Competitors make one cut through 18"-20" of white pine using a single person cross cut saw. The competitor may have a helper to wedge the log and keep the saw lubricated. Time ends when the block is clearly severed.
*Standing Block Chop - Competitors race to chop through 12"-14" of white pine. The competitor must chop from both sides of the log and the time ends when the block is severed.
*Hot Saw Hot Saw is an event or discipline in logging sports. It is also used to describe the type of saw used in the event, a high-powered chainsaw.
Overview
This event is often the crowd's favourite, and certainly the loudest. Compared to other logging s ...
- In this event the competitor uses a customized chain saw with a modified engine. At the signal, the competitor starts the saw and makes three cuts. The competitor must cut no more than 6" from the log which is marked with a black line.
Timbersports Champions
Each year across the US and world, Timbersports athletes battle to be named series champion. The Timbersports Series champions since the competition's inception are:
Series Champions
1985 - Mike Sullivan
1986 - Mel Lentz
Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to:
Biology
* Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL)
* National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL
People
* Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...
1987 - Rolin Eslinger
The Stihl Timbersports Series is a series of woodsman or wood chopping competitions where the athletes compete in the use of axes and saws in manners typical for lumberjacks. It was founded in 1985, and currently includes six different disciplines, ...
1988 - Mel Lentz
1989 - Rolin Eslinger
1990 - Mel Lentz
1991 - Mel Lentz
1992 - Mel Lentz
1993 - Rolin Eslinger
1994 - Matt Bush
1995 - Mel Lentz
1996 - Harry Burnsworth
1997 - Jason Wynyard
Jason Wynyard (14 November 1973 – 4 October 2023) was a New Zealand champion woodchopper from Kawakawa. He won over a hundred world titles in the sport.
Wynyard was born in Te Awamutu on 14 November 1973. Of Māori ancestry, he affiliated ...
1998 - Jason Wynyard
1999 - Jason Wynyard
2000 - Jason Wynyard
2001 - David Bolstad
David Kelvin Bolstad (12 May 1969 – 19 November 2011) was a New Zealand representative woodchopper. He was Stihl Timbersports Series champion five times between 2001 and 2008. His father Sonny Bolstad was also a New Zealand representative a ...
2002 - Jason Wynyard
2003 - David Bolstad
2004 - David Bolstad
2005 - Matt Bush
2006 - Jason Wynyard
2007 - David Bolstad
2008 - David Bolstad
2009 - Jason Wynyard
2010 - Jason Wynyard
2011 - Jason Wynyard
2012 - Jason Wynyard
2013 - Brad De Losa
Brad De Losa (born 1979) is an Australian machinist, fitter who is a champion at forestry sports such as wood-chopping and sawing. In 2015, he set a new world record, cutting through four tree trunks in less than 58 seconds. In May 2017 Brad De ...
2014 - Jason Wynyard
2015 - Jason Wynyard
2016 - Jason Wynyard
2017 - Jason Wynyard
2018 - Laurence O'Toole
2019 - Brayden Meyer
World Relay Champions
2010 - New Zealand
2011 - Australia
2012 - New Zealand
2013 - New Zealand
2014 -
Australia
2015 - Australia
2016 - Australia
2017 - New Zealand
2018 -
Australia
2019 -
Australia
World Rookie Champions
* 2014 - Nathan CumberlandFerry Svan
Ferry Svan is a Swedish professional woodchopper and logging sportsman, and the son of champion skier Gunde Svan. He is the first Swedish person to compete in a World Championship in logging sports, the first Swede to win a World Championship, ...
United States Champion
* 2008 - Arden Cogar Jr.
* 2009 - Arden Cogar Jr.
* 2010 - Arden Cogar Jr.
* 2011 - Melvin Lentz
* 2012 - Arden Cogar Jr.
* 2013 - Matt Cogar
* 2014 - Matt Cogar
* 2015 - Matt Cogar
* 2016 - Matt Cogar
Canadian Champion
* 2005 - J.P. Mercier
British Champion
* 2015 - Elgan Pugh
* 2016 - Elgan Pugh
* 2017 - Elgan Pugh
* 2018 - Elgan Pugh
European Champion
* 2002 - Thomas Gerber
* 2003 - Martin Komarek
* 2004 - Martin Komarek
* 2005 - Martin Komarek
* 2006 - Martin Komarek
* 2007 - Dirk Braun
* 2008 - Dirk Braun
European Champion crew
* 2004 -
* 2005 -
* 2006 -
* 2007 -
* 2008 -
Canadian Men's Rookie Champion
* 2014 - Nathan Cumberland
Canadian's Women's Champion
* 2015 - Janet Walker
* 2016 - Caitlin Carroll
See also
* World Logging Championship
World Logging Championship (WLC) is a competition between foresters taking place usually every two years in different parts of the world.
The main focus is placed on handling a chainsaw well. Participants are evaluated on their speed, quality, an ...
References
External links
STIHL TIMBERSPORTSSTIHL TIMBERSPORTS USASTIHL TIMBERSPORTS AustraliaHall of Fame
{{Forestry
Logging
Lumberjack sports
Lumberjack sports players
Forestry events
Recurring events established in 1985