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 saw through a log or other block of wood. It is often held at
state fair
A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in th ...
s and
agricultural show
An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which breeding stock is exhibit ...
s. Participants (especially men) are often referred to as axemen.
History
The modern sport of woodchopping is said to have had its genesis in 1870 in
Ulverstone, Tasmania
Ulverstone is a town on the northern coast of Tasmania, Australia on the mouth of the River Leven, on Bass Strait. It is on the Bass Highway, west of Devonport and east of Penguin.
As of June 2021 Ulverstone had an urban population of 11 ...
, as the result of a £25 ($50) bet between two axemen as to who could first fell a tree.
An alternative origin story comes from 16th century
Basque Country, in which a man ran a marathon and chop ten logs to be allowed to propose to his future wife.
The world's first woodchopping championship was held in 1891, at Bell's Parade,
Latrobe, Tasmania
Latrobe is a town in northern Tasmania, Australia on the Mersey River. It is 8 km south-east of Devonport on the Bass Highway. It is the main centre of the Latrobe Council. At the 2006 census, Latrobe had a population of 2,843. By t ...
. This event was celebrated and commemorated with the selection of the site to be the home of the Australian Axemen's Hall of Fame and Timberworks.
Areas of practice
Woodchopping is practiced in regions where forestry is or has been an important part of the economy:
* In
North America: in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and in the north of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
* In
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
: in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
,
Switzerland,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
, the Alpine region of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, the
Basque Country, other parts of
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
(mainly in
Asturias
Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain.
It is coextensiv ...
and
Cantabria
Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a historic community, in its current Statute of Autonomy. It is bordered on the east ...
, but also in
Castile and
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...
).
* In
Australia and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
Events
Many woodchopping events are
handicap events, where the axemen start at different times, depending on how fast they are expected to chop through the log. In New Zealand and parts of Australia, each axeman's individual handicap is recorded in performance books which are graded on how many events they win and how many events they enter. Championship events are scratch events with no handicap, and typically use larger diameter logs (375 mm).
Handicap events may use logs of 250 mm to 350 mm, depending on the skill of the competitors. All competitors have the same size log; the handicap is based purely on time.
Standing block
This event is done by an individual cutting a scarf in one side. Once the first side has been completed the individual starts cutting another scarf on the opposite side, slightly higher than the first, generally about two inches higher but can vary with each axeman’s individual preference.
Underhand
In this event, the axeman stands on the top of the log and uses a downwards motion to chop the log in two as fast as possible. This is done by cutting a scarf in the front side and then turning around on the block and completing it from the other side. These scarfs are generally offset from each other, the degree of offset depending on the size of the log and the axeman’s preference.
Tree felling
In this event the axeman cuts a small pocket in the side of a pole and jams a wooden jigger board with a metal shoe on the end of it into the hole. The shoe is designed to grip into the wood when pressure is put on it from the top. After the axeman has climbed onto his first board he then cuts another pocket and so on. Once up on his top board he proceeds to cut the block on the top of the pole.
There are two distinct versions of tree felling:
* The three board,
which is most common in Australia and New Zealand. The axeman goes up one side of the pole and cuts his first scarf in the side of the block. The axeman then descends the pole and repeats this on the other side of pole. This event is seen as the marathon event of woodchopping and it typically lasts three to five minutes.
* The two (and one) board, commonly called the spring board, which is the most common in North America In the spring board the axeman climbs the one or two boards, then makes a large scarf in the front of the log - unlike on the ground where it is usually half and half. The axeman then turns around on the top board and chops through the block using downwards blows only. This event lasts 50 to 80 seconds, much less than the jigger board.
Single saw or single buck
This event is often considered the hardest discipline in woodchopping. The competitor pulls and pushes a razor sharp saw specifically designed for the event. The saws vary in length from five foot six inches to six foot four inches. The saws cost between $1500 and $2000.
Double saw or double buck
![Trontzea, Euskal Herria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Trontzea%2C_Euskal_Herria.jpg)
This event consists of two people pulling and pushing a saw to cut a log. It is far faster than the single saw event as there are two people using the saw yet times for this event can be two or three times faster in the same size wood. The saws used in double tend to be a lot hungrier, that is, they cut and draw more wood out with each stroke. This, however, makes it far harder to push and pull the saw.
Stock saw
In this event the axemen use identically tuned and sharpened chainsaws to cut through a log, once downwards and once upwards, within a 3-inch space of wood. The competitor starts with their hands on top of the log. On a buzzer the axeman picks up the saw and pulls the starting cord and then makes his first cut downward, then his second cut upward. If the saw does not start that is just bad luck and they get a slow time. If the axeman takes over more than the allocated wood then they are disqualified and no time is recorded.
[Stihl Timbersports website](_blank)
Hot saw
This event is often the crowd's favourite , and certainly the loudest. It uses a large homemade methanol-run chainsaw. The saws used by top competitors are typically snowmobile engines cut in half and are far heavier than regular chainsaws. The start for this event is exactly the same as the stock saw except the log is bigger and the axeman has to do three cuts: the first in a downwards motion, the second upwards, and the third down. This event is the fastest by far, lasting between five and seven seconds.
Equipment
*
Axe
An axe ( sometimes ax in American English; see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood, to harvest timber, as a weapon, and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol. The axe has ma ...
s are the main piece of equipment used in the sport of woodchopping. As there are many different types of wood, there are naturally a large variety of axes.
* Purpose-built racing saws have developed over the years into two different types – the Peg and Raker saw and the 'm tooth' saw. There are a number of different suppliers of gear that sell to the select market of woodchoppers.
* Also used in chopping wood, although alone would not likely get the job done, is a wedge and sledgehammer.
Different types of woods
Many different types of wood are used in the sport and they vary between countries. Common woods used in competition in Australia are gum, mountain ash, woolley butt and poplar. The most common woods cut in New Zealand are radiata pine (''Pinus radiata''), poplar and ''Pinus strobus''. Woods cut in America include white pine, alder, aspen frozen wood and cotton wood.
Woodchopping by country
The rules of the sport vary from country to country.
Australia
Woodchopping events in Australia are generally run in conjunction with
agricultural show
An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which breeding stock is exhibit ...
s. Competitions can run for up to 10 days, with over 100 competitors at each show.
In the
Jack Pollard
Jack Ernest Pollard OAM (31 July 1926 – 25 May 2002) was an Australian sports journalist, writer and cricket historian.
Early life
Born in Sydney on 31 July 1926, Pollard began his journalism career in 1943 as a copy boy at Sydney's ''Daily ...
's 1968 or 1969 editions of the ''Ampol's Australian Sporting Records'' woodchopping records appear to run from the 1920s
The Axeman's Hall of Fame is located in
Latrobe, Tasmania
Latrobe is a town in northern Tasmania, Australia on the Mersey River. It is 8 km south-east of Devonport on the Bass Highway. It is the main centre of the Latrobe Council. At the 2006 census, Latrobe had a population of 2,843. By t ...
. The peak body for the sport in Australia is the Australian Axemen's Association.
Basque Country
The sport is called ''aizkolaritza'' in
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
from ''aizkolari'' "wood-chopper". The sport is very popular and competitions are common at most festivals.
New Zealand
New Zealand is a leading country in the sport of woodchopping, having had the world's top two competitors;
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 ...
, and
David Bolstad who died in November 2011. Competitions are generally held at A & P shows, but there are also shows dedicated to wood chopping.
United Kingdom
Organisations arranging woodchopping competitions in the United Kingdom include British Lumberjack Sports Association (BLSA) and UK Loggers (UKL). Teams included the Cumbria Axemen, who appeared at the
Westmorland County Show
Westmorland (, formerly also spelt ''Westmoreland'';R. Wilkinson The British Isles, Sheet The British IslesVision of Britain/ref> is a historic county in North West England spanning the southern Lake District and the northern Dales. It had an ...
from 1999 to 2021 before disbanding.
See also
*
Lumberjack World Championship
*
Stihl Timbersports Series
*
World Logging Championship
*
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 sp ...
References
External links
;America
Can Log - Canadian Loggers Sports AssociationUnited States Axemen's Association
;Europe
Waldarbeitsmeisterschaft Bavarian Union of Woodchoppers (in German)
Eurojack Austrian Union of Woodchoppers (in German)
;Oceania
Victoria Axemen's Council Inc.Central Victorian Axemen's Association Inc.New South Wales Axemen's Associations Inc.
{{Forestry
Individual sports
Woodworking
Lumberjack sports
Sports originating in Australia
Articles containing video clips