Axe Wielding Strangers and the World's Bravest Spectators

By Caitlin Flynn on July 28, 2013

A report from the Lumberjack World Championships

In a town where population signs proudly boast a whopping 2,318 Haywardians, 12,000 people were predicted to inundate Hayward, Wisconsin this past weekend to sit on wooden bleachers during constant rain and 50 degree weather to witness one of the greatest obscure sporting events of all time. Can I get a Yo-Ho!? – for the 54th annual Lumberjack World Championships!

The Lumberjack World Championships (LWC) is comprised of 22 events including a 90 foot speed climb, log chopping in various forms, logrolling, axe throwing, boom-running, and a combination relay race. Although the crowd was slightly smaller due to the cold and unpredictable Wisconsin weather, all around fans seemed to be enjoying themselves holding onto a Wisconsin beer and singing along to hits of the Pinery Boys like the unforgettable “I Yust Don’t Give a Hoot”. Between events the LWC announcer grabs the attention of the crowd by calling to “Ladies and Yentlemen” and finishes with a “Thank you verrrry many.”

One hundred and ten logging enthusiasts competed this year with the hope of becoming a World Champion Lumber Jack or Jill. The competitors travel from all over the country with showings from West Virginia, New York, Oregon, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Illinois, Nebraska, Colorado, Vermont and Washington. Our imported athletes hailed from New Zealand, Canada, Australia and the Czech Republic.

Did I mention this event is shown on ESPN? It has been showcased on the Tonight Show as well.

“So you’re telling me I’ve been missing out on this sporting event for fifty-four years?” You’ve been missing out far longer than that. The games originated through the booming lumber industry that built Hayward. The games evolved from everyday tasks demanded of the lumberjacks and phrases like “I betcha I could run across eight floating logs to get over there”.

How did I stumble upon such a epic showdown of international woodsmen? It is set in my hometown of Hayward, Wisconsin a town small enough not to have a Starbucks anywhere closer than an hour and a half drive away. I thought that would give you some perspective.

For those of you who have just been thrown into this lumber crazed world, here are some terms you should know:

“YO-HO”: The cry of fans and lumberjacks alike. Emphasize both syllables like you’re life depends on it, hold out the O’s and cheer on your favorite competitor.

90 Foot Speed Climb: Two daring (or crazy) lumbermen each are assigned a pole and use a steel core climbing rope and spiky shoes to scurry up the pole and nearly free fall the 90 feet down onto a mat waiting below all in less than 20 seconds. This event is nearly as stressful for the audience as it is for the competitors and resulted in a broken ankle for one athlete in this year’s competition.

Log Chopping in Various Forms: These forms include hot sawing (using a chainsaw), underhand chop (standing on top of the log you’re trying to split in half with an axe), standing chop (similar to underhand but you’re standing on solid ground instead) single buck (using a giant cross cut saw by yourself), double buck (single buck with a partner), and springboard chop (chopping into a tree to put in a wooden board for a competitor to stand on to reach better word further up the tree) – all various log chopping events are timed and are a blur of swinging axes and flying woodchips – a delight for all ages.

Axe throw: Exactly what it sounds like. Aim for the target and pray that is where the axe lands – no reported casualties. Yet.

Logrolling: Two competitors stand on one floating log, which spins rapidly beneath them. The goal is to stay on the longest for failure to do so means falling into the icy depths of Lake Hayward. The competitors spin the log, change the direction of the spin, stop it abruptly and splash water at each other to try to eliminate their opponent. If time limits are reached, a smaller, more difficult long is used. The first competitor to knock their opponent into the water three times is the victor.

Boom Run: Competitors race off of dock onto a series of floating wooden logs chained together. The competitors race across the logs, jump onto a dock across the bay, round a barrel, run back across trying not to fall onto a log or into the water.

Relay: The relay is the finale of the three day lumberjack events. Teams consist of a 60 foot climber, 2 boom runners (1 male- 1 female), a hot sawyer, a women’s single buck sawyer and a standing block chopper. Luckily there are a lot of axes around to cut the tension.

One of the most beloved athletes of the competition is Hayward native logroller JR Salzman who was a six time world championship in Men’s Logrolling before serving a tour in Iraq and suffered a combat injury by a road side bomb. Salzman was fitted with a prothsetic arm and returned to the sport of logrolling to win another world championship title just 2-1/2 years later which, to the delight of a roaring crowd, he repeated again this year for his 9th victory.

The Lumberjack World Championships showcase the Northwoods at its finest. More than the most efficient way to swing an axe, the championships best demonstrate a proud community in an admittedly quirky setting happy to share its traditions with all of the tourists brave enough to willingly come to a town filled with axe- wielding strangers. 

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