Three new women’s world records have been set at the Lumberjack World Championships competition held in a small Wisconsin community, full of high-powered sawing, chopping, logrolling, speed climbing and cheers of “Yo-Ho!”
This year, 66 men and 40 women attended the three-day competition in Hayward that ended Saturday. They represented 16 states and nine countries.
Competitors take their gear seriously with custom-built chain saws, carefully sharpened axes and single buck saws that can cost upward of $400 just to sharpen.
Karolina Urbanová from the Czech Republic set world records in two events. She earned first place in the Women’s Underhand Chop, cutting through 11 inches (27.9 centimeters) of white pine in 21.28 seconds. She also came in first in the Women’s Standing Chop, cutting through 9 inches (22.8 centimeters) of white pine in 19.38 seconds.
Meredith Ingbretson of Hayward set a world record in the Women’s Boom Run, sprinting across the water and back over eight red cedar logs in 13.78 seconds.
While women have been competing since the inaugural competition in 1960, the events they participate in have expanded significantly, organizers said. They started just competing in logrolling, and now participate in more than 20 timber sports events.
“When I started chopping I was chopping with the men,” said Nancy Zalewski, a competitor for 27 years who has trained others, including fellow participant Kate Witkowski.
The tradition of competition among lumberjacks began in the 1890s, according to the organization. The competition is held in the Lumberjack Bowl on the shores of Lake Hayward. In the past, the area had been a holding pond for log drives down the Namekagon River.
The lumberjack theme is ever-present with children in lumberjack socks, flannels and suspenders, and brands handing out blow-up axes and toy chain saws. Outside the competition bowl, there are wood-carving demonstrations, logrolling practice for kids, live music, food trucks and axe-themed events.
“The culture of it I think is really wonderful,” Witkowski said. “I don’t know any other sports where the athletes support each other like we do here because it’s such a niche sport and because the gear is so hard to come by that we’re all just trying to get better.”
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Schmidt is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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Associated Press reporter Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this story.