The History of Lumberjack Sports

Lumberjack sports and woodchopping competitions have probably been around for longer than you think. The first competition in Australia is noted as being a bet between two gentlemen in Tasmania in the year 1870. The first official competitions in North America date back to the 1920’s. In the Basque region of Spain, wood chopping as a profession is said to date back to medieval times with the first recorded competitions starting in the 19th century.

Regardless of the exact dates of these competitions, lumberjack sports in all countries have evolved from the occupation of wood chopping.

In North America, long before the time of mechanization, lumberjacks would stay in logging camps all week cutting and hauling timber. These rugged outdoorsmen would usually be paid by their production. Couple that with an environment where woodsmen would spend all week together, and it resulted in many disputes between workers about who was the best at their job.

These disputes eventually led to competitions at the logging camps to determine who was the best at each endeavor, from felling trees to bucking them with crosscut saws. As the sport began to evolve, logging camps started to travel to other camps for competitions. Over time, the sport has grown into what you see today where it can be watched at agricultural fairs, festivals, and even on television.

One of the things that makes lumberjack sports unique is that almost all the different events in the sport are based upon tasks that lumberjacks or woodchoppers performed at work. Without a doubt, this sport showcases our rich forestry history.

Depending on what part of the world you are in, you will find different kinds of competitions. Here is a general breakdown:

North America
In North America, most competitions feature a relatively balanced show featuring chopping, hand sawing and chainsawing. Some contests also feature the water sports events such as boom running and log rolling. Other events that are common in the US and Canada are obstacle courses and pole climbing disciplines.

North America is unique as it is the only place with collegiate competitions. Many colleges and universities with forestry programs, and some without, have woodsmen or lumberjack teams. Most of these schools will host a competition every year.

Basque Region of Spain
In this area, the competitions are endurance wood chopping races on hardwood logs. It is not uncommon for a competitor to have to cut more than 3 large Beech logs in succession.

Europe
Lumberjack sports has become very popular in Europe over the last 10 years. This is largely due to the contributions of Stihl. Stihl hosts Timbersports Series competitions and training camps in the various countries. The events are similar to what you will find in North America.

Down Under
In New Zealand and Australia, woodchopping contests are held at many fairs and festivals. Although power and hand sawing is also done at competitions, woodchopping is the most common event. The axemen from Australia and New Zealand comprise most of the best woodchoppers in the world.