New Zealand is Still the Home for the STIHL Timbersports Trophy

COLUMBUS, GA. An old king was given a new crown this past June 21 in the Pro Finals of the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Challenge. Jason Wynyard (pictured above), a 6’4” 297lbs lumberjack from New Zealand won his 8th Timbersports Challenge by one of the closest margins in the history of the sport. After his $10,000 saw quit working before the Hot Saw event, he had to borrow another competitors to stay in the competition. The saw had completely different torque and was much more shaky than his own and the event ended in disqualification for Wynyard. Even though he thought his hopes of winning another championship were gone, due to rare mistakes made by other top performers and incredible, near-world-record-breaking times in all of his other events, Wynyard made up the distance to claim the title.

The Timbersports Games attract competitors from all over the globe, including many from the U.S. and Canada. Australia and New Zealand are the other main two countries to show, bringing 8 athletes of their own, but seeing men and women from as far as the Czech Republic or Switzerland isn’t uncommon. New Zealand itself only has three competitors on the pro circuit, but two of them hold world records in 5 out of the 6 major events, Jason Wynyard and David Bolstad. Even though this is a “professional sport,” these men and women carry on regular jobs like the rest of us. From civil defense trial attorneys to substitute teachers, there’s a wide range of professions on the stage.

For all of you aspiring lumberjacks, there is a STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Collegiate Challenge as well. It’s a separate competition set up by Stihl to challenge college athletes from all over the U.S. and Canada as a way to help identify top talent and to provide them opportunity to advance in the sport. It’s a head-to-head competition with the same rules/regulations used in the PRO TIMBERSPORTS CHALLENGE. Each contestant will also have travel and lodging compensation for themselves and a coach, various prizes and vouchers for equipment, a training session with pro competitors, and have a $1000 check in their name sent to their school with the funds to be applied for any scholarship or program of their choice. Athletes compete in all of the major events as the pros.

Between Jason Wynyard and David Bolstad, the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS championship has had a resting place in New Zealand since 1997 (no one else has won it since then). There are several others vying for third best, many of them from the U.S. For more information on this spectacular competition visit the Stihl Timbersports website. This year’s competition will air on ESPN2 beginning November 15, starting with the quarterfinals in Lehi, Utah.

EVENTS (Click on event title to see video):


SPRINGBOARD: In this discipline, competitors must chop a slot big enough to fit a springboard into a veritcal tree trunk. The First of which is chopped standing on the ground, then the next standing on the springboard the competitor just placed. The aim is to cut through a block of wood on top of the trunk (diameter 27 cm) at a height of about 2.80 m above the ground standing on the second springboard.



STOCK SAW: The competitor uses a MS 660 STIHL Magnum" chain saw and begins with both hands on the log and the chain saw idling on the deck. At the gun, the sawyer makes two cuts through 16 inches of white pine. With only four inches of wood to work with, precision is key. If a competitor saws outside of that or fails to saw a complete cookie, he will be disqualified.



UNDERHAND CHOP: The competitor stands with feet apart on a 12- to 14- inch log and chops down. Before chopping all the way through he must turn and complete the cut from the other side. Time ends when the log is severed completely.




SINGLE BUCK: One cut through 19 inches of white pine using a single man cross-cut saw. Time ends when the block is clearly severed.





STANDING BLOCK CHOP: Competitors chop from both sides of a vertical, 12- to 14- inch white pine log. The competitor must chop from both sides of the log and the time ends when the block is severed.





HOT SAW: Competitors use a customized chain saw with a modified engine usually taken from a personal watercraft or snowmobile. At the signal, the competitor starts the saw and makes three cuts. With only six inches of wood to work with, precision is key.




BOOM RUN: (Women only) Competitors begin at the end of a dock and across their own chain of spinning, floating logs until they reach a second dock. Next, they circle a stanchion, run back across the chain of logs, and return to the first dock.




SPEED CLIMB: Two climbers ascend a 65-foot Spar Pole using special climbing gear. At the top, they must touch their climbing ropes above the mark and then begin their descent, touching the pole at least once every 20 feet as they free-fall to the ground.