Crowds amazed by lumberjacks’ skills
CONNELLSVILLE – The second round of lumberjack competitions took center stage at the Yough River Park during the city’s annual Timber Days celebration held Labor Day weekend. Sending woodchips flying into the summer afternoon air, powerful, professional lumberjacks struck great blocks of white pine wood with axes sharpened to a razor-sharp edge in front of nearly 100 onlookers, who watched with awe and fascination as members from six teams of choppers took their turn at the chopping block in a series of competitions held during the day.
“Do you think you could chop a piece of wood like that?” asked Tina Forsythe as she watched two lumberjacks compete side-by-side in the standing block chop competition. “It would take me all day to do that.”
The Connellsville couple, who recently moved to the city from Pittsburgh, felt fortunate to see and even meet several of the men and women who they have watched compete in the world-class lumberjacking sport on ESPN.
“It’s amazing,” said Rich Forsythe.
“It’s something different,” added Tina Forsythe. “They didn’t have anything like this in Pittsburgh.”
Tina Forsythe worked toward her goal of having each professional lumberjack sign a souvenier circle of pinewood. She garnered two autographs midway through the sporting event.
Will the autographed hunk of wood be worth something one day?
“It might be,” said Tina Forsythe, “but we do it mainly for sentimental value.”
Walter Brisky, 12, of Uniontown and Dale Grubbs, 11, of Connellsville landed front row seats in the grass at the event.
“It’s fun to watch them smack their axe into the wood,” said Brisky.
Grubbs added, “It’s interesting. You have to be big and strong to do that.”
Lumberjacks Jason Wynyard and Dale Ryan, both powerful men from foreign countries, said lumbering is an over-100-year tradition in their homelands of New Zealand and Australia, respectively.
“(The tradition) started in the woods,” said Wynyard. “People began trying to see who was the best among the loggers.”
“It’s a passion. It’s something in our blood,” said Wynyard, speaking of his motivation to compete.
Wynyard trains for the sport six hours a day.
“It takes up a lot of my time,” he said, while breaking in between competitions on Sunday.
Ryan could attest to those long hours of training.
“It’s hours of work,” he said.
Ryan has been lumberjacking for over 30 years. He began to hone his skills during his work as a logging contractor. He also said his father, who is still competing, attuned him to the sport.
“I took it in for him,” he said.
Ryan said the key to his skill is patience.
“Otherwise, you’re going to cut yourself,” he said.
Those lumberjacks who converged in the center cutting area at Connellsville’s Timber Days will be among worldwide competitors when they, after three more weeks of training, travel to their next destination and major lumberjacking competition: the Stihl TimberSports series in Virginia Beach, Va., where 32 lumberjacks, who Wynyard called “the best competitors in the world,” will compete in the championships and world championships.
The lumberjacks, who travel to eight competitions within the United States during the summer sport’s circuit, have been to competitions all around the world, including those in Italy, Spain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Although a $10,000 purse will be divided among the winners of Connellsville competitions, thanks to a group of local sponsors, Wynyard and Ryan agreed the reason for their competing is not the money.
“If it was for the money, we wouldn’t be here,” said Wynyard, a five-time winner of the Stihl TimberSports series.
So why would the lumberjacks decide to stop at the riverside city?
“It’s a good warm-up show,” said Wynyard, noting this was the third time he was in Connellsville.
He added, “It’s a lot of fun to compete before people who appreciate the sport.”
Chris Wagner, executive director of the Connellsville Chamber of Commerce, tagged Timber Days “a family affair.”
From the crafts, food, drinks and children’s area to the concerts, car show and lumberjack competition, the event, which will continue tomorrow with a benefit concert to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina, has a lot to offer all ages.
“Every year there are more people,” Wagner said, standing near the city Chamber of Commerce refreshment stand. “It gets a bigger and bigger crowd and has grown tremendously over the years.”
She added, “It’s great to see so many people out and enjoying it.”