Lumberjacks square off at festival
CONNELLSVILLE – A nice sized crowd jammed Yough Park Sunday to watch lumberjacks from across the country compete in the 9th annual Timber Days, sponsored by the Greater Connellsville Chamber of Commerce. And, although local Mill Run lumberjack Harry Burnsworth had a good couple of days winning two major events, West Virginia attorney Arden Cogar Jr. took the top weekend prize of Best Overall Lumberjack.
Cogar said the weekend was great because they had a bunch of very good competitors, several of which, including him, compete on the ESPN Timber Sports series.
“As a matter of fact for those who are interested in watching Timber Sports there will be a 5-hour marathon on Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. and some of the fellows who competed here this weekend will be competing then,” he said.
In order to get in condition for the lumberjack competitions, Cogar said he goes to the gym and works out in addition to weight training, running, tai chi, yoga and hiking with his wife, Kristy Linville.
“I’m actually a bit different from most of the guys because of my job,” said Cogar. “I actually sit on my butt an awful lot so the only way I can keep my butt from expanding is to workout.”
Cogar said he and his wife try to stay fit because that’s what the sport requires. He also said that he and his wife took third place in the Jack and Jill crosscut with a time of 5:68 (in seconds).
“She also took third place in the underhand chop and fourth place in the women’s crosscut,” said Cogar. “All-in-all it was a good weekend for us.”
Burnsworth, who’s been a competing lumberjack for 26 years, said the Australian and New Zealanders didn’t participated in this year’s competition.
“The season was early this year for the Stihl Series so I think those guys participated in that,” said Burnsworth. “But that’s all right because when they come here, they are hard to beat and we lose our U.S. guys, so them not being here doesn’t bother me a bit.”
Burnsworth said he didn’t do “real good” over the weekend because it’s hard being a participant and running the show.
“I guess I really can’t complain because I had two firsts,” he continued. “I won the springboard and the hot saw.”
Burnsworth is a timber contractor who loves the sport.
“I’ve had a real career of it and I don’t regret any of it,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of terrific people, made a lot of good friends, have a lot of good memories and I still hold quite a few records.”
Burnsworth’s adult children, Harry and Jamie, also competed this weekend.
Burnsworth said he keeps in good shape by working and does some training on the weekends when he is getting ready for the season beginning in April.
He and his wife, Nancy, plan to visit New Zealand this spring to meet up with some friends and compete and hunt a little bit.
Festival chairwoman and Chamber of Commerce secretary June Newill said although the rain from Tropical Storm Ernesto put a damper on Saturday events it did not discourage people from coming out on Sunday.
“Everything went real well,” said Newill. “Saturday was a little slow because of the weather and we didn’t have as many competitors. I think we only had nine competitors and we usually have 15 to 20.”
Newill said Burnsworth has a lot of new ideas on how to get more competitors and his ideas will be implemented next year.
Sunday’s winners and their competition times were as follows:
– Spring Board: Burnsworth, first at 49:34; Cogar Jr., second at 50:36; Mel Lentz, third at 54:36; Dave Jewett, fourth at 59:11; J.P. Mercier, fifth at 1:08.39; and Dave Engasser, sixth at 1:18.92.
– Two-Man Crosscut: Jewett and Mercier, first place at 3:50; Cogar and Chris Bradshaw, second place at 4:23; Engasser and Mark Jones, third place at 4:58; and Burnsworth and Lentz, fourth place at 4:71.
– Jack and Jill Crosscut: Mark and Trisha Jones, first place at 5:36; Dave and Peggy Engasser, second place at 5:48; Cogar and Linville, third place at 5:68; and Mercier and Jamie Seese, fourth place at 5:87.
– Women’s Underhand: Peg Engasser, first place at 57:48; Mary Dooley, second place at 1:30.03; Linville, third place at 1:30.23; Trish Jones, fourth place at 2:11.43.
– Underhand Chop-men: Cogar, first at 18:31; Lentz, second at 23:96; Mercier, third at 24:83; Jewett, fourth at 25:80; Engasser, fifth at 26:77; and Bradshaw, sixth at 29:73.
– Standing Block: Cogar, first at 16:68; Jewett, second at 22:37; Mercier, third at 23:61; Lentz, fourth at 25:02; Jones, fifth at 27:33; and Burnsworth, sixth at 27:58.
– Single Block-men’s: Jewett, first at 8:00; Mercier, second at 8:89; Cogar, third at 9:67; Jones, fourth at 10:58; Lentz, fifth at 11:08; and Burnsworth, sixth at 12:68.
– Single Block-women: Engasser, first at 17:23; Dooley, second at 19:70; Jones, third at 25:06; and Linville, fourth at 26:08.
– Hot Saw: Burnsworth, first at 4:36; Jewett, second at 5:03; Mercier, third at 5:39; Lentz, fourth at 5:78; and Cogar, fifth at 31:64. Engasser was disqualified.