We interrupt our Michigan adventures blog series to bring you this most recent weekend's event of note from Frederick Colorado: Chainsaws & Chuckwagons - with the added feature of the Axe Women Loggers of Main Show!
The whimsy and quality of the chainsaw carvings was just as delightful as years past.
(I've included two photos of the first carving because of the 360 degree artwork.)
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| Now *this* is what you call a Tiki Bar! |
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| Note the ladybug on the leaf near his shoulder! |
Now on to the Axe Women - a group of professional competitive Logging Sports Athletes which started in Maine but now has athletes from all over the country. In fact, one of the two women competing today is a CSU alum. The Axe Women include world champion choppers, sawyers, logrollers and axe throwers - and each of these skills was demonstrated today. One of this weekend's athletes is the only person (male or female) to logroll across the Mississippi River without falling in. (She went from Port Byron, Illinois to LeClair, Iowa in less than 30 minutes!) She is going to attempt to do the same across the Missouri in September. This show was one impressive display of athleticism!
In the sawyer competition, each competitor has to cut 3 timber cookies off the end of the log, first with a downward stroke of the chainsaw, then an upward stroke, then another downward stroke.
In the chopper competition, each competitor stands on a log with their feet placed in carved out areas they've already chopped into the log - then they have to chop the log in half with an axe swinging down between their legs. This is the event I found to be most frightening. They actually wear chain mail socks to protect their feet and lower legs from being sliced by the axe.
The axe throwing event is just what it sounds like: throwing an axe toward a target - in this case, from 20 feet back. 4 points for a bullseye, 1 point less for each ring away from the bulls eye. The Master of Ceremonies highly encouraged the audience members to give it a try if they happen to have an axe throwing venue in their town.
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| Throwing the double-bladed, heavy, very sharp axe |
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| And pulling the throw out from the big hunk of wood target. |
The final event (final undoubtedly because the competitors get doused in the pool) was log rolling. Each competitor stands on their end of the log (a synthetic log filled with water) and attempts moves and tricks to get their competitor to fall off (no touching of your competitor allowed). It is legal to kick water into the face of your competitor, jump on your end of the log, jiggle, whatever. I don't know if it was because it was a hot day, but they did look like they were having fun!
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| Concentrating on balance and each other's feet |
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| We have a winner! |
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