Lumberjacks flock to Sheridan for Oct. 4 competition
By Elizabeth Pannell
LITTLE ROCK — Lumberjacks from across the country will convene Saturday at the 25th annual Timberfest to chop, saw and cut their way to victory during the Arkansas State Lumberjack Championship.
Event Director Ken Bragg said lumberjacks from Idaho, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee as well as all the surrounding Southern states come to the event to show off their skills in three categories of competition.
“The three categories are cutting, chopping and sawing,” Bragg said.
“Within those categories we have the one-man, two-man, crosscut and Jack and Jill.”
Bragg said the competition began 13 years ago in an effort to refocus the theme of Timberfest.
“We wanted a signature event, with an emphasis on the forest industry,” Bragg said.
“There are a few other competitions like this in Arkansas, but we are the primary one.”
Within each of the three categories of competition Bragg said thereare a few events that are “crowdpleasers.”
“In the chopping category, the springboard chop is a popular event,” Bragg said. “The contestant climbs a 9-foot pole using only an ax and hardwood plank. The competitor use two springboards to ascend the pole then chop a block which is attached at the top.”
In the sawing category, popular events include the super-modified chain-saw and unlimited chain-saw events.
“In these events, the competitors modify their chain saws,” Braggsaid. “In the unlimited event the chain saws can have one cylinder, must be able to be pull-started and the competitors must be able to pick up the saw on their own. These are huge machines that are very loud.”
In the cutting competitions there are several events, including oneman crosscut, two-man crosscut and the Jack and Jill crosscut, which features a man-and-woman team.
“Many times the men competitors will find a women in the crowdor their wife will compete with them in the Jack and Jill,” Bragg said.
Bragg said one of the more popular events is the ax throw.
“Competitors must throw an ax at a target 25 feet away,” Bragg said. “The bull’s-eye is a soda can and if the ax hits the can then it explodes.”
The wood for all the events is found around the Grant County area, and Bragg said they use sweet gum because the wood is soft.
“We use a special machine to get these trees,” Bragg said. “We find trees that are pretty uniform in size, so it’s a good bit of work for us.”
Bragg said all the competitors have to provide all their own equipment, and he said the choppers have different axes they use for the different types of wood.
The future of the competition, Bragg said, is “pretty well-set.”
“We design a lot of events around the spectators because they are very involved in our show,” Bragg said. “That is one thing the lumberjacks like, there is a large crowd to support them.”
The Lumberjack Competition begins at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday and Bragg said it should end around 4 p.m. So far there are 40 competitors, and lumberjacks can compete in an unlimited number of events.
Timberfest begins on Friday with children’s events, arts and crafts and the Dutch-oven cookoff. The arts and crafts booths w ill be at t he court house square, with other activities in the surrounding downtown area. Admission to Timberfest is free. For more information, call the Grant County Chamber of Commerce at (870) 942-3021. For more information on the Lumberjack Competition, call Ken Bragg as (870) 917-9206.
FRIDAY
3-10 p.m. ...................................................................... Court Square
◊Arkansas Game & Fish Aquarium
◊Arts and Crafts Booths
◊Children’s Amusements
◊Climbing Wall
◊Petting Zoo
◊Pony Rides
◊Train Rides
4-7 p.m. .................. Jr. Dutch-Oven Cookoff ......Court Square-East
5-8 p.m. ................ Morgan Nick Photo Days .............. Court Square
6 p.m. ...................... Old Time Gospel Show ..................Rear Stage
6-8 p.m. ............................................... Bingo ..... Court Square-Rear
8-8:15 p.m. Jr. Dutch-Oven Cookoff Awards ................. Front Stage
SATURDAY
6 a.m. ..................Rotary Pancake Breakfast ..... Court Square-Rear
8 a.m. ................................. 5K Run/2K Walk ... Oak and Bell streets
8 a.m.-noon ........Adult Dutch-Oven Cookoff ......Court Square-East
9 a.m.-noon ................................... BB Shoot ......Court Square-East
9 a.m.-3 p.m. .............. Car/Motorcycle Show ...................Oak Street
9 a.m.-10 p.m. .............................................................. Court Square
◊Arkansas Game & Fish Aquarium
◊Arts and Crafts Booths
◊Children’s Amusements
◊Climbing Wall
◊Petting Zoo
◊Pony Rides
◊Train Rides
10 a.m. .............................................. Parade ................... Downtown
10 a.m.-3 p.m. ...............Knuckles the Clown .............. Court Square
10:30 a.m. ................................... Cake Walk .............. Court Square
10:45 a.m. .......... Pinewood Derby Check-In .....Court Square-Front
11-11:30 a.m. ............................Derrick Rose ................. Front Stage
11 a.m.-2 p.m. .........Bow Shoot Competition ..Grace Fellowship Lot
11 a.m.-2 p.m. ...... Morgan Nick Photo Days .............. Court Square
11:30 a.m. ............. Lumberjack Competition ......... Rear Stage Area
Noon-1:30 p.m. ................................... Bingo ..... Court Square-Rear
Noon.............. Pinewood Derby Competition .....Court Square-Front
12:30 p.m. ............. Guitar Hero Competition ......Court Square-East
1 p.m. ............ Dutch Oven Cook-off Awards ................. Front Stage
1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. .............................Pet Show ..... Court Square-Rear
2 p.m. ...................... Horseshoe Tournament .....Court Square-Front
2-2:30 p.m. .................................Kyla Horton ................. Front Stage
2:30-3:30 p.m. ....................... Doug Scallion ................. Front Stage
3:30-3:45 p.m. ................. Pet Show Awards ................. Front Stage
3:30-5 p.m. ......................................... Bingo ..... Court Square-Rear
3:45-4:30 p.m. ........Derrick Rose, Magician ................. Front Stage
4-6 p.m. ................ Morgan Nick Photo Days .............. Court Square
4:30-5 p.m. ................Kyla Horton-Singing ..................Rear Stage
5 p.m. .....................................Talent Contest ..................Rear Stage
7-8 p.m. .................. Doug Scallion-Singing ..................Rear Stage
7-8:30 p.m. .......................................... Bingo ..... Court Square-Rear
8-9 p.m. ..........Hometown Hands for Heroes ..................Rear Stage
Additional activities will be added daily. All times are subject to change.
Call the Grant County Chamber of Commerce at (870) 942-3021 for
more information.
This article was published Thursday, October 2, 2008.
Tri-Lakes, Pages 66, 70 on 10/02/2008
