Wood chopping

Wood chopping

Woodchop or wood chopping is a sport that has been around for hundreds of years in several cultures. In wood chopping competitions, skilled contestants attempt to be the first to cut or saw through a log or other block of wood. It is often held at state fairs and agricultural shows.

Wood chopping competition at Avilés, Spain

Contents

Areas of practice

Wood chopping is practiced in regions where forestry is or has been an important part of the economy:

Events

Many wood chopping events are handicap events, where the axemen start at different times, depending on how fast they are expected to chop through the log. In New Zealand and parts of Australia, each axeman's individual handicap is recorded in performance books which are graded on how many events they win and how many events they enter. Championship events are scratch events with no handicap, and typically use larger diameter logs (375 mm).

Handicap events may use logs of 250 mm to 350 mm, depending on the skill of the competitors. All competitors have the same size log, the handicap is based purely on time.

Wood chopping (standing block) at the Wagga Wagga Show, Australia

Standing block

This event is done by an individual cutting a scarf in one side. Once the first side has been completed the individual starts cutting another scarf on the opposite side, slightly higher than the first, generally about two inches higher but can vary with each axeman’s individual preference.[1]

Underhand

This event is when the axeman stands on the top of the log and uses a downwards motion to chop the log in two as fast as possible. This is done by cutting a scarf in the front side and then turning around on the block and completing it from the other side. These scarfs are generally offset from each other, the degree of offset depending on the size of the log and the axeman’s preference.[1]

Tree felling

In this event the axeman cuts a small pocket in the side of a pole and jams a wooden jigger board with a metal shoe on the end of it into the hole. The shoe is designed to grip into the wood when pressure is put on it from the top. After the axeman has climbed on to his first board he then cuts another pocket. Once up on his second board he proceeds to cut the block on the top of the pole. This event goes up to three boards high. The axeman goes up one side of the pole and cuts their first scarf in the side of the block. Then the axeman comes down and repeats this on the other side of pole. This event is seen as the marathon event of wood chopping and it typically lasts three to five minutes. In the spring board the axeman only goes up two boards high. In this event the axeman makes a large scarf in the front of the log unlike on the ground where it is usually half and half. The axeman then turns around on the top board and chops through the block using downwards blows only. This event lasts 50 to 80 seconds, much less than the jigger board.[1]

Single saw or single buck

This event is often considered the hardest discipline in wood chopping. The competitor pulls and pushes a razor sharp saw specifically designed for the event. The saws vary in length from five foot six inches to six foot four inches. The saws cost between $1500 and $2000.

Double saw or double buck

This event consists of two people pulling and pushing a saw to cut a log. It is far faster than the single saw event as there are two people using the saw yet times for this event can be 2 or 3 times faster in the same size wood. The saws used in double tend to be a lot hungrier, that is, they cut and draw more wood out with each stroke. This, however, makes it far harder to push and pull the saw.

Stock saw

In this event the axemen use identically tuned and sharpened chainsaws to cut through a log, once downwards and once upwards, within a 3 inch space of wood. The competitor starts with their hands on top of the log. On a buzzer the axeman picks up the saw and pulls the starting cord and then makes his first cut downward, then his second cut upward. If the saw does not start that is just bad luck and they get a slow time. If the axeman takes over more than the allocated wood then they are disqualified and no time is recorded.[2]

Hot Saw

This event is often the crowd favourite and certainly the loudest. It uses a large homemade methanol-run chainsaw. The saws used by top competitors are typically snowmobile engines cut in half and are far heavier than regular chainsaws. The start for this event is exactly the same as the stock saw except the log is bigger and the axeman has to do three cuts: the first in a downwards motion, the second upwards, and the third down. This event is the fastest by far, lasting between 5 and 7 seconds.[2]

Equipment

  • Axes are the main piece of equipment used in the sport of wood chopping. As there are many different types of wood, there are naturally a large variety of axes.
  • Purpose-built racing saws have developed over the years into two different types – the Peg and Raker saw and the 'm tooth' saw. There are a number of different suppliers of gear that sell to the select market of wood choppers. Some of these vendors are Tuatahi Racing Axes and Saws, Jp Mercier, and Aussie Speed Axes.

Different types of woods

Chopped and stacked oak wood

Many different types of wood are used in the sport and they vary between countries. Common woods used in competition in Australia are gum, mountain ash, woolley butt and poplar. The most common woods cut in New Zealand are radiata pine (Pinus radiata), poplar and Pinus strobus. Woods cut in America include white pine, alder, aspen frozen wood and cotton wood.[3]

Wood chopping by country

The rules of the sport vary from country to country.

The Basque Country

Main article: Aizkolaritza

The sport is called aizkolaritza in Basque from aizkolari "wood-chopper". The sport is very popular and competitions are common at most festivals.

Canada

The town of Arsichofa is known for their expertise in wood chopping. They have won three national championships in Canada; their champion wood choppers are Sam Helyar and Justin Yun.

New Zealand

New Zealand is a leading country in the sport of wood chopping, currently having the world's top two competitors, Jason Wynyard and David Bolstad (Die 19/11/2011). Competitions are generally held at A & P shows, but there are also shows dedicated to wood chopping.[1]

Australia

Australia is also home to some of the best axemen in the world. They have very large shows that run for up to 10 days with over 100 competitors at each show. These shows are often run within country and agricultural shows.

United Kingdom

Following the revival of the sport in late 2000's, due to Alex Manshaw's public displays of textbook chopping, the sport has seen a rise in popularity. Various tournaments have taken place in London and the annual national championship in Cobham.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d New Zealand Axemen's News
  2. ^ a b Stihl Timbersports website
  3. ^ Tuatahi Racing Axes and Saws

External links

America
Europe
Oceania

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Chopping — Chop ping, n. Act of cutting by strokes. [1913 Webster] {Chopping block}, a solid block of wood on which butchers and others chop meat, etc. {Chopping knife}, a knife for chopping or mincing meat, vegetables, etc.; usually with a handle at the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Chopping block — Chopping Chop ping, n. Act of cutting by strokes. [1913 Webster] {Chopping block}, a solid block of wood on which butchers and others chop meat, etc. {Chopping knife}, a knife for chopping or mincing meat, vegetables, etc.; usually with a handle… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Chopping knife — Chopping Chop ping, n. Act of cutting by strokes. [1913 Webster] {Chopping block}, a solid block of wood on which butchers and others chop meat, etc. {Chopping knife}, a knife for chopping or mincing meat, vegetables, etc.; usually with a handle… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • chopping board — n BrE chopping block AmE a large piece of wood or plastic that you cut meat or vegetables on when you are cooking …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • chopping board — noun a wooden board where meats or vegetables can be cut • Syn: ↑cutting board • Hypernyms: ↑board * * * chopping board UK [ˈtʃɒpɪŋ ˌbɔː(r)d] US [ˈtʃɑpɪŋ ˌbɔrd] noun [countable] [ …   Useful english dictionary

  • chopping block — UK [ˈtʃɒpɪŋ ˌblɒk] / US [ˈtʃɑpɪŋ ˌblɑk] noun [countable] Word forms chopping block : singular chopping block plural chopping blocks a block of wood used for cutting food or wood on …   English dictionary

  • chopping block — noun a steady wooden block on which food can be cut or diced or wood can be split (Freq. 1) • Hypernyms: ↑block • Substance Meronyms: ↑wood * * * noun, pl ⋯ blocks [count] US : a hard wooden block on which things (such as meat, wood, or… …   Useful english dictionary

  • chopping board — UK [ˈtʃɒpɪŋ ˌbɔː(r)d] / US [ˈtʃɑpɪŋ ˌbɔrd] noun [countable] Word forms chopping board : singular chopping board plural chopping boards British a flat piece of wood or plastic used for cutting food on …   English dictionary

  • chopping block — noun Date: 1600 1. a wooden block on which material (as meat, wood, or vegetables) is cut, split, or diced 2. a situation in which someone or something is threatened with elimination < government programs on the chopping block > …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • chopping block — a thick, often large block of wood on which meat, vegetables, etc., are placed for cutting, trimming, chopping, and the like. [1695 1705] * * * …   Universalium

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