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HISTORY OF LUMBERJACKING

For excitement, there is nothing more thrilling than watching skilled lumberjacks on ESPN or at the local fair as they perform what appear to be impossible events. They are strong, skilled, and have a true passion for what they do, which shows in every move they make. The events we see today have actually evolved as a sport from the daily tasks the lumberjack used to be responsible for. Before chainsaws were invented, the lumberjack would spend all their time at lumberjack camps where they would carry their axes and saws into the forests to cut down timer. All of the events show exactly what they used to do for their jobs. Since the lumberjack was required to move through difficult terrain and work with various sizes of trees, they had to develop almost superhuman skills. Although the work they performed varied somewhat from region to region, for the most part, it came down to the same resolve - fallen timber. This is why you see a slight variation from lumberjack to lumberjack as they perform the same event.

While there are a number of events performed in today’s society, there are some more popular than others. The types of events you can expect to see in any region consist of:
Underhand Chop
Two-Person Crosscut Saw
Standing Block Chop
Hot Saw / Modified Chain Saw
Axe Throwing
Jack and Jill Crosscut
Springboard Chop
Single Bucking / One-Person Crosscut Stock Chain Saw

The type of events you would see in most regions, but not all, would include:
Bow Sawing
Women's Crosscut Saw and Bow Saw
Women's Underhand Chop
Obstacle Pole and Choker Race
Tree Falling
Log Rolling (land and water - birling)
Pole Climbing

Depending on the region, women’s events have grown in popularity. Although there were very few lumberjacks on the job, women have been able to show their strength and agility in the lumberjack competitions. To the audience, watching women move with lightening speed to cut down a tree or chop a piece of wood within seconds is amazing and much appreciated. Instead of being called a Lumberjack, a woman is called a “Lumberjill”. The best competition to watch is one where both men and women are competing.

For the different events, different wood is used from one region to another. For example, for the North Atlantic States, white pine, popular, and aspen are used. For the Southeastern States, yellow popular and white pine are the woods used. For the Southern States, sweet gum and yellow popular are the choice. For the Midwestern States, poplar, aspen, and white pine wood is used. Finally, for the Pacific and Northwest States, cottonwood, aspen, and larch are used. Today, there are Lumberjack Associations located in New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, South Atlantic, Southern states, Midwest states, Central states, and Western states. If you ever want to learn more about lumberjacking, any of the Lumberjack Associations would be delighted to offer information.