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Top axemen show their skills at new wood chopping event

Monday 24 February 2020, 1:07PM

By Mark Baker

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Top axemen show their skills at new wood chopping event
Top axemen show their skills at new wood chopping event Credit: Mark Baker

The hard men and women of forest sports went toe to toe at the inaugural McKenzie and Ridley Axemen’s Carnival at Putaruru on Saturday with a full programme of woodchopping events that tested skill, balance and strength.

The event was made more challenging by a series of rain showers during the day.

Buoyed by the strong turnout and high standard of competition, organiser Shane Campbell says the Tokoroa and Putaruru clubs will definitely run the carnival again in 2021.

“We’re very pleased with the event and with the response from the competitive woodchopping clubs throughout the North Island. The weather held off any big squalls till we had finished up for the day, which was awesome,” he said.

The venue, the Putaruru Timber Museum, was perfect for the one-day competition.

“We had a real family atmosphere, and there’s a great fit between our heritage sport and the museum.”

New Zealand and World Champion axemen and woodchoppers will put their skills on show in competition this Saturday at the Putaruru Timber Museum.

Held for the first time this year, the attracted a ‘who’s who’ of top axemen and women, including current or recent New Zealand and world title holders.

“We had entries from across the North Island and even an international, Oliver Reinhard from Switzerland.”

Entries included current New Zealand women’s team members Sheree Taylor (Te Aroha) and Darcell Apelu (Tauranga); current New Zealand men’s and Stihl team members Shane and Jack Jordan (Stratford); Chris Lord (Junior Stihl rookie world champ); Kyle Lemon (Stihl team member) and NZ under 21 team member and captain Cleveland Cherry (Lichfield).

Shane Campbell said the importance of events like the carnival could not be understated. “This day was about competition and family fun, but it was also about keeping alive traditional skills and sports that would otherwise fade out of sight. We will be back in 2021.”

 

 

Results, 2020 McKenzie and Ridley Waikato Axemen’s Carnival

 

1          275 mm standing H/C

1st Stu Greig, Taupo

 2nd Willy McDonald, Waiuku

3rd Shane Jordan, Taranaki

4th Charles Hall, Mt Maunganui

 

2          275 mm underhand H/C

1st: Quintin Fawcett, Masterton

2nd Cleveland Cherry, Lichfield

3rd Rob Rogers, Putaruru

4th Norm Cherry, Lichfield

 

3          540 mm doublehand sawing H/C

1st Norm Cherry, Lichfield and Shane Campbell, Tokoroa

2nd Jack Jordan, Taranaki and Shane Jordan, Taranaki

3rd Nathan McDonald, Waiuku and David McDonald, Waiuku

4th Harry Hardie, Waiuku and Quintin Fawcett, Masterton

 

4          Butcher’s block and doublehand sawing two man relay

1st Nathan McDonald, Waiuku and Jesse Whitehead, Taranaki

2nd Jack Jordan, Taranaki and Shane Jordan, Taranaki

3rd David McDonald, Waiuku and Willy McDonald, Waiuku,

4th Chris Harris, Waiuku and Charles Hall, Mt Maunganui

 

5          Ladies underhand

1st Sheree Taylor, Te Aroha

2nd Kat Heretini, Tokoroa

3rd Darcell Apelu, Mt Maunganui

 

6          Stock saw

1st Shane Jordan, Taranaki

2nd Oliver Reinhard, Switzerland

 

7          325 mm underhand H/C

1st Cleveland Cherry, Lichfield,

2nd Stu Greig, Taupo

3rd Matthew Gower, Taranaki

4th David McDonald, Waiuku

 

8          450 mm single saw H/C

1st Nathan McDonald, Waiuku

2nd Shane Jordan, Taranaki

 3rd Jesse Whitehead, Taranaki

4th Norm Cherry, Lichfield

 

9          450 mm Jack and Jill sawing H/C

1st Darcell Apelu, Mt Maunganui and Charles Hall, Mt Maunganui

2nd Kat Heretini, Tokoroa and Chris Harris, Waiuku

3rd Sheree Taylor, Te Aroha and Nathan McDonald, Waiuku

4th Stu Greig, Taupo and Jess Rutledge, Taupo

 

10        325 mm standing H/C

1st Stu Greig, Taupo

2nd Norm Cherry, Lichfield

3rd Oliver Reinhard, Switzerland

4th Charles Hall, Mt Maunganui

 

11        300mm Veterans underhand H/C

1st Terry Wilkins, Gisborne

2nd Graeme Irwin, Taranaki

3rd Bruce Liddington, Tokoroa

4th Blue Scott, Te Awamutu

 

12        Youth chop

1st Sean

2nd Arthur

3rd Cole

4th Stanley (All from Waiuku)