HAYWARD, Wis. — A small Wisconsin town was the site of some record-breaking athletic achievement this weekend, as three new women’s world records were shattered at the annual Lumberjack World Championships — a competition filled with roaring chain saws, flying wood chips, log-rolling on open water, and enthusiastic cries of “Yo-Ho!”
This year’s three-day event in Hayward drew 66 men and 40 women, wrapping up Saturday. Athletes came from 16 different states and nine countries to compete.
Competitors take their equipment very seriously. Custom-built chain saws, meticulously sharpened axes, and single buck saws are all part of the trade — with sharpening alone on some saws costing more than $400.
Karolina Urbanová of the Czech Republic made history twice in one competition. She claimed first place in the Women’s Underhand Chop, slicing through 11 inches (27.9 centimeters) of white pine in just 21.28 seconds. She then topped the podium again in the Women’s Standing Chop, cutting through 9 inches (22.8 centimeters) of white pine in 19.38 seconds — both performances setting new world records.
Meredith Ingbretson, who is from Hayward itself, also made the record books. She sprinted across the water and back over eight red cedar logs in 13.78 seconds to set a world record in the Women’s Boom Run.
Women have been part of the championships since its very first year in 1960, though their role has grown considerably over time. Organizers noted that female competitors originally only participated in log-rolling, but now take part in more than 20 different timber sports events.
“When I started chopping I was chopping with the men,” said Nancy Zalewski, who has competed for 27 years and has coached others, including fellow competitor Kate Witkowski.
The roots of lumberjack competition stretch back to the 1890s, according to the organization behind the event. The championship takes place at the Lumberjack Bowl along the shores of Lake Hayward — a site that once served as a holding pond for log drives along the Namekagon River.
The lumberjack spirit is everywhere at the event. Kids show up in flannel shirts, suspenders, and lumberjack-themed socks, while vendors hand out inflatable axes and toy chain saws. Beyond the competition area, attendees can enjoy wood-carving demonstrations, log-rolling practice sessions for children, live music, food trucks, and a variety of axe-themed activities.
“The culture of it I think is really wonderful,” Witkowski said. “I don’t know any other sports where the athletes support each other like we do here because it’s such a niche sport and because the gear is so hard to come by that we’re all just trying to get better.”
