It looked like it might turn out to be a crappy day, but the overcast skies actually worked to the advantage of this year’s Timber Days Lite at Centennial Park, coaxing out a decent-sized audience for the traditional logging sports event.
The event has, for the last few years, been plagued by dwindling audiences and sizzling summer temperatures, but as one organizer noted, “the cool temperatures may have worked in our favour — and that’s great for our competitors.”
There were no big purses but there was plenty of hometown spirit at this year’s event as a crowd of more than 200 watched loggers birl, toss axes, wield chainsaws, boil tea and, in the amusing Groucho Marx event, squirt each other silly.
Here are a few photos from the day’s events that we hope you’ll enjoy:
There has long been a tradition of holding a political saw-off at Timber Days. This year, though, local politicians got off easy. Instead of facing the provincial MLA or the federal MP — both big men — Councillor Tony Scarcella, standing in for Mayor David Raven, went head to head against someone much slighter and weaker — BC Ambassador Andrea Threatful. David F. Rooney photo
Smokey Bear does his thing to the amusement of kids in the audience at Centennial Park. David F. Rooney photoThe BC Interior Forestry Museum had a display down at Timber Days that included this section of an Engelmann Spruce dating back to 1522. Click on the mage to see a larger version of it. David F. Rooney photo
Timers Neills Kristensen (left) and Grant Leiterman time a competitor in the women's stock saw event. David F. Rooney photoNadine Overwater drops the end off a log in the women's stock saw. David F. Rooney photo
Jacob Hanson was one of the competitors in the choker race. David F. Rooney photoDavid Adshead scores a bull's eye in the men's axe throw. David F. Rooney photo
A whole passel of kids competed in the Nail Hammering event. David F. Rooney photo
Angus Woodman (foreground) competes against Nadine Overwater in the working saw buck event. He came in third and she came in second. David F. Rooney photoBrian Sumner, chairman of the BC Interior Forestry Museum Society presents Buddy Mckenzie with the Pioneer logger Award. Mckenzie, though he insists he hasn't been around long enough to qualify as a pioneer, received the award for his work establishing a successful log-hauling company, Mckenzie S Contractig Ltd., and is life-long association with logging. David F. Rooney photoAngus Woodman and Ernie Larson (left) proved that sometimes the old ways are best as they won a saw-off against Allan McInnes and Roy Abbott (right) who trotted out a massive Pioneer chainsaw. However, as speedy as they were, MC Geoff Horne (center right) put it, "I doubt they could keep that up all day." And that, of course, is one of the reasons why chainsaws eventually replaced muscle-driven saws in the woods. David F. Rooney photoWant to win the Survivor's Tea Boil? Well, you've really got to get close to the ground to win. This traditional event challenges participants to bring a can of water to a boil using only a few sticks of (maybe wet, maybe dry) kindling and a pack of paper matches. David F. Rooney photo
Nadine Overwater, who went on to win the Lady Logger Award, shows her skill at log birling against Jacob Hanson (right). David F. Rooney photoA long-time favourite event, the Groucho Marx, capped the day's events as competitors tried to douse each other's smoking cigars. "The rules are simple," said MC Geoff Horne. "Keep those cigars smoking." David F. Rooney photo
