By Emma Xerri
The woodchop is making a return after a court ruling inhibiting timber harvesting saw the competition axed.
For the Berwick Show, which has hosted the event since the 1970s, the competition has found a way to go on amid the ruling, by moving to sourcing their timber from a privately owned coupe, not from VicForests.
And the return of the competition is bringing with it some of Victorian woodchopping’s most renowned names.
“We’ve got the Meyer family, which is a huge family of axemen,” Berwick Show organiser Andy Fyfe said.
“As well as Laurence O’Toole Senior and some of the other O’Toole’s, who are quite a famous name amongst the woodchopping community.
“Of the 30 choppers who have entered, we’ve also got some four females having a chop as well.
“And the accuracy of the choppers and the talent they have to cut the wood without cutting their foot off is something in itself.
“It’s quite dangerous and the axes are so sharp, so this along with the noise and the commentary make it exciting to watch.”
A variety of different competitions will run across the event, with different grades and log sizes, including a tree competition where choppers have to climb up a tree pole and chop the log at the top of the pole.
The event will also feature hand saw and chainsaw competitions, which tend to bring enthusiastic crowds of their own.
“The chainsaws are so noisy, so the kids come running from miles away just to find out what the noise is,” Mr Fyfe said.
But while the show has sourced a temporary fix, a change in timber might be necessary to secure the event moving forward.
“All the shows across the country have competitions, so being able to secure enough timber is a problem,” Mr Fyfe added.
“It looks like the competitions are going to have to make the move to pine like the woodchopping in Europe.”
The Berwick Show is on this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, 24 and 25 February.
