STIHL TIMBERSPORTS®: The 6 disciplines
At STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® events, athletes compete in up to six disciplines depending on the competition format. Three disciplines are performed using an axe, three with a saw.
Axe disciplines include Underhand Chop, Standing Block Chop, and Springboard. The three saw disciplines are Stock Saw, Single Buck, and Hot Saw.
Each discipline is based on a traditional lumberjack task, and simulates the practice of felling or chopping felled trees. In all these disciplines, athletes not only need to show skill in handling the equipment and timber, but must also prove their strength and endurance while demonstrating precise technique.
More information on all current STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® records can be found in our database.
Image source: State Library of South Australia
Our disciplines in short
Springboard
This discipline involves two wooden boards, called springboards; these must be anchored in “pockets” that the competitors cut into a vertical trunk. They must then stand on the anchored springboards to reach and chop through a log (27 cm in diameter) mounted on top of the trunk, at a height of approximately 2.80 m; rookies use only one springboard, so the trunk is not as high. Springboard is also considered to be the supreme discipline because it relies not only on a precise technique and the competitor’s strength, but also on balance and skill.
Standing Block Chop
This discipline simulates the felling of a tree with an axe. A vertically mounted log (diameter 30 cm – 27 cm for rookies) must be chopped through from both sides as quickly as possible. In this discipline the secret to success is precise axe strokes as well as a powerful swing.
Underhand Chop
This discipline is based on the technique behind chopping a tree that has already been felled. Athletes stand on a horizontally mounted, 32-centimetre-thick log (30 cm for rookies) and must chop through it with an axe. The block must be chopped from both sides; cutting only on one side leads to disqualification.
Stock Saw
In this discipline all athletes use the MS 661 C-M, an industry-standard STIHL chainsaw in the 90+ cubic capacity class. They must use an upward cut and a downward cut to saw two “cookies” – discs of wood – from a log 40 cm in diameter, cutting off no more than 10 cm of the length of the trunk in the process. This event requires competitors to apply the right combination of pressure and speed when sawing the wood.
Single Buck
Using a two-metre-long hand saw, competitors must cut a disc from a horizontally mounted log (46 cm in diameter – 40 cm for rookies). Rhythm and technique are critical to achieving a good time of less than 15 seconds.
Hot Saw
Hot saws are extremely powerful, specially tuned chainsaws. In this discipline the objective is to use a racing saw to cut three discs as quickly as possible, from a 15 cm length marked on a horizontally mounted log (46 cm in diameter). The main challenge here is in precisely managing the tremendous power of a chainsaw that delivers up to 80 HP. With a chain speed of around 240 km/h and a weight of around 27 kg, this machine places huge demands on competitors. The all-time best performances in the Hot Saw discipline are all below six seconds.
