He will compete in all six of the chopping and sawing events. His training program involves practicing all six.

"It used to be I could specialize in two or three and not even compete in the others and still make the finals. Now I have to be proficient in all six and do well in all six to make the finals," he said.

He said he was drawn to logging by following his father, a top ax-man, to competitive events in New Zealand. He said he got serious about the sports at the age of 14 and has been competing for more than 20 years, 12 of those in the U.S.

The axes he uses, both heads and handles, come to him as blanks. He then customizes them to fit his style and grip. Where most athletes swing a 6 1/4- to 6 1/2-pound ax, he chooses to go with a 7- to 7 1/2-pound ax, "that requires more strength to swing but carries more momentum. You have to go with an ax that suits your strength and body weight."

Logs for this event come from a commercial tree grower.

Competition will begin with qualifying Friday at 9:30 a.m. and competition starting at 1 p.m. On Saturday, qualifying begins at 10:30 a.m. and competition at 1 p.m.

Other festival events including a fishing pond for kids, campfire cooking, archery fun shoots, clinics on packing into the backcountry by horse and guitar competition.

Tickets to the festival and lumberjack competition are $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 3 to 12. For information visit www.wildoutdoorsfestival.com or www.stihltimbersports.com.

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E-mail: grass@desnews.com