PORT McNEILL—When the chips are down, the North Island’s loggers are clearly on the job.
More than 100 spectators turned out at the local waterfront Saturday to take in the annual Port McNeill Logger Sports competition, in which men, women and novice competitors reduce logs to sawdust, wood chips and firewood in a fast, high-energy show.
Dave MacLeod of Campbell River successfully defended his men’s title, thanks in part to a sweep of the three chainsaw events, and Anita Jezowski of Nanaimo won the women’s overall points while teaming with MacLeod for a runner-up finish in the Jack-and-Jill double buck event.
Brad Laviolette of Port Hardy earned the overall points crown in the Novice class with wins in three events.
MacLeod totaled 28 points, with Nick Russell of Port McNeill second with 23. Russell was hurt by disqualifications in two events, the Grand Prairie Accuracy Cut and the Unlimited Hot Saw, in which his saw threw its chain after two of the required three cuts.
MacLeod and Russell each won three individual events, with MacLeod sweeping the Open Stock Saw and the 100cc and Unlimited Hot Saw events, and MacLeod also teamed with Roger Briscoe to win the Double Buck hand sawing event.
Briscoe had plenty of company in the competition, with teen daughters Allison and Dawn Briscoe also competing in multiple events. Allison, 13, finished second to Jezowski in the stock saw, just 22-hundredths of a second behind, and finished in a fourth-place tie among the ladies. Dawn, 15 was second in the Axe Throw and placed sixth overall.
Jezowski edged runner-up Brenda Pouchnik of Idaho 14-13 in the ladies points chase. Pouchnik was also part of a family affair, with husband Derek finishing third among men. The couple teamed up to win the Jack and Jill Double Buck, and Brenda claimed a surprise win, her first, in the handicap Underhand Chop against a mixed field of novice and men’s challengers.
Russell was also joined by his wife, Sarah, who won the ladies Axe Throw and finished third in the points standings.
Ben James of New Zealand regaled the crowd as the show’s announcer, and also found time to compete in several events, placing second in the unlimited Hot Saw with a highly modified chainsaw.
He and MacLeod teamed up on a popular skit in which MacLeod’s bumbling attempts to carve a bunny from a log resulted in the creation of a pint-sized chair. MacLeod presented the chair to 18-month-old Bethany Noel.
LOGGER SPORTS
Port McNeill Logger Sports
July 5
Men
Overall points—1. Dave MacLeod, 28; 2. Nick Russell, 23; 3. Derek Pouchnik, 14; 4. Roger Briscoe, 12; 5. Lindsey McGill, 11; 6. Ben James, 8; 7. Andrew Murray, 7; 8. Joe Whalen, 6; 9. Troy Lambert, 4; 10. Allan Knapp, 3; 11. Angus Brown, 2; 12. Brad Laviolette, 1.
Single Buck
1. N. Russell, 23.935 seconds; 2. Whalen, 25.515; 3. D. Pouchnik, 27.905; 4. Lambert, 30.72.
Axe Throw
1. N. Russell, 14; 2. McGill*, 12; 3. D. Pouchnik, 12; 4. James, 7. (*won throw-off tiebreaker)
Grand Prairie Accuracy Cut
1. R. Briscoe, 17.905; 2. MacLeod, 32.120; 3. Murray, 42.595.
Choker Race
1. N. Russell, 26.630; 2. A. Knapp, 26.830; 3. McGill, 27.245; 4. Murray, 27.340.
Springboard Chop
1. Pouchnik, 1:15.750; 2. MacLeod, 1:16.575; 3. Russell, 1:26.970; 4. Lambert, 3:01.435.
Hot Saw - Unlimited
1. MacLeod, 10.610; 2. James, 14.755; 3. Briscoe, 17.250; 4. Whalen, 21.325.
Hot Saw - 100cc
1. MacLeod, 8.895; 2. Russell, 9.610; 3. Michelle Lefler, 11.780; 4. Anita Jezowski, 13.340.
Handicap Underhand Chop
1. Brenda Pouchnik, 45.095; 2. McGill, 48.250; 3. Brown, 51.970; 4. Laviolette, 53.340.
Double Buck
1. MacLeod-R. Briscoe, 9.790; 2. Murray-McGill, 10.765; 3. James-Lambert, 11.420; 4. N. Russell-Whalen, 11.905.
Open Stock Saw
1. MacLeod, 8.250; 2. McGill, 8.435; 3. James, 8.500; 4. Murray, 8.955.
Ladies
Overall points—1. Anita Jezowski, 14; 2. Brenda Pouchnik, 13; 3. Sarah Russell, 7; 4 (tie). Allison Briscoe and Sarah Mooney, 5; 6. Dawn Briscoe, 4; 7. (tie) Michelle Lefler, Aleta Rushton and Kathy Walker, 2; 10. Chantal Ryan, 1.
Axe Throw
1. S. Russell, 9; 2. D. Briscoe, 8; 3. Mooney, 7; 4. Ryan, 2.
Stock Saw
1. Jezowski, 8.530; 2. A. Briscoe, 8.753.
Single Buck
1. Jezowski, 25.735; 2. B. Pouchnik, 27.590; 3. Mooney, 30.925; 4. A. Briscoe, 31.505.
Mixed
Jack and Jill Buck Saw
1. D. Pouchnik-B. Pouchnik, 8.235; 2. MacLeod-Jezowski, 8.920; 3. N. Russell-Sarah Russell, 9.510; 4. Whalen-Mooney, 12.530.
Novice
Overall points—1. Brad Laviolette, 17; 2. Leo Coudrou, 9; 3. Andrew Murray, 8; 4. Angus Brown, 7; 5. Ryan Simmonds, 4; 6. Lucas Rushton, 2; 7. (tie) Troy Lambert and Thomas Symons, 1.
Axe Throw
1. Laviolette, 10; 2. Leo Coudrou, 9; 3. Lucas Rushton, 8 (10); 4. Thomas Symons, 8 (7).
Underhand Chop
1. Murray, 36.750; 2. Coudrou, 40.280; 3. Laviolette, 46.765; 4. Lambert, 56.250.
Obstacle Pole Bucking
1. Laviolette, 14.395; 2. Murray, 17.545; 3. Brown, 18.795; 4. Simmonds, 19.310.
Double Buck
1. Brown-Laviolette, 30.550; 2. Simmonds-Coudrou, 36.735; 3. Walker-A. Rushton, 39.955; 4. A. Briscoe-D. Briscoe, 41.035.