2 November 2011

Chips will be flying in International Tests

This year’s Canterbury A&P Show will host two international tests in the woodchopping section with the Stihl Team Race New South Wales vs South Island and new this year, the New Zealand vs Australia Veterans Team Race, held over all three days.

Both events are relays with competitors battling it out in Standing, Underhand, Single Saw and Double Hand disciplines. Each team has eight competitors who begin with two rounds of Underhand and Standing before moving onto Single Saw, then Double Saw, followed by another round of Underhand and Standing.

“Spectators really enjoy the Team Race. It is quite exciting as the axemen move from one discipline to another in rapid succession” commented Woodchopping Convenor Gordon Smith.

The Stihl Team Race is an open event while the Veterans Team Race is restricted to ages 60+. “Compared to other sports, woodchopping offers competitors longevity. The majority of those competing in the Veterans Team Race will still be active in the woodchopping circuit including Ashburton local Ray Harraway” added Smith.

Harraway who is 70 years old is a veteran of 55 years of competition. He has set 13 New Zealand records, still holding 11 of them today, as well as a gaining a World Title in 1986.

The Stihl Team Race will have a number of top axemen including Adam Lowe (Hokitika) and Bobby Dowling (Southland) in the South Island Team and World Champion Brad De Losa in the Australian team. New South Wales are the reigning champions in the Stihl Team Race at the Canterbury A&P Show.

Team Race Disciplines:
Standing - This event simulates the felling of a tree where a vertically secured block has to be cut from both sides as quickly as possible.
Underhand - When the axeman stands on the top of the log and uses a downwards motion to chop the log in two as fast as possible.
Single Saw - This event is often considered the hardest discipline in woodchopping. The competitor pulls and pushes a razor sharp saw specifically designed for the event.
Double Saw - This event consists of two people pulling and pushing a saw to cut a log. It is far faster than the single saw event as there are two people using the saw yet times for this event can be 2 or 3 times faster in the same size wood.

The woodchopping section has received over 100 entries, with competitors competing for over $22,000 in prize money in heats and finals of various classes including Underhand, Standing, Tree plus the popular Jill & Jill and Jack & Jill Classes. Entries have been received from as far afield as Wales and Canada as well as World Champion lumberjack Jason Wynyard.

The Shearing Section at the Canterbury A&P Show will also be hosting an international test with a team of seven travelling from Australia to compete in Woolhandling, Blade and Machine shearing. The team includes dual World Champion Shearer Shannon Warnest.

New Zealand vs Australia Woolhandling Test - Thursday 10 November
New Zealand vs Australia Blade Shearing Test - Friday 11 November
New Zealand vs Australia Machine Shearing Test - Friday 11 November

The 2011 Canterbury A&P Show will be held Wednesday 9 to Friday 11 November at Canterbury Agricultural Park in Christchurch. It is the largest A&P Show in the country attracting over 100,000 people, over 6000 livestock and feature competition entries and 500 trade exhibitors.

ENDS

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