STIHL TIMBERSPORTS®: The pinnacle of competitive lumberjacking

STIHL TIMBERSPORTS^® is a series of extreme sport contests in competitive lumberjacking. It is easy to see why it is considered the pinnacle of competitive lumberjacking. Athletes compete against each other in national and international competitions – in up to three axe and three sawing disciplines.

There are six events (or disciplines) in STIHL TIMBERSPORTS®: 

• Standing Block Chop – Using an axe to chop through a vertical log
• Single Buck – Using a 2m manual saw to saw through a horizontal log
• Stock Saw – Using a STIHL MS 661 chainsaw to cut two discs or ‘cookies’ from a horizontal log
• Underhand Chop – Using an axe to chop through a log whilst standing on it
• Springboard – Using two boards to climb a 2.74m pole, then chop through the log at the top
• And finally… the Hot Saw – Using a custom-built, high-powered petrol chainsaw to saw three cookies from a horizontal log

The tools used when competing in STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® include custom saws and racing axes which are only used for competitions. The only exception is Stock Saw, which uses a standard, unmodified STIHL MS 661 chainsaw.

Competitive lumberjacking has a long tradition of more than 150 years, which is why it is often called "the original extreme sport”. The sport originated in Australia and New Zealand. From there, the sport spread to Canada, the USA, Europe and most recently to Asia. Watch our TIMBERSPORTS® to find out more about the sport.