In 1960, Terrace’s Loggers

‘Sports Day was a chancy affair.

Under the supervision of a group of local loggers, the Sports Day

was in decline and in need of

someone to come in and take over.

The Terrace Downtown Lions did just that and, over the next fourteen years, built the Loggers Sports Day into one of the highlights of the Terrace calendar. Last year, afler a lengthy break, the Downtown Lions revived the Loggers Sports Day.

The Lions have built a solid show out of the Loggers Sports, a show that yearly attracts forty of the top loggers from throuthout the area and the province to the Community Grounds in Thornhill. Not content with just that, they have added a number of refinements including numerous events for novice competitors and have linked up with the Skeena Valley Fall Fair Association for a fun weekend for the whole family.

Besides the regular Fall Fair events, visitors can view or participate in, the three-day horse show, sponsored by the 4-H Club and the Totem Saddle Club, heavy horse pulls on Saturday and

__. Lions have built _ Loggers Sports

Sunday (with six or seven teams: participating), a Belly Flop contest, Shriners clowns, music by local musicians, a heavy equipment display by Coast Tractor and

Finning’s, an auction of exhibit §j

items which have been donated, and the Kinsmen’s Beer Garden.

Associated with Canlog (the Canadian Loggers. Sports Association), the Downtown Lions Loggers Sports Day has been graced with a Canadian championship event every year. This year, it will be the pole falling event.

Over the years, the amount of prizes and money offered to the competitors has grown dramatically. Prizes are awarded as cash, trophies, medals, certificates and other mementos of one of the finest days of competition in the area.

For the people of Terrace and area, the Downtown Lions Loggers Sports Day has become synonymous with flat-out competition, thrills, chills and spills as the best in the business meet, right here in Terrace, B.C. at The Thornhill Community Fair Grounds.

Loggers Sports events cont'd fr. B10 |

Obstacle Pole Bucking

Shut saw off to start. Contestant

must get on the pole below a given mark, run up pole, start saw at cutting point, buck from both sides with underside of bar, shut off saw before continuing on the rest of the race, run down the pole past mark

before getting off pole and return:

Bucking

The bucking events grew from the forest operations. After the faller had chopped or cut the tree down, the bucker went through and did the necessary trimming of the log. Rather than trimming branches and such from the trees, the log- gers involved in competition are required to cut a disc from the end of a log, with several variations.

There’s the power saw bucking, ‘the hand bucking, which involves the use of cross cut saws and the obstacle bucking, one of the most exciting. Either way, the action is thick and heavy and the chips fly!

The obstacle bucking is done on a long pole close to the ground.

The competitor is required to run

along the log, cut the disc and run back, without touching the ground. The trick here is balance. Not only does the logger have to race along the log, but he must make his cut while standing atop the thing, and then run back. .

In all events, the muscles strain io drive the chain saw or double cut saw through the wood, ahead of the nearest rival.

to starting point. Finished cuts must be within 1 inch of each other at all points. It is recom- mended that the sawing end of the pole be a standard size, six to eight inches in diameter. The saw must be carried back to the finish line.

Double Handed Bucking

Same as single man except no

free end of saw. It is

recommended that 22 to 28 inch diameter logs be used.

Tug of War

Ladies Cross Cut.

Chokermen’s race

A choker is a long, length of thick cable used to haul trees from where they are felled to a central location where they could be trucked, or floated, to the market. The chokerman was the man who attached the choker to the felled Irees.

The trees were felled and bucked (trimmed of their branches) and then the chokerman went to work. Hauling the choker chain from the donkey engine through the thick

Terrace Review — Wednesday, August 29, i990 B11

underbrush, slipping the cable around the log in such a way that it wouldn’t slip off, fastening the

choker and then stepping back to

let the steam engines go to work.

As soon as the choker was free, he was at it again.

Competitions between chokermen developed on the job, with overzealous newcomers trying to outdo the old hands and the old hands racing for the fun of it.

This competition grew into the Chokerman’s Race. If you want to see loggers sweat, this is one event you don’t want to miss.

Single Handed Bucking

Starting cut depth shall be deter- mined by placing a thin wire around the log and through the cut to determine equal amount of wood to cut. Saw must cut com- pletely through the log and saw must not be used to pry out. Cuts

to be made within area designated

by judges, Each contestant will be allowed a "second" or manager to oil his saw, put in wedges, etc. The second must not touch the saw after the wedge is in place and can only drive wedge as is necessary. The wedge must not be worked back and forth, In this event, the free end of the saw must be free of any handle or weight.

Local Power Saw Bucking

AN S {te ( Wi...

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