On Mar. 9, McGill’s Macdonald Campus hosted its 62nd Annual Woodsmen Competition, serving as the penultimate stop for the universities competing in the Canadian Intercollegiate Lumberjacking Association (CILA). The athletes hailed from six different Eastern Canada post-secondary institutions: Algonquin College, Dalhousie University, Fleming College, Maritimes College of Forest Technology, and the University of New Brunswick.
With over a dozen events, the competition is split into team, doubles, and singles events, each of which is subdivided by gender. After the opening ceremony’s early 8:30 a.m. start, friends, family, and curious onlookers were welcomed by the pulp-throwing events, introducing the physical and excitement that would unfold during the day.
Events revolved around traditional lumberjack skills, including multiple variations of woodchopping, with competitors using a Swede saw, a single buck saw, a chainsaw, or an axe. Other events, such as axe throwing or log rolling, offered constant entertainment for the families and friends in attendance.
Arguably one of the most impressive events—the pole climbing competition—saw multiple competitors try to climb a 28-foot-tall pole as fast as possible. Parker Chase led McGill to a third-place finish under the watchful eyes of her teammates. Next to the pole, the log decking event took place, where athletes took turns trying to roll the log from end to end of the course. McGill’s log decking team faced some challenges, as the log slipped and had to repeatedly be brought back on the trail.
The afternoon opened with light rain and hail, but that did not deter the pairs from competing in the overhand and quarter splits events. Women’s captain Louanne Marquis and teammate Marlene Herzog succeeded Massimo Malorni and Sebastien Beaulieu for the underhand event.
“We were excited for the competition today with all our family and friends out here to support,” said Herzog, who was competing in the overhand and single buck event, in an interview with //The Tribune//. “I feel like we’re crushing it so far today.”
This prediction came to fruition, as the McGill women’s team delivered an outstandingly speedy and technical performance on the team Swede. The even saw six teammates try to succeed each other in chopping wood discs from a trunk as possible in under five minutes. Their cohesion and technique propelled the women’s team to second place overall, closely following Dalhousie University’s score. The team achieved first place in the team sawing and crosscut saw events, as well as winning individual honours, with first place in single buck sawing and individual supersweet sawing, and podiuming in chainsaw and water boiling.
The competition ended with the long-awaited water boil event. Each participant gets a tin can filled with water and soap and needs to make a fire out of a supplied log, bringing the can’s contents to boil until the liquid overflows. The spectacular panorama of competitors, each kindling the flames in hopes of heating the can as fast as possible, left audience members speechless.
As the 2023-24 season is coming to a close soon, coach Andreanne La Salle reflected on the performance of the teams.
“We just want to keep up our game like it is right now. Just keep focusing and correct a few things that could have gone better in the last competition,” La Salle said. “Maybe fine tuning a bit of technique [here and] there.”
As the only Quebec team on the circuit, the team faces more difficulty with recruiting, which plays a role in their ability to compete with provinces where logger sports are more popular.
“For example, in the Maritimes, the logger sports are something that they do in 4-H, whereas in Quebec, even though we do have really big, deep roots in the logger disciplines or work field, it’s not a sport that’s well known,” La Salle concluded.
The Macdonald Campus Woodsmen will be travelling to Nova Scotia to attend Dalhousie’s 38th annual Rick Russel Loggersport Competition on Mar. 23.
