Women Break Multiple World Records at Lumberjack World Championships

Three women established new world records at the Lumberjack World Championships, which recently concluded in Hayward, Wisconsin. The three-day event showcased various timber sports, including high-powered sawing, chopping, logrolling, and speed climbing, attracting competitors from 16 U.S. states and nine countries.

Karolina Urbanová, representing the Czech Republic, set two distinct world records. She secured first place in the Women's Underhand Chop by cutting through 11 inches (27.9 centimeters) of white pine in 21.28 seconds. Urbanová also claimed the top position in the Women's Standing Chop, completing a 9-inch (22.8 centimeters) white pine cut in 19.38 seconds.

Meredith Ingbretson, a local competitor from Hayward, also set a world record in the Women's Boom Run. She successfully sprinted across the water and back over eight red cedar logs in a record-setting time of 13.78 seconds.

This year's championships hosted 66 men and 40 women. Organizers highlighted that women have been competing since the inaugural event in 1960, with their participation expanding significantly from solely logrolling to more than 20 timber sports events. The tradition of lumberjack competitions dates back to the 1890s.

The competition took place at the Lumberjack Bowl on the shores of Lake Hayward, an area historically utilized as a holding pond for log drives down the Namekagon River. The event maintained a strong lumberjack theme, offering wood-carving demonstrations, logrolling practice for children, live music, food trucks, and axe-themed activities outside the primary competition venue.

According to Fortune, competitors use specialized equipment, including custom-built chain saws, precisely sharpened axes, and single buck saws, with sharpening costs for the latter potentially exceeding $400.