With just over one week to go until the Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival, competitors are clearing space on their itinerary for the 54th annual event.
Participants will take over the Al McIntosh Loggers Sports Grounds, starting on July 30 with the novice and intermediate loggers followed by the World Class Open show on July 31.
Several top competitors have already confirmed entrance into this year's event including:
Brian Bartow - The Lake Oswego, Oregon native is a world champion climber and is no stranger to Squamish. Last year, Bartow won the chokerman's race, the tree topping competition and the intermediate springboard chop. Back in 2009, Bartow won the chokerman's race and then placed second in tree topping and the open climb; Mitch Hewitt - Last year's Logger of the Day will be returning to defend his title. Hewitt, an Australian who now calls Chase, B.C. home, won the underhand chop, the springboard chop and the obstacle pole bucking events at last year's show. It will be a family affair for Hewitt as his father, Kerry Hewitt will also be making the long trek to Squamish from Australia. The elder Hewitt is a world class champion in the Land Down Under and will be making his Squamish debut. Still to be confirmed is attendance of third generation logger sports competitor Jake Hewitt. Last year, the then-four-year-old wowed those in attendance with his chopping skills during a break in main competitor action; Wade Stewart - The Nanoose Bay native won last year's powersaw tree falling event and, in 2009, he won the tree topping world championship as well as placing second in both the birling competition and chokerman's race. The former eight time world champion will look to continue a successful career with another solid showing in Squamish.
In addition to the aforementioned competitors, a number of other pro competitors from the Stihl Timbersports Series in the United States will be coming up to Squamish. Already confirmed are: Jeff Skirvin, Mike Forrester, Rob Waibel, James Hartley, David Moses Jr. and David Green. The Stihl Timbersports Series was established in 1985 and is seen by over 20 million viewers annually in over 62 countries around the world on networks such as Eurosport and ESPN2.
Longtime Squamish Days event secretary Debbie Patterson said she was pleased with the news that members of the series will be coming to Squamish.
"I am getting quite excited," she said. "These men are very skilled professional lumberjacks, most of them live inthe Pacific Northwest and they will be competing in the Open Show on Sunday."
She also pointed out that registration deadline is July 22 and she expects several more high profile competitors, and local novice and intermediate participants, to sign on the dotted line.
For more information on the event, visit www.squamishdays.ca.
