The chips will fly

Press, 19 October 1977, Page 22

The chips will fly

Many of the finest axemen from throughout New Zealand will compete in a variety of events when the Ferrymead club

holds its wood-chopping carnival at the Ferrymead Historic Park on Saturday. Organisers of the contest have been extremely pleased with the response, and strong fields are assured in the underhand and standing chops, single and double-handed sawing, and the spectacular jiggerboard chop. The programme has been divided into 28 chops, several of them having an equivalent status to that of an official national championship. Although the sport is one of the longest-estab-lished in this country, the club will be marking the opening of its new facilities — which include seating for 500 spectators — at Ferry mead.

Mike Carran, from Southland, will be the backmarker in the handicaps, on 31 sec. He faces a formidable task in giving starts to such accomplished competitors as Rusty Lemon, Ralph Dixon, Dennis McLaughlin, Dan Gilsenan (West Coast), Dave Gibson, John Hampton (Nelson), Jock Bentley, Noel Dickipson (Wairarapa), and the brothers, Mark and Dan Smith, from Kaikoura. - Leading the Canterbury

challenge will be another combination of brothers. Bill and Joe Curtain, and Les Gilsenan. Gilsenan recently returned to Christchurch after spending three months on a chopping circuit in the United States, and his performances in the jiggerboard event should be of particular interest. With so many close finishes a very real prospect, the day’s programme should provide an ideal test for the new system of judging which is to be introduced. Video tape cameras are to be used, the first time in an axemen’s contest anywhere in the world.

Preparations began several weeks ago, with club members battling against poor weather conditions to cut out and trim a total of 275 logs. Many more hours were spent in readying the arena, with the assistance of Mr Don Muir, the manager of the Ferrymead Trust, and his staff.

The aspiring champions, as well as those who have achieved national woodchopping recognition, will also have an opportunity to show their skills when the programme is completed by a boys’ chop.