Top 20 Pro Lumberjack Athletes Advance U.S. Championship
OutdoorHub 05.08.12
STIHL Inc., creator and producer of the world’s premier lumberjack competition, the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series presented by Ram Trucks, announced its 2012 U.S. Championship lineup today. The top 20 U.S. professional lumberjack athletes will compete in the “Original Extreme Sport” at The Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., June 1-3.
“This season’s championship roster includes returning champions, seasoned favorites, former collegiate competitors and first-time advancers,” said Brad Sorgen, producer of the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series. “These are the best American lumberjack athletes and they are competing for not only the championship trophy, but the honor of representing their country at the World Championships. We look forward to an intense competition with a spectacular amount of talent.”
Among the top 20 is Mike Sullivan. A former pro-baseball player fromWinsted,Conn., he will make his 27th consecutive appearance in the Series, making him the only competitor to appear in every season of the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series. Also making the cut are father-son competitors Mike and Matt Slingerland from Rockwell, NC and Paul and Matt Cogar from Diana, W.Va.
The qualifying rounds provided some surprises with newcomer Matthew Marks from Middlesex, NY advancing to the Championships. Marks advanced out of the Mid-Atlantic Qualifier, out-chopping and sawing top former Collegiate Series turned pro competitors Daniel Jones and Will Roberts. This is Marks’ second year competing in the Series.
Former STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series U.S. champions that will be returning to try and repeat history are include Carson Bosworth (2008), Mel Lentz (2010) and Arden Cogar Jr. (2009, 2011).
Over the course of three days the 20 athletes will compete in six lumberjack disciplines including the hot saw, springboard chop, standing block chop, stock saw and underhand chop, racing the clock and each other. They will start in two pools of 10 with the top four in each pool advancing to the final U.S. Championship round Saturday, June 2. The winner not only claims the coveted national title but will advance to the World Championship in Lillehammer, Norway Sept. 8-9.
Outdoor Channel and TUFF TV cameras will be on site to catch the wood-chopping, saw-screaming action. The 2012 U.S. Championship shows will air on Outdoor Channel this summer. The airing schedule appears below and can be found here.
TV AIR SCHEDULE
Outdoor Channel
| Competition | Air Schedule |
| U.S. Championship-Round 1 | June 13 at 8 a.m. EDT, Friday, June 15 at 2 a.m. EDT; Sunday, June 17 at 4 p.m. EDT |
| U.S. Championship-Finals | June 20 at 8 a.m. EDT, Friday, June 22 at 2 a.m. EDT; Sunday, June 24 at 4 p.m. EDT |
Established in 1985 by STIHL, the number-one selling brand of gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment in America*, the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series, billed as the Original Extreme Sport, attracts the world’s top lumberjack athletes in a competition based on historic logging techniques. The Series is seen by millions of viewers annually in more than 62 countries on networks such as ESPNU, Eurosport, Outdoor Channel and TUFF TV.
Get the latest information, stay up to date on news and competition and access behind-the-scenes photos and videos by joining the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series community online and on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series 2012 U.S. Championship Competitors
Carson Bosworth, Lake Geneva, Wis.
Harry Burnsworth, Mill Run, Pa.
Arden Cogar Jr., West Hamlin, W.Va.
Matt Cogar,Diana,W.Va.
Paul Cogar, Diana, W.Va.
Mike Eash, Coatesville, Pa.
Mike Forrester, Glide, Ore.
Warrick Hallett, Glencoe, Minn.
Dave Jewett, Pittsford, NY
Richard Jordan,Sterling,Conn.
Mel Lentz, Diana, W.Va.
Matthew Marks, Middlesex, NY
David Moses, Snoqualmie, Wash.
Branden Sirguy, Port Angeles, Wash.
Jeff Skirvin, Clatskanie, Ore.
Matt Slingerland, Rockwell, NC
Mike Slingerland, Rockwell, NC
Mike Sullivan, Winsted, Conn.
Rob Waibel, WestLinn,Ore.
Nathan Waterfield, Cherry Valley, NY
Full competitor bios are available at STIHLTIMBERSPORTS.US.
