Logging Days is a celebration that happens every summer in PR (Or Park Rapids) I don’t like huge crowds of people but went anyway … most everyone must have stayed home or went to WE Fest over in DL (or Detroit Lakes). I am not sure when we started using just the initials of these towns…but we have for as long as I can remember.
Anyways The Loon Country Carvers were there…a group which Far Guy and I belong to. We had a table set up to demonstrate some of the talents within the group.
The menfolk had it covered so I just wandered around taking photos.
I watched the Chainsaw carvers.
I grabbed a good seat for the Lumberjack Show.
The guy in the middle was the announcer. The guy in the blue lumberjack shirt was from Wisconsin, the guy in the red lumberjack shirt was from Minnesota…Stillwater I think. They had some competitions, sawing logs with super modified chainsaws and one time they each used a one man buck saw. They ran up and down poles…but what I was waiting for was the log rolling competition.
The tank with the black lining is filled with water, a log with strips of carpet or some other kind of fabric is wrapped around the log on both ends. There is a neutral zone in the center of the log that they cannot go into and they cannot touch each other.
Kicking water at your opponent was allowed.
Distractions work as planned.
A victory jump into the water! The lumberjack from Minnesota was victorious!
I wandered around and talked to a few people…saw some neighbors and some old friends.
The weather was almost perfect..it was overcast and about 76F or 24C eh! It spit rain for awhile but it didn’t amount to anything, it evaporated before it hit the ground.
Amazing! Don't often see stuff like that in Yorkshire.
ReplyDeleteThe Lumberjack Show sounds like lots of fun. Never saw such a show except on TV.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen log rolling in ages! No one would mind going in the water in this weather. I blew up the photo to have a good look at the woodcarving display and they are lovely, painting and all.
ReplyDeleteHoping for rain tonight! Everything is crunch here.
So cool! A way to make log rolling into a competitive event. I loved these pictures, and I'm sure glad you all went there so I could go, too. :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't like crowds either but this one sounds interesting and i may have been tempted to go.
ReplyDeleteI remember as a little girl attending the Logging Days when located at the field by the Middle School (now part of Hugos) and then later at the local beach in PR. They were grand shows to a little girl! The last logging days event we attended happened to be at Grand Marais while vacationing and it was their Fisherman Wharf Days. The chainsaw sculptures would be interesting to watch.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with having to work in the VC on Saturdays, is that I miss a lot of these local events. :( That said, I sure didn't miss WE Fest one bit!
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten that Grand Rapids pulled off one of these every year. I was always impressed with marching band and the native American theme they used back then. I don't suppose it is politically correct anymore. You have a lot of good woodcarvers in your group. It has to be fun to hang around people who are creatively working with wood.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that Logging Days highlight the skills that "built" the Midwest. One community here celebrates the Tie Hacks (loggers who hand hewed railroad ties in the forest by the thousands) but I've never seen competitions.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a lot of fun! Glad the weather was pleasant.
ReplyDeleteOh how fun!!! I have heard of these but you are the first person I know that has attended one! I am sooooo glad you both were able to go - - and to possibly encourage others in wood carving. Those chainsaw carvers are amazingly skilled, too, aren't they? Do they use only a chainsaw or do they use smaller knives for detail work like the faces - - on animals. I have only seen the chainsaw bears around here.
ReplyDeleteLooks like fun--at least to watch! Thanks for sharing those photos. I likely will never be seeing one live, myself ;)
ReplyDeletethis sounds a lot like the town fest where my sister lives in Vernonia, Oregon, in the Coast Range. Vernonia is a logging town too. In fact, my dad was a loffer all through my early childhood, so I know about this stuff! And while i don't live in a small Oregon town any more, I do remember that small town feeling where people know each other.
ReplyDeleteOops. Dad was a "logger", not a "loffer"!
DeleteSo much fun, love watching the rolling log lumberjacks.Blessings Francine.
ReplyDeleteLooks like so much fun!
ReplyDeleteForestry is huge in British Columbia, so logging shows are a part of a lot of events. Always fun to watch!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how cold the water was in the tank!!!
ReplyDelete:) Did the Loon Country Carvers have a good day?
Perfect weather! Except for the spitting rain-LOL! Log rolling is always such fun to watch. I also really am amazed at watching them shimmy up the tree poles, though, too. I hope you guys were selling some of the beautiful carvings. :)
ReplyDeleteThat would be fun to see. I know Terry and I would have been there clapping!
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Cool! You'd think with all your lakes though that they wouldn't have to use a tank. You really have fun festivals up there. We went to the fair while my daughter was here and it was a Saturday and when we got there it wasn't open...they didn't open until 5:00 p.m....on a Saturday! What the heck? We visited the park and went home. Maybe it's because of the heat down here? But it was a nice day in the 80's and not too humid. I will never understand the South and I was so looking forward to a funnel cake! Dang it!
ReplyDeleteLog rolling would be my favorite event too. Great action shots!