Did the Stihl Timbersports guys always have to run the hotsaw part of the competition? I remember watching the shows when they first started and most of the guys who chopped and handsawed didn't bother with the hotsaws. But in the past 5 or 6 years, it seems that they all do the hotsaw. Were the rules changed?
Timbersports and Hotsaws
- Thread starter rmihalek
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
ehp
Addicted to ArboristSite
No the rules havenot changed but if you donot do the event you are giving up alot of points that you need to place higher, the only thing Cecil told me was that the guys could not run the series 660 stihl's that they use in the stocksaw class, which they were allowed to use before they had to use a hotsaw or a piped chainsaw
LJS
ArboristSite Operative
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2004
- Messages
- 211
- Reaction score
- 2
rmihalek said:
The "Hotsaw" event has always been an event in the Stihl Timbersports Series. Like ehp said, the rules haven't changed but, the point system has. You use to get show up points, so if you didn't compete in every event, you still could make the finals if you did good in the few events you did. Now, you won't be accepted to compete if you can't do all events, very well, plus only the top 12 instead of 16 go to the finals. LJS
Al Smith
Addicted to ArboristSite
I caught the tail end of the Bath NY,lumberjack show on tv,yesterday,and then,of a show in Ont..In that show,it seemed to me that the contestants had a lot of chain derails.Hot saws are a real treat to watch,but I would bet they are a pain in the rear to operate.It appears that the first obstacle would be getting the contrary rascals started,then getting lined up on the cuts.The change over,would be a chore also,lot of wieght to handle there.I may,some day,build a kart engine saw,but as for bike engine saws,I think I will remain on the spectator side.
Chopwood
ArboristSite Guru
LJS said:
Don Quigley, who now organizes the timbersports shows, won the first stihl timbersports title at Hayward, Wisconsin in the early eighties. It was a different format then it is now, though.
Arden Cogar Jr.
ArboristSite Operative
I was under the impression that Mike Sullivan won the first Timbersports Final back in 1985. I could be totally wrong on that though. I was a kid, but I was there as my father competed in the finals. I think he ended up 8th or 9th that year.
To answer a lot of the questions, the Hotsaw has always been an event on the Series. The big difference came about five years ago when the point system went from 10 for 1st and 1 for 10th to 28 for first and 1 for 28th. In other words, with the change in the point structure, the event specialists (such as myself, Dennis Cahoon, Jim Taylor, etc.) would have a more difficult time earning points under the system. The upside to the system was that it encourage the development of all around abilities.
I made the finals every year under the old system as I always did well in the Underhand, Standing and Single Buck. I ocassionally made a stock saw and springboard final (top ten) and rarely ever hotsawed. I normally didn't run a hotsaw on the series until the finals and it was always a production style saw. The first year the point system changed, I didn't make the finals. I was 13th out of 28. I also missed it last year by 13 points. This year I qualified 11th and finished 9th in the finals but got robbed on the stock saw which knocked me from 5th all the way to 9th - however, that's how it happens and I accept it. My hotsaw gave me fits all year until EHP lined me out and finally started to understand my saw. Who knows where next year will take me? I've got to get a new fuel pump though.... the one I've got now was one Melvin Lentz dug out of a tool box that looked like it had been buried for a few years. It runs though. It runs. 13 tooth here I come.
All the best,
Arden Cogar Jr. aka Jamie
To answer a lot of the questions, the Hotsaw has always been an event on the Series. The big difference came about five years ago when the point system went from 10 for 1st and 1 for 10th to 28 for first and 1 for 28th. In other words, with the change in the point structure, the event specialists (such as myself, Dennis Cahoon, Jim Taylor, etc.) would have a more difficult time earning points under the system. The upside to the system was that it encourage the development of all around abilities.
I made the finals every year under the old system as I always did well in the Underhand, Standing and Single Buck. I ocassionally made a stock saw and springboard final (top ten) and rarely ever hotsawed. I normally didn't run a hotsaw on the series until the finals and it was always a production style saw. The first year the point system changed, I didn't make the finals. I was 13th out of 28. I also missed it last year by 13 points. This year I qualified 11th and finished 9th in the finals but got robbed on the stock saw which knocked me from 5th all the way to 9th - however, that's how it happens and I accept it. My hotsaw gave me fits all year until EHP lined me out and finally started to understand my saw. Who knows where next year will take me? I've got to get a new fuel pump though.... the one I've got now was one Melvin Lentz dug out of a tool box that looked like it had been buried for a few years. It runs though. It runs. 13 tooth here I come.
All the best,
Arden Cogar Jr. aka Jamie
Chopwood
ArboristSite Guru
Jaimie-
I was only going on what Quigley and Duffy, plus a few "old timers" had told me a few years ago. Of course they may have been pulling my chain. But I don't think so.
Andy S
I was only going on what Quigley and Duffy, plus a few "old timers" had told me a few years ago. Of course they may have been pulling my chain. But I don't think so.
Andy S
Arden Cogar Jr.
ArboristSite Operative
Chopwood said:
Andy,
Coool.. Hey, nice interview with you and Erica on the show yesterday. It's always good to have someone that makes us look good, isn't it?
All the best,
Jamie
Chopwood
ArboristSite Guru
Every bit of exposure that that this sport- and I stress the word SPORT- gets is important. Whether or not it is me or anyone else. This little hobby that we do has grown in exposure greatly in the ten years that I have been doing it, and I think that this is only the beginning. Jaime- I was watching videotape of the college spring meet in Pinkerton, NH from '93 I believe, remember that one?
Arden Cogar Jr.
ArboristSite Operative
Andy,
Dude, how could I forget that meet. That marked the first time that the WVU Woodsmen's Team ever went that far North to do a meet. We'd competed at Fingerlakes and Lindsay, but never at the spring meet. I may be getting 92 confused with 93, but I can remember doing the doubles canoeing wearing spandex pants and a tank top (I'm wayyyy uglier now and it was too cold to have camel toe ). I also remember those little "kids" from Pinkerton smoking our butts in the Team Underhand and the Standing Block. Jesus... we had three competent underhand cutters on our team, but they must have beaten us by eight or nine seconds. Not a one of them weighed over 170 either. We had me and two kids that still compete at the local shows here in WV, Ohio and PA. I haven't seen any of the Pinkerton kids on the pro circuit though....kinda sad really for that program to go down, the coach of that program did a wonderful job.
Andy, who all can you recognize on that tape - probably me, yourself, Dave Jewett, Paul Pfenninger, Kevin Ransom, Peg and Dave Engasser might have been at Syracuse and CCFL right?? Just curious.... those college meet tapes are soooooooo entertaining...... Last year, Matt Galambos, from the U. of Maine sent me a tape of a meet in New Brunswick where they single bucked 22" Yellow Poplar (or the equivalent) with old m-tooths. Poor kids.... that race would have taken skilled sawyers, with those style saws, a minute or better. Anyway, this one kid kept on dying during the cut and someone kept yelling "YOU AIN'T TIRED YET......SAY A LITTLE PRAYER." I laughed so hard I fell off the couch. Unreal. I really want to go to some college meets this year and do some coaching. It keeps me fresh and interested in competing.
All the best,
Jamie
Dude, how could I forget that meet. That marked the first time that the WVU Woodsmen's Team ever went that far North to do a meet. We'd competed at Fingerlakes and Lindsay, but never at the spring meet. I may be getting 92 confused with 93, but I can remember doing the doubles canoeing wearing spandex pants and a tank top (I'm wayyyy uglier now and it was too cold to have camel toe
). I also remember those little "kids" from Pinkerton smoking our butts in the Team Underhand and the Standing Block. Jesus... we had three competent underhand cutters on our team, but they must have beaten us by eight or nine seconds. Not a one of them weighed over 170 either. We had me and two kids that still compete at the local shows here in WV, Ohio and PA. I haven't seen any of the Pinkerton kids on the pro circuit though....kinda sad really for that program to go down, the coach of that program did a wonderful job.Andy, who all can you recognize on that tape - probably me, yourself, Dave Jewett, Paul Pfenninger, Kevin Ransom, Peg and Dave Engasser might have been at Syracuse and CCFL right?? Just curious.... those college meet tapes are soooooooo entertaining...... Last year, Matt Galambos, from the U. of Maine sent me a tape of a meet in New Brunswick where they single bucked 22" Yellow Poplar (or the equivalent) with old m-tooths. Poor kids.... that race would have taken skilled sawyers, with those style saws, a minute or better. Anyway, this one kid kept on dying during the cut and someone kept yelling "YOU AIN'T TIRED YET......SAY A LITTLE PRAYER." I laughed so hard I fell off the couch. Unreal. I really want to go to some college meets this year and do some coaching. It keeps me fresh and interested in competing.
All the best,
Jamie
Chopwood
ArboristSite Guru
The spring meet is going to be at fingerlakes this year let me know if you want some info. I'm going to judge for it, Something about having to do packboard and canoeing.
I figure my time is over for the college meets, time to let the young alumni (and Paul and Wally have) a little fun.
I figure my time is over for the college meets, time to let the young alumni (and Paul and Wally have) a little fun.
Arden Cogar Jr.
ArboristSite Operative
Get me some info. I'll see if I can resurrect the interest at WVU in order to get a team to come up. I doubt it right now, but it's worth a shot. When will it be? Kristy and I will be in Sydney during the last two weeks of March - yahoo... I swear this is my last trip. I have someone how managed to win two open handicaps the past two years and made the finals in at least some of the championships. My handicap marks are so high, I'm gonna regrind my rigging axe before I go down this year and use it in all the handicap chops.
All the best,
Jamie
All the best,
Jamie
Chopwood
ArboristSite Guru
Looks like we've got a little research to do! Maybe it was a three way tie HaHa.
Arden Cogar Jr.
ArboristSite Operative
Lots of confusion on who won the first one. It would have been 1985 and more than likely would have occurred at Nelsonville Ohio. I state that with some certainity as it did not occur at Hayward as that was 1991 in the freezing cold (That was my first year doing any events on the Series and I almost qualified after attending only two of the four qualifying events). I know that it wasn't at Hawyward too because 85 was the year that David Foster, George Foster and Bill Youd came over and David all but dominated the events. What David didn't win, Melvin Lentz did. I think Melvin won the underhand, but David won the standing. Bill Youd won the springboard in record time (14" wood - a big block for a tree).
This year at the finals in Chippewa Falls, a lot of trivia questions were asked of the crowd. One of the questions was "Who won the first Timbersports Final?" I recall Mike Sullivan being the answer. I could be wrong. I know Rolin won the event three times - I remember 1992 as that was my first year making the finals (it was held in Hopkington, NH). I also remember 1988 as that was the second and possibly third year at the the Paul Bunyon Festival and Rolin won that one as well. The controversy that year centered around Rick Halverson's stock saw cut in which the head judge over turned his original decision after Rolin protested and showed the cookie in question to all the finalists. I remember that year well as that was the first year I was allowed to compete at Nelsonville as I was 18. I came with my folks the two or three previous years, but I don't remember paying that much attention to the events. Since I was in the main contest, I paid attention.
In any event, sounds like a question for Roger Phelps.
All the best,
Jamie
This year at the finals in Chippewa Falls, a lot of trivia questions were asked of the crowd. One of the questions was "Who won the first Timbersports Final?" I recall Mike Sullivan being the answer. I could be wrong. I know Rolin won the event three times - I remember 1992 as that was my first year making the finals (it was held in Hopkington, NH). I also remember 1988 as that was the second and possibly third year at the the Paul Bunyon Festival and Rolin won that one as well. The controversy that year centered around Rick Halverson's stock saw cut in which the head judge over turned his original decision after Rolin protested and showed the cookie in question to all the finalists. I remember that year well as that was the first year I was allowed to compete at Nelsonville as I was 18. I came with my folks the two or three previous years, but I don't remember paying that much attention to the events. Since I was in the main contest, I paid attention.
In any event, sounds like a question for Roger Phelps.
All the best,
Jamie
026
So the littlest hotsaw didn't make it on.
Oh well, maybe I will be more entertaining next year.
So the littlest hotsaw didn't make it on.
Oh well, maybe I will be more entertaining next year.
