Toms nephew in New Zealand and Australia

[choppermom]

Just thought some of you who looked at pictures posted of my young nephew would like to know he made his way to New Zealand to chop and train with some of the best in the world and also will be going to Australia. Right now he is at a show with Jason Wynyard and will ge going to more in Australia with Dale Ryan.

Leslie Fales

 

[choppermom]

Father, Son and Grandson....Its in the Genes

This is a pic of my dad the last time he chopped at the Paul Bunyan Days Logging Show. He was 67 years old then and was the All Around Logger, he is now 73 years old and took his grandson Andy to work with him this last year before he retired.

Leslie Fales

 

[jimmyq]

very cool

 

[choppermom]

Here is a pic of Tom's nephew Andy at the Fort Bragg Paul Bunyan Days Logging Show, it was his first time chopping he was 16 years old then. When I have some pics of him in New Zealand and Australia I will post them.

Leslie Fales

 

[tony marks]

great pics ,,chopper mom.. i knowt u proud an oughta be.. but tell me hes not wearing runnung shoes ..

 

[choppermom]

Actually they are skater shoes but yes if you have ever watched any of the axemen you will see they wear flat bottom shoes so they have good balance on the block. I have watched quite a bit of chopping and never seen anyone cut their foot yet and I've watched my nephew, he is very accurate with an axe. Last weekend he chopped in his first show in New Zealand at a place called Warkworth and he did okay, what he is doing is learning still and getting the experience, he has the accuracy and the speed will come the more he chops or so I am told by the professional axemen that have watched him over the last couple years, he did place third in the axe throw. He is at 2 shows this weekend, Rotorua and Tamaranui so we are waiting to hear still how it went.

Leslie Fales

 

[tony marks]

lawd how mercy this woman gets a thing done..

 

[Dennis Cahoon]

Leslie, I bet Andy's having fun and I'm jealous! Annette, Aaron, and myself went to the Rotorua show but missed Tamaranui last year. David Bolstat puts on the Tamaranui show. We drank plenty of grog after the show, but I'm sure Andy's not doing much of that or looking at the girls! Let us know about how the rest of the trip goes. Dennis

 

[choppermom]

Mr. Marks

I was a little slow on picking up your meaning in your post but what I should have said is I prefer cowboys Not tree monkeys.

Hey Dennis, yes I'm sure he is not looking at girls......will let you know later how things went.

Leslie

 

[tony marks]

least itsbest to think it huh mom.. my little girl aint looking at boys either.. 15

 

[choppermom]

Just letting you all know whoever has read this post I started that my nephew Andy Fales is in Australia now and has been to two shows there. My brother got a call from Andy tonight and he has just returned from a show where he placed 1st in one of the underhand chops and 2nd in the other. These chops are handicapped and as of this last show his was twenty something that means he has to wait until they count off twenty before he can start chopping his block. He hasn't sent any pictures yet but as soon as I receive some I will be sure to post a couple. He will be going to a show every weekend until he returns home in April. I am pretty proud of his effort this weekend.

Leslie Fales

 

[ehp]

Andy most be a very good chopper to have a handicap of over 20 and still win , that is good for someone young , it will make him want to win more when he gets back home so i would say that the USA is going to have a new guy on the block to watch out for very soon

 

[tony marks]

mom that sounds like a heck of an handiucap..like putting hulk hogan on secretariate an telling him to win any way.. which he would have probabably..
always felt sorry for that second place horse,,sham or something like that.. hed be in the books as an tripple crown winner if he hadnt come a long at the same time secretariat did../

 

[choppermom]

ehp and tony marks,

He is still learning and gaining experience and I am very proud of him. The shows he is going to he is in the B class and I'm pretty sure there are alot of good axemen in that class and the more he chops the better he will get and who knows one day he just might be able to give the big boys some competition. Anyways right now this is one of the best experiences for him to learn this sport and become one of those young american guys to watch out for.

Leslie Fales

 

[ehp]

Choppermom do not think just because he is in the B class that he is not doing very well, if the truth was to be known some of the guys from the Stihl Series all so chop in the B class when down under , so plain and simple he must be good and that is what North America needs is some good choppers over here to make the boys from down under think about coming up here and maybe getting beat for once

 

[ehp]

Chopper Mom some of the guys that chop from the states stopped by last night and they say Andy most likely will be a force to deal with soon , he is chopping very well and making good gains fast so i would think soon we will be hearing about Andy and how he is spanking everyone ass chopping

 

[choppermom]

Ehp

Hey thats good to hear. The show he was at was at a place called Milton and now this coming weekend there is 4 or 5 shows going on and I'm not sure which one he is going to. Earlier this month the guys had him signed up to go to one of the big ones The Royal Cannberra but Dale Ryan who he is staying with said he would be better off going to these other ones where he would get more chops in. Andy thinks quite a bit of Dale, he gave Andy one of his good axes about 2 years ago, I think it is one of those Jack Otoole axes if I remember correctly.

Leslie Fales

 

[ehp]

As far as chopper's go i would but Dale in the top 4 in the world so what ever he says would be good enough for me and yes there axes are alot different than what we get over here , Dion Lane let me try one of his axes and on a 12 inch block i put 6 hits in the front and was ready to turn and i know i would of had to use 10 hits to be as far in as i was with one of my new axes from down under

 

[Gypo Logger]

Hi Leslie, you better start injecting a bit more enthusiasm etc. into your posts.
I for one, think it's an outrage that your thread has only one star while Ed's has three. What's up with that?
Oh, I see, you's come on here originaly like raging bulls and now you are all meek and mild.
Anyway Leslie, it is great to hear that your nephew is a "chip off the old block", good luck to him and I wish him well.
John

 

[Dennis Cahoon]

Leslie, is Andy going to be able to stay for the Royal Easter Show? Hopefully Dale is teaching Andy about being just an axeman, LOL What a lucky kid to spend the winter/summer in N.Z. and Aus. Dennis