Carving competition a highlight for spectators in qathet

Logger Sports is back Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13, at Loggers Memorial Bowl at Willingdon Beach. However, the  carving competition starts in the early morning on Wednesday, July 9, and continues through the weekend.

Both the logger sports weekend and carving competition relaunched a decade ago, thanks to former logger sports world champion and former Powell River Logger Sports president Bob Marquis, and longtime qathet resident, volunteer and carving competition coordinator Laura Passek.

This year there are 12 carvers competing, two from the qathet region: Jay Perrin and Clint Blaney; the rest come from around the world. 

"I started this 10 years ago," said Passek. "It was my idea to bring in the carvers."

After a long hiatus from logger sports due to family tragedy, Marquis decided he wanted to start the games again; that was 10 years ago.

"He wanted to start it up again, so he came and asked me to help him," said Passek. "We started out with eight carvers, and then  grew to 10, but it's been 12 carvers for quite a few years now."

The spectacle and artistry performed by the carvers each year is a big draw for qathet residents and tourists alike, and the backdrop of Willingdon Beach at sunset makes the giant wood sculptures even more illuminating.

"When we first started back up we actually caught the attention of the New York Times," said Passek. "What happened was they [writers] were going by in their boat and they saw a whole whack of people on the beach, so they turned around and went to the wharf, then they walked to the site and walked through and watched some of the events and the carvers."

Passek said the carving competition is now the second largest event in Canada.

"The folks in logger sports and in the carving events are in what they call the competitors circuit," said Passek. “I'm excited to see Benji Waretini-Hemara, from North Vancouver and Kamron Garbe from Armstrong; both are amazing."

The first-prize winner receives $5,000. Second and third prize winners also receive a handsome sum of money.

Passek also coordinates volunteers, which can be a stressful task.

"I was very worried about it in the beginning, because I had maybe 10 to 15 people," said Passek. " But many people signed up at the last minute and now we have close to 40 volunteers."

With the PRISMA Festival and International Choral q̓at̓ᶿaymɩxʷ (Kathaumixw) recently ended, volunteers can burn out, said Passek.

Everyone is welcome to drop by the carving area to watch the local and international competitive artists in action, and vote for their favourites.

"Carvers start on Wednesday, July 9, at eight o'clock in the morning," said Passek. "They need four days."

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