Competitors from all over Canada and around the world will be spring-boarding and underhand-chopping for prizes and prestige at Powell River Logger Sports (PRLS), which takes place at the Logger Memorial Bowl at Willingdon Beach on Saturday, July 12, and Sunday, July 13.
More than 60 competitors are expected at this sanctioned event through the Canadian Loggers Sports Association (CANLOG). World-renowned champions Mitch Hewitt, Allison Briscoe and Stirling Hart will be attending, plus local champion competitors Tyler Brady, Julian Welp, Michelle Silvester, Verjall Ham, Danielle Ceulen, Keenan Young and Rosalea Pagani.
The opening ceremony will begin at 12 pm on July 12, including bagpipes and dignitaries; there will also be a beer garden, draws for prizes, a silent auction and food booths. Entry to the event is by donation to Powell River Action Centre Food Bank.
"There's about 62 competitors this year," said Silvester, a competitor and PRLS treasurer. "I'm looking forward to seeing all those competitors, and the crowd always makes all the volunteer time worth it."
Logger sports weekend is entirely volunteer driven by volunteers like Silvester and Laura Passek, who organizes the carving competition.
"We are adding another relay this year," said Silvester. "We have four teams entering so it might be extra entertaining for the audience."
Silvester said former PRLS president Bob Marquis asked her to be on the board when the games relaunched just under a decade ago.
"I attended a volunteer meeting because my great-grandfather competed, not in Powell River but up in Bella Coola," said Silvester. "I was sitting at a table with a group of people and Bob walked up to me and said, 'you're on the board.'"
Silvester has been competing in logger sports events in qathet and elsewhere since 2016.
"I had some family history of competing, and then I had gone to Port McNeill's event to learn about logger sports," said Silvester. "We had a Powell River team back then that used to always meet and train."
Many competitors try to do the CANLOG circuit; after Powell River, there will be logger sports events taking place in Campbell River, Cowichan and Port Alberni.
According to the Sunshine Coast Tourism guide: The springboard, the underhand chop and the axe throw events started more than a century ago in logging camps up and down the coast, including in the qathet region. In the evenings, loggers would entertain each other, showing off their skills.
In 2023, the provincial government proclaimed July 15 as Logger Sports Day in BC.
"I think there's a lot of behind the scenes that people don't think about, like, for example, two of our board members and a volunteer drove all the way to Port McNeill to pick up wood," said Silvester.
PRLS gates open at 9:30 am on Saturday at Willingdon Beach. The carving competition starts July 9, at the old Civic Arena site.
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