Learn More About LWC Competitors
Sawyers and Choppers
Arden Cogar, Jr. |
At the age of 41, Cogar, is the only practicing attorney currently involved with lumberjack sports. A native of West Virginia, Cogar is a member of a large timber sports family, which includes not only his father, but his wife, mother, cousins, and in-laws. Arden, currently residing in West Hamline, attends about 30 lumberjack shows a year, and is a historian on the sport of chopping. Though he wears a suit 5 days a week, Cogar states he "loves to make chips fly" on the weekends. For a man who only has time for a hobby, it still remains his passion as evidenced by his wins last year. Cogar took 4th in the Men’s Standing Chop, Men’s Single Buck and the Men’s Underhand Chop. |
Lindsay Daun |
Daun, 24, a student from Round Lake, Illinois, started competing because both of her parents were involved in timber sports. Last year Daun and partner Dave Jewett placed second in the Jack and Jill competition with a time of 7.06 seconds. Daun, the Women's Single Buck Champion in both 2003 and 2004, also took home a 4th place finish in last year’s Single Buck competition. |
Warrick Hallet |
Hallet, from Glencoe, Minnesota is a finish carpenter by trade who enjoys wood chopping and working at home. One of Hallet’s favorite events is the Hot Saw where he placed 2nd last year along with a third place in the Masters Double Buck with partner John Maynard. |
Rick Halvorson |
Halvorson, 62, from Alma Center, Wisconsin has been involved in timber sports for over 20 plus years. Halvorson owns a logging business along with his wife Penny, who is also a world champion. Together the Halvorson's own 8 Jack and Jill world titles (1990, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002). Halvorson competes in 15-20 events per year, mostly in the Midwest and the eastern U.S. An avid downhill skier, Rick keeps in shape with weight training and states his favorite event is the Hot Saw. Last year Halvorson took third in the Master’s Underhand Chop and placed second in the Master’s Double Buck with partner Jeff Crago. |
Dave Jewett |
Jewett, a chainsaw carver, lumberjack competitor, log furniture builder and owner of a Christmas tree business is sometimes best described as a "Renaissance Man of Wood." Holder of over 30 world titles and 25 world records, Jewett recently returned to pro competition after surviving kidney failure and a having a successful transplant from his father. Dave took first once again last year with long time partner J.P. Mercier in the Double Buck. Jewett and Mercier hold the titles for 2000-2002, 2004, 2006 and 2009 in this event. Partnered with Lindsay Daun once again in the Jack and Jill, Jewett earned a 2nd place finish last year in the event which he and Daun set a new world record in 2010. Additionally Jewett took home third place honors in the Hot Saw and Springboard Chop with a 2nd place
finish in the Men’s Single Buck. |
Brad DeLosa |
DeLosa, of Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia holds two world titles from the Sydney, Australia show and is the titleholder of the NSW Champion of Champions. A member of the Australian Axemen, DeLosa is a fitter machinist who enjoys motorbike riding when not in training. DeLosa says his favorite competition is the Standing Block Chop, an event he placed third in last year along with a third place finish in both the Men’s Single Buck and Men’s Underhand Chop |
John Maynard |
Maynard, 56, from Ft. Atkinson, WI took home silver with partner Rick Halvorson in the Master’s Double Buck. |
Jean-Pierre (J.P.) Mercier |
Jean Pierre (JP), 53, from St. Etienne, Quebec, Canada, is a professional saw maker, filing and sharpening saws, including those of many world title holders. Mercier became involved with timber sports over 30 years ago because his father was a competitor. A multiple year champion in the Double Buck, Mercier and partner Dave Jewett hold titles for the years 2000-2002, 2004, 2006 and 2009. JP enjoys making maple syrup, singing in a choir in the off season and playing chess between heats. Placing first in the Double Buck with long time partner Dave Jewett, Mercier also took home a second place finish in the Master’s Underhand Chop and the Axe Throw, along with a 4th in both the Jack and Jill with partner Denise Ott, and the Hot Saw. |
Laurence O'Toole, Jr. |
Laurence, 29, from Doncaster, Victoria, Australia is the son of multi-year champion Lawrence O'Toole, Sr. Holder of 5 World Titles and 7 Australian titles, Laurence was the 2009 overall champion in Sydney. Last year O’Toole took first place in both the Springboard and Men’s Underhand Chop, second in the Men’s Standing Block Chop and 3rd in the Double Buck. |
Denise Ott |
Ott, 41, from Deer River, MN, has been involved with timber sports for many years through her father, past Master's Underhand Chop champion, Gus Carlson. Denise placed fourth with partner J.P.Mercier in the Jack and Jill last year. |
Mike Sullivan |
Sullivan, 51, from Winsted, Connecticut, has participated in timber sports for over 25 years. Sullivan got interested in the sport because his father was a competitor, and he now competes in 18-20 events throughout the United States, Canada and "wherever the big shows are" yearly. Mike is a manufacturer's rep for an archery company who still finds time to train year round. Sullivan, the 2003,2005 and 2008 Hot Saw Champion once again took home the gold for a first place finish in the 2011 Hot Saw competition. Sullivan, along with partner Nancy Zalewski, also placed first in the Jack and Jill sawing event and took home third with partner Laurence O’Toole Jr. in the Double Buck. |
Sheree Taylor |
Taylor, 57, a farmer from Te Aroha, New Zealand, was told by doctors in 2001 that she would never be able to compete again. Proving ability supersedes age (and doctors) Sheree placed third last year in the Women's Single Buck, an event she won in 1995, 1998, 2001, 2005-2007. At last year's Championships, Taylor took second place in the Women's Underhand Chop, besting some competitors who were 20 years younger than herself. |
Jason Wynyard |
Wynyard, 36, from Auckland, New Zealand, is a full time competitor who has been involved with timber sports for over 20 years. Raised around timber sports competitions by his father, a world champion in the 1960's, Jason and his wife Karmyn are both multiple year champions. Currently Jason competes in 6-8 shows in the United States, 10 shows in New Zealand and 5 shows in Australia per year. With last year’s win, Wynyard garnered his 13th consecutive All Around title, a feat unparalleled in today’s competitive timber sports world. Wynyard placed first in both the Men’s Standing Block Chop and Men’s Single Buck, second in the Men’s Underhand, Springboard Chop and Double Buck with partner Robert Dowling. Wynyard also took home a third placed finish with wife Karmyn in the Jack and Jill. |
Karmyn Wynyard |
Karmyn Wynyard, a native of Auckland, New Zealand, has two sons and 1 daughter with World Champion Sawyer/Chopper Jason Wynyard. Karmyn’s family has been involved on the world timber stage for many years. Both Karmyn’s father and brother Dion along with husband Jason have been major influences in her life. In 2003, 2005-06 Karmyn and Jason won the Jack and Jill event, in which last year they placed third. Karmyn placed second in the Women’s Single Buck and she also took home a fourth place finish in the Women’s Underhand Chop. |
Nancy Zalewski |
Zalewski, 42, a native of Hayward, resides in Manitowoc, Wisconsin where she is a chemist. In 2009 Nancy set a world record in the Women’s Underhand Chop with a time of: 28.19, a record that she bested last year with a new WORLD RECORD time of :27.28. Along with long-time partner Mike Sullivan, Nancy also took home gold in both the Jack and Jill sawing event, and in the Women’s Single Buck. Due to her overall point total Nancy won the coveted All Around Lady Jill crown, a title she has now held 7 times. |
Peg Engasser |
Engasser, from Cortland, NY, is a skilled and highly competitive challenger as seen by her three perfect “5's” that won the Axe Throw competition last year. Engasser also placed third in the Women's Underhand Chop with a time of 33.78. |
Pole Climbers
Brian Bartow |
Bartow, from Grants Pass, Oregon is a fierce competitor, having held the 90-foot Speed Climb titles in 1999,2000,2004-2009. Brian holds the world record on the 60 foot Speed Climb with a time of: 12.33, which he set in 2005. Taught by his father to climb, Bartow states he was “born into this sport” as his father was also a multi-year champion in speed climbing. |
Guy German |
Guy German, 57, A three-time world champion in the 90-foot Speed Climb, he took home the bronze in last year's event. Guy is known in climbing circles as the man who revolutionized the toe gaff. With his modifications, times of speed climbers were able to be dramatically increased over those of the past. |
Stirling Hart |
Hart, from Mission, British Columbia, placed second in both the 60-foot and 90-foot Speed Climbs at last year's event. In 2010, Hart set a new world record with a time of 19.64 in the 90-foot climb establishing him as one of the premiere climbers to watch for. Hart also took third in the Axe Throw and fourth in the Springboard Chop. |
Derek Knutson |
Knutson, 24, is a Hayward native who started his climbing career during the summer months when he worked for a local lumberjack show. Knutson has proved himself to be a climber to watch for as he placed third in the 60-foot Speed Climb last year. Once asked to describe the sport of speed climbing, his reply was "escape from reality." |
Cassidy Scheer |
Hayward native Scheer, began his career by working in his father's lumberjack shows every summer. Winner of the 2007 60-foot Speed Climb, Scheer added dual honors to his resume with wins in both the 60-foot Speed Climb and the 90-feet Speed Climb last year. |
Log Rollers & Boom Runners
Emily Christopherson |
Interested in all water sports, Emily saw her first log rolling class at the local YMCA at the age of 11 and immediately decided this was a sport she needed to try. Competing in only 1 or 2 competitions a year while in high school, Emily began to focus more on log rolling once she hit college. Last year Emily took home the bronze in Women's Log Rolling. |
Taylor Duffy |
Duffy, 28, is a native of Hayward who now resides in Madison, WI. Taylor won gold in the Women's Log Rolling, returning the crown back to Hayward after a seven-year absence. |
Elizabeth (Liz) Hoeschler |
Elizabeth, 27, winner of the 2010 Women's Log Rolling championship is originally from La Crosse, WI and now resides in San Francisco, CA. She is a sister to 2009-2011 Men's Boom Run champion Will Hoeschler; 2004, 2006, and 2011 Women's Boom Run Champion Abby Hoeschler; and 2009 Women's Log Rolling Champion Katie Hoeschler. Liz took home a third place finish in last year's boom run and placed fifth in Women's Log Rolling. |
Will Hoeschler |
Will, age 20, is the youngest in the Hoeschler family and a relative newcomer to the pro ranks. However, Will is no stranger to the demands of training and balance required to become a champion logroller and boom runner. Will set a new world record with a time of 12.266 in the Men's Boom Run to win for the third year in a row and placed fourth in Men's Log Rolling. |
Darren Hudson |
Hudson, 34, from Barrington, Nova Scotia comes from a family with a long history of competing at the Lumberjack World Championships. He is the nephew of nine-time world champion Phil Scott, who Darren credits for his success. Hudson, the 2007-2008 Men's Log Rolling champion added another trophy to his case with a win over Jamie Fischer in last year's finals. A multi-talented competitor, Hudson also took a 7th place finish in the Men's Boom Run. |
Shana Martin |
A Madison native, Shana is a young woman who has been involved in a wide variety of fitness and sports activities her whole life. Her first love however, has always been log rolling, a love affair that began when she first started lessons as a 7 year old at the Madison YMCA. Competing as a pro since 1997, Shana states that "I just love being a lumberjill!" Obviously her love of the sport and her competitive nature paid off last year for her as she took home the silver in the Women's Log Rolling event. |
JR Salzman |
Salzman, 32, resides in Menominee, WI where he graduated from UW-Stout as a Tech Ed teacher. JR is a Hayward native who first learned to log roll during the summer at Lumberjack Bowl along with older sister Tina, an ESPY award winner and holder of 10 Women's Log Rolling championships. The 8-time Men's Log Rolling champion, Salzman served with the Minnesota Army National Guard in Iraq where he was severely injured by an IED explosion. Though he lost his arm, Salzman was never discouraged from wanting to seek another title and log roll again. Last year he placed third in the Men's Log Rolling event. |
Abby Hoeschler |
Abby, 25, set a new world record in the Women's Boom Run with a time of 13.98 seconds last year when she added another trophy alongside her 2006 and 2004 wins. Abby, daughter of seven-time world champion Judy Scheer Hoeschler, lives in Minneapolis, MN and has had the unique opportunity to train alongside her world champion brother and sisters, Will, Katie and Liz Hoeschler, from an early age. |
Jamie Fischer |
Fischer, from Stillwater, MN, attributes his success in both boom running and logrolling to his long family heritage and to his private boom run set up in his backyard. Fischer placed second in both the Men’s Boom Run and Men’s Log Rolling last year. |
Alyse Schroeder |
Alyse Schroeder 22, from Hayward, WI trains daily in the summer with younger sister Lauren, also a pro roller, at either Lumberjack Bowl or at her home. Holder of 5 amateur titles, this Penn State graduate placed second in Women’s Log Rolling last year. |
Jacob Rick |
Jacob Rick, 21, from Onalaska, WI has been involved with boom running and log rolling for many years. Rick placed third in the Men's Boom Run last year and took home a fifth place finish in Men's Log Rolling. |
Are you interested in participating as a competitor at Lumberjack World Championships®? If so, please see the documentation below to learn our requirements.
If you are new to Lumberjack World Championships®, or a previous competitor that hasn't competed in over 3 years, a resume application must accompany your application for review by the Competition Committee.
