2009 UK Logging Championship at this years' Eye Show
The 2009 UK Logging Championships are being held at the Eye Show, on August 30th and 31st. This competition is to find the most accurate and fastest in the art of tree falling. There will be 23 competitors from all over the UK and guest competitors from Germany and Belgium. The winners will need nerves of steel and a tremendous amount of skill as all elements are against the stop watch. The competition is divided into several parts and the heats will be run over both days so everyone will have a chance to see the competitors skills put to the test..
Felling
30 fully grown trees have been kindly donated from the Forestry Commission at Thetford. These trunks are sunk 6ft into the ground at the Eye Show. Falling these 35ft trees involves dropping them on a designated line and points are lost for every cm off course.
Limbing Also known as snedding)
Here the competitors show their skill in removing branches from a fallen tree. For the competition these are represented by 2ft pegs hammered into a tree trunk in a set pattern. An exciting event to watch as speed and accuracy is paramount. Any marking of the trunk or 'pegs' left proud lose points but these guys can clear the ‘branches’ from a 30ft pole in about 20 secs. We run this event in pairs so it really is a race.
Bar and Chain
Competitors remove the casing, chain and guide bar from a chainsaw; fit a new chain and reassemble the machine ready for the next event. If it is not fitted correctly then they lose the next event as well. All this is against the stop watch and points are lost if there are any cuts on the hands from the razor sharp blades! The winner last year, Peter Fox from the Lake District, completed this in an amazing 17.3 seconds.
Combination Cut
Combination cross cutting involves making a cut with a chainsaw from the bottom of a 350mm log to the centre, withdraw the saw and cut down from the top to meet the first cut. Misalignment (step) between the 2 cuts, deviation from 90° and speed are all measured Last year's winner was Richard Elliot from Devon.
Precision Cut
This also involves making a cut at 90°; the angle is measured in minutes – whole degrees are to big the separate the winners! To make things more difficult, the bottom of the log is buried in 30mm of sawdust; the competitor must cut as close to the bottom (measured in mm) without touching the base – automatic disqualification; and all this against the stop watch.
RULES, REGULATIONS & SCORING
All events are strictly governed by Health and Safety rules, any infringement of these strict guide lines results in either disqualification or punitive points deducted from the score.
Points are also lost for incorrect angles, irregular steps or hinges; time also plays a significant part. There are a maximum of 660 points and Richard Elliot scored 658 last year – he missed the drop line by 2cm!
All competitors must show their qualification certificates. There will be substantial barriers around the arena for the safety of the spectators.
There are prizes for each event as well as overall winner, Junior (under 25), best newcomer and best overseas guest. The best three senior and the best junior will then represent the UK at the world championships.
Any queries, please call Joan or Alan Garnham
01379 668636
07990 801388
waveneytrees@btconnect.com