Kenny's Loggin': Logger Sports In The 1950s

Aug 27, 2021 - 4 years ago

Logger Sports were a popular way for the Loggers of the time to show off their skills and outdo each other on weekends. By Ken Wilson

Kenny's Loggin': Logger Sports In The 1950s — At the end of several shows they had a “pole falling” contest where there would be a draw for two pairs of fallers to fall the climbing trees to hit a peg, or into the lake (at the Albany, Oregon world championships).

Phil Whittaker was a popular logger sports competitor, who worked in the area in the 50s. My father, Dennis Wilson, was Phil’s foreman, and the Whittaker family and my family would tour the logger sports circuit on weekends. Phil’s son Jim also competed in the sports.

Phil was one of the best on the “standing chop” on the circuit. He chopped from one side, unusual in that most people chop from both sides now.

“They still used hand saws, so they had a filing shop,” remembers Jim Whittaker. “The head faller was Martin Winters, who filed the best competition saws for several competitors.” Jim also remembers another filer was Paul Searles, who was the world bucking champion for many years. Paul was a saw filer and ambassador for Weyerhaeuser.

The two man power-saw used occasionally was a “Mercury” power saw, which was not available in Canada at the time. This would be a demonstration to try to sell these saws as power saws were just getting a foothold in the industry. Phil had some of these old power saws, but later sold them real fast when someone figured out that they work good for “go-kart” motors.

The Pole Falling contest was the last event of the competition. They would draw names to see who got to do it, as this event was one of the most popular. Two fallers would try to get the falling tree to hit a peg, or in some cases, fall into a lake.

Ken Wilson worked in the logging industry in B.C. for over 50 years. Ken is a regular contributor to Supply Post newspaper with his column “Kenny’s Loggin’”, and resides on Vancouver Island, B.C.