The 65th Mid-Sierra Loggers Jamboree is in full swing!
This mornings competition kicked off at 10 am with the mens Pro-Am. Nine 2-man teams competed in 4 different logging based events, with each team consisting of one professional member and one amateur, with the professional needing to have competed in at least one prior jamboree.
Each team member competes individually in 3 of the 4 events, and they perform together as a team in the fourth. Each event is point based, with the winning team being the one whose combined point total is the highest.
With the exception off axe throwing, all of the events are time based.
Choker Setting – The contestants run approximately 100 feet, hurdling over a half dozen logs, evenly spaced, to retrieve a choker, then run back over the logs and set the choker around the last log.
Hand Bucking – The only event where the team mates work together, each pulling on one end of a two-man hand saw with the goal to be the fastest team to cut through an 18 inch log.
Axe Throwing – Contestants throw a double bit axe of specific dimensions and weight at a target made from the end of a log. The center of the target has been hollowed out, and a can of beer is inserted. A bullseye causes the can to burst and the crowd to cheer. The target is painted with rings, each with its own point value. The points are awarded on the best 3 of 4 throws.
Stock Chainsaw – Each competitor uses an unmodified chainsaw to pierce the middle of a log, and they must hit a red line on the back side that they can not see. They then cut up, then back down to remove a slice of the log.
After several hours of competition, with Paul Vining and Justin McAleece announcing and Doug Waltner tallying the scores, the point accumulation determined the following winners;
1st – Nate Hodges/Josh Bullard
2nd – J.B. Thornburg/Marc Wilson
3rd – Louis Garcia/Jess Hutchensen
4th – Pete Curtis/Jake Curtis
During a short break between the third and fourth events, the young loggers of the future took their shot at axe throwing. It was heart warming to see so many young people taking part in this amazing event.
The weather was perfect, with temperatures in the low 80’s and a light breeze which made the event all the more enjoyable. The stands were nearly full, but parking was easy. Tomorrow will be different, with far more spectators expected to show up to cheer the competitors on. Luckily the weather should be just about the same.
Food and merchandise vendors are setup in the traditional area on the top of the hill, and there is a soft serve ice cream truck parked on the edge of the baseball field. And of course the North Fork Boosters are running the beer vending from the booth by the dance floor and stage.
A horseshoe tournament was just about to get underway when the Pro-Am finished. This afternoon at 5 pm will be the annual parade down main street. The talk around town is that this years will be one to remember. Rumor has it that Paul Bunyan himself will make an appearance with his trusty sidekick, Babe the Big Blue Ox.
Tonight at 6 pm at The Recreation Center is The Wood Choppers ball, which will include the announcement of Little Logger, Princess Junior Logger, and Junior Princess, all leading up to the coronation of this years Mid-Sierra Loggers Jamboree Queen. The ball is $10 per person, $15 for a couple and will feature live music and food booths.
Tomorrows festivities kick off at 7 am with the Lions Club Pancake Breakfast at the North Fork Town Hall located at 33060 Road 228 in North Fork. Tickets are available at the door, $10 for adults and $9 for children.
At 10 am the jamboree returns for its second day to the Recreation Center with the opening of the gates. The Pro logging events begin at noon, and will include all of the events from todays Pro-Am, as well as hand chopping, log birling, ladies axe throwing and stock saw, and everyones favorite, and the event that brought a world championship trophy to our hometown hero, Nate Hodges, the Hot Saw competition.
The Loggers Jamboree is a town tradition dating back to 1959. That was 65 years ago. And in that time, we have had 65 loggers jamborees. We have survived the closure of the mill, economic hardship, pandemics and we are still here.
Most of the men in that arena this morning hadn’t been born when the mill cut its last tree and shut down the saws for the last time. That just goes to show that it is the people who are the heart of this community. Not the industry, not the businesses. The people.
The jamboree is an annual event held at The North Fork Recreation Center, which has been a part of our community since the early 1950s. The event pays tribute to the towns past and celebrates the men and women who are keeping the traditions alive today. All proceeds from the jamboree go through the North Fork Boosters to keep local facilities, programs and events going year after year.
