Payson Roundup

Memorial Day Weekend is a time of remembrance and family fun. As part of your family fun this weekend, plan to spend some time at the Payson Loggers Sawdust Festival.

After a 15-year break, the once-popular Payson Loggers Sawdust Festival is back on the event schedule with some new, exciting additions. The festival features events for both skilled loggers and amateurs who want to take a shot at some prize money.

On Memorial Day Weekend, professional loggers and amateurs alike will descend upon Payson to compete for more than $6,000 in cash and prizes. The grand prize, the coveted “Logger of the Year” will go to the logger with the most points at the end of the two-day event. In order to achieve “Logger of the Year” status, each participant will need to execute traditional logging skills, as well as exhibit great stamina, accuracy and team work.

More than a year ago, Cameron Davis, John Stanton, Bill Neal, chairman of the event from 1989 to 1994, and Chuck Williams (CRW Rentals) started to brainstorm on how we could bring this once-popular event back to Rim Country.

“Once I had an understanding of what this event entailed, I said, ‘We have to bring it back,’” Davis said.

Thanks to the efforts of the committee, the 20th edition of the Payson Loggers Sawdust Festival is coming to reality.

Tree Pro Inc. is this year’s title sponsor and has helped put the wheels in motion to make this event a reality. STIHL Inc., one of the corporate sponsors, will be providing many of the products and prizes for the event, including a brand-new chain saw that will be raffled off at the event.

Other sponsors include: the Town of Payson, Rim Country Regional Chamber of Commerce, The Rock Yard, The Home Depot, the Payson Roundup, Boy Scouts of America, Bob Lee & Sons Tree Service, Foxworth Galbraith, Swire Coca-Cola and APS.

There are events for women and children, too. The activities will take place at the Payson Event Center both Saturday and Sunday, May 23 and 24.

The gates at the facility open at 9 a.m., with the contests starting at 10 a.m. A number of the events are scheduled to run concurrently.

Starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, the event schedule includes:

• Men’s Horizontal Bucking

• Women’s Jill and Jill Crosscut

• Men’s Jack and Jack Crosscut

• Women’s Horizontal Bucking

• Men’s Log Toss

• Women’s Ax Throw

• Men’s Single Bucking

• Women’s Medley

• Family Event — Cigar Smoking Firefighting (must be 18 to participate)

• Men’s Power Saw Bucking

• Women’s Rolling Pin Throw

• Men’s Ax Throw

• Jack and Jill Crosscut

• Men’s Log Roll

• Women’s Cutting and Stack

• Family Event — Greased Pole Climb (must be 18 to participate)

• Men’s Medley

• Men’s Cutting and Stack

• Hot Saw (specialized unlimited power saw bucking)

• Tree Climbing

• Kids Events: nail drive for boys and girls ages 12 to 14; pine cone throw for boys and girls ages 6 to 12; log stacking for boys and girls ages 6 to 12; log toss for boys 12 to 17; rolling pin throw for girls 12 to 17.

• Sawdust Pile Treasure Hunt (one minute per age group): 4 to 6 years; 6 to 8 years; 9 to 10 years; 11 and 12 years; 13 to 17.

For more information about the contests, many of which require an insurance waiver for participants, go online to www.paysonrimcountry.com.