Special Events gallery
Sawdust Festival May 29, 2009
Mud could not be avoided in the center of the Event arena, where all the action was taking place. Despite that, everyone played fair, and had more fun than they probably expected. Axe throwing, wood chopping, log rolling, all sound pretty easy. NOT. These events are honored for a very good reason; the men and women who built this country dealt with tall timber and the dangers that went with it. An event of this nature is a way of showing part of this country's heritage and the skills of our forefathers are celebrated by us as an American tradition to remember where and what our roots are.
Throwing a large tree limb may seem like a fairly easy task, until one is challenged with the prospect of throwing an oblong object on slippery ground as far as you can. Franky Morenco grabbed his chance and let it fly. The farthest toss was a little more than twelve feet.
Looking like a pro log thrower Alex Percy wasn't able to throw it more than six feet. Of course the boys had one practice throw before the real thing and that's not much time to grasp the nuances of balance, leverage and strength in the best proportion for a good toss.
Vince Marsh had this log cutting exercise well in hand and sliced through this foot thick log with relative ease. At least it looked easy.
Irene Neail concentrated on getting that blade through the log with the most force in the least amount of time. Her hatchet throwing skills weren't quite as skillful. But then throwing axes at a target and hitting it everytome isn't an everyday activity.
Leo Leonard gets mentally ready for the 'put out the cigar' water fight.
Joshua Thomas successfully squirts an opponent into submission before a judge calls time to access whose cigars are out and whose are still lit to determine who may continue the battle. Thomas eventually won the match but was sick from inhaling cigar smoke and swallowing water. The runner-up was Irene Neail.
Log rolling, seems like an easy thing to do, right? Just get the right tool and roll something round wherever you want it. NOT. Logs are dense and heavy and aren't exactly round; which means they aren't that easy to roll, unless it's all downhill. John Spear struggled mighty hard to move this mountain of wood a short distance of 15'. Yeah? Let's see you do it as well.
Zoey Garvey threw the rolling pin twice like all the other contestants but heaved it much farther than anyone else. Her longest throw was 69', and on a muddy, semi-slippery surface.
It may not look like a good axe throw from this angle, but Tina Harrison is no novice. Harrison, husband George and John Spear spent some of their spare time pracitcing their technique.
John Spear let this axe fly and consistantly hit the bull's eye or very near the center of this target.
Looking for quarters in sawdust was child's play. Brooke O'Donnell, left was particular about where she dug, but Kayla Kline wasn't and found the big prize and not just a few silver coins.
Dorine Gonzales let this axe fly during her medly of activities that included; cutting a log with a chain saw, walking a log and throwing an axe at the bull's eye. The axe had to hit the target and stay there to qualify as a hit.
Dorine Gonzales bites her lip much as the chain saw bites into the log as it throws sawdust everywhere on its journey through another slice of wood.
Sawdust obscures George Harrison on his second cut of three during a timed event, Saturday, May 23, at the Payson Multi-Event Center during the Sawdust Festival.
Charlie Howard threw so much sawdust on his second cut during this timed event it was difficult to know if it was him or not. It was.
Tina Harrison takes a minute to rest between events and leans up against the axe throwing target stand.
Irene Neail waits for her cigar to be lit by one of the judges before the start of the 'put out the cigar' water fighting event that left strong men weak and weak men weaker.
