Written By: Shannon M. Geisen
In the spirit of the region’s logging and lumberjack history, the Park Rapids Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce hosted Legends & Logging Days.
Nearly 900 people – 886, to be exact – attended this year’s event, according to Candy Christensen, communications and marketing coordinator for the Chamber. More than 20 Chamber Ambassadors, members, staff and community members volunteered their time.
Timberworks Lumberjack Show
Logan Alden and Ian Freeburg, professional lumberjacks from the Timberworks Lumberjack Show, demonstrated their logging prowess while sharing tidbits of logging history. They battled head to head in eight different events, with audiences cheering for their champion and heckling the other.
Freeburg, a St. Paul native, has competed for 14 years.
Alden hails from Frederic, Wis., where he began lumberjack sports at the age of 18. He recently placed sixth in the Lumberjack World Championships in the 60-foot speed climb.
Saturday’s action included single buck crosscut sawing, speed climbing a 45-foot pole, axe throwing, springboard chopping, hot sawing, cant hook choker racing and log rolling.
The lumberjacks claimed to be crafting a rabbit in the “speed chainsaw carving” contest, but in fact, made miniature log chairs that were given away to delighted children in the audience as souvenirs.
