Kiwi axemen look to turn the tables on Australia in test series
Wednesday, 28 February 2018
Brian Gutsell is a proud Kiwi especially when it comes to wood chopping.
Gutsell, of Gore, is in the New Zealand team competing against Australia in a veterans' wood chopping test series in Invercargill and Colac Bay on Friday through to Sunday.
He is one of four Southlanders in the nine-member New Zealand team, with other southerners being Wayne Corbin (Riverton), Nelson List (Wallacetown) and Rangi Bowen (Invercargill).
'One reason I'm so passionate about it is that it's a heritage sport,' Gutsell said.
'My grandfather was an axeman and he owned a sawmill in the Catlins. The only way they could cut down trees [early 1900s] was with axes and [hand] saws.
Logs felled that way were used to build towns and cities, Gutsell said.
'A lot of little towns had sawmills. There were a lot of people working in the bush and sports days and competitions were held … that's how the sport started.'
Gutsell describes competition wood chopping and sawing as an 'explosive' sport.
'It's all over in 30 seconds. If you go over 30 seconds, you might as well stop.'
Gutsell will be representing New Zealand for the second time when he competes in the opening test in the Northern Tavern's car park in Invercargill on Friday. He and his teammates lost 3-0 to Australia in a veterans' series in Brisbane in 2017.
Both teams are virtually unchanged for this year's series.
Softwood logs are used in New Zealand competitions and when the Kiwis go to Australia they have to adapt to the hard wood. The Australians face the same situation with softwood logs in New Zealand.
The Australian veterans' team includes David Foster who has won the World Wood Chopping Championship 21 times and is believed to be the only athlete in the world to win more than 1000 titles.
The New Zealand v Australia test, on Friday afternoon, will be the first event held in the Northern Tavern's car park since Edgar Potter took over as manager 21 years ago. Rest home residents have been invited to watch the axemen practice in the car park on Friday morning.
On Saturday, the second test will be held at the Southland A&P Association's 150th show in Invercargill, while the third test is at Colac Bay on Sunday.