More than 50,000 people from areas all around the world made their way during the weekend to the five square miles that comprise Nelsonville to attend the 49th annual Paul Bunyan Show at Hocking College.
We were packed in here by mid-afternoon
said Roy Palmer, senior vice president of Hocking College and chairman of the Ohio Forestry Association. Years ago Sunday was the biggest day. Now Saturday is the biggest because vendors are more likely to do business on that day.
One event that ran all weekend was the lumberjack competition, which included events such as chopping, chain saw and ax throwing. Friday competition was devoted to students, Saturday featured Ohio state competitions and yesterday was the international competition. The winner of the international lumberjack competition was Mel Lentz and first place in the Ohio competition went to Robert Freeman.
Arborists Mark Chisholm and Eric Engstrom were present to demonstrate safe climbing and rigging techniques. Chisholm, 33, has been working as an arborist for 20 years.
This is our first Paul Bunyan show Chisholm said. I'm pretty sure it won't be our last.
Also featured at the festival were multiple chain saw carvers creating a variety of sculptures including fish, bears, lighthouses and crocodiles from tree stumps.
This year's chain saw-sculpting champion was Chuck Schepflin of Loveland, with the Stihl pro-carving team of Bryan Equipment. It was his 10th year in a row winning the award, this year for his sculpture of the Ohio State University Buckeye Bear. This was Schepflin's 25th year at the show.
Despite some rainy weather on Saturday, officials of the show called this weekend's production a success.
Saturday was a really good day
said Bob Romig, executive director of the Ohio Forestry Association.
While the show is technically a trade show, even those in the lumberjack business seem to come for the fun.
Andrea Kowalski, owner of A Christian Tree Service in Flint, Mich., came with the other three members of her business.
We come here to play. If it's work
I don't want no part of it
she said.
Her employee Sandy Berth agreed.
We come every year
Berth said. My favorite thing is buying stuff -Carhartt sweatshirts and pants. You can't beat the prices.
More than 100 vendors were present at this year's show, co-sponsored by Hocking College and the Ohio Forestry Association, selling everything from personal safety equipment and logging machinery to outdoor grills and food.
The theme of the show is wood
said Judy Sinnot, public relations director at Hocking College. Anything wood or wood related.
While the circus has clowns, the Paul Bunyan show has the Hank
Peters Lumberjack show. This seasonal five-man show attracted an audience of all ages and featured log rolling and canoe jousting.
John Rooster McIntire, a third-generation logger, has been coming to the show for nearly 20 years. He owns and operates McIntire's Logging in his hometown of Davisfield, W.Va. Accompanying McIntire were his wife and three children.
I guess once it's in the blood it's in the blood
said McIntire. I like the skidder competition. They had that Saturday. They use skidders to pull logs through an obstacle course.
Sponsors of the show anticipate that planning for next year's event will begin in March.
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