Oregon State Hosts the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series, the Nation's Top Lumberjack Competition Pro and Collegiate Lumberjacks Compete for National Championship Spots, Scholarship Monies and Bragging Rights at STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series Western Qualifiers
Release Date: 3/19/2012 Media Contacts: STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series Brittany Silberman, CSE
7709551300 o 7703298260 c [email protected]
CORVALLIS, ORE. (March 19, 2012) – This spring Oregon State University will host the Pro and Collegiate Qualifiers of the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series presented by Ram Trucks, the nation’s premier lumberjack competition. As part of the 73rd annual Association of Western Forestry Clubs conclave, top professional and collegiate lumberjacks from the west will converge on McAlexander Field House (1800 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, Ore.) Friday, March 30 at 2 p.m. PT. Winners of the Professional and Collegiate Series competitions will advance to the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series Championships hosted by The Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., June 13.
“We look forward to bringing Outdoor Channel, ESPNU and TUFF TV cameras to Oregon State University for the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series Western Qualifiers,” said Brad Sorgen, producer of the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series. “Last year’s top four Western professionals went on to win the 2011 U.S. Relay Championship, and we anticipate seeing the talent these western athletes will bring to the competition this year.”
Outdoor Channel, ESPNU and TUFF TV cameras will be onsite to capture the woodchopping action. These networks provide a national platform to not only highlight the competition, but also spotlight the hosting schools and their forestry programs in the Professional and Collegiate Series competition shows. The full airing schedule for the Western Qualifier is listed below and can be viewed here.
In the Collegiate Series, the participating universities select their best lumberjacks or jills to chop and saw in four disciplines including the single buck, standing block chop, stock saw and underhand chop, using professionalsized wood and rules. After competing in each of the disciplines, the competitor with the most cumulative points earns a $1,000 scholarship from STIHL for his or her school and advances to the 2012 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Collegiate Championship. Thirteen schools will participate in the qualifier including Colorado State University, University of Montana and Humboldt State University.
"We are honored to host the 2012 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series Western Qualifier here at Oregon State as part of the annual Western Forestry Clubs conclave," said John Mann, director of college forests for the Oregon State College of Forestry. "I am very proud of the leadership skills our students have demonstrated in preparation of this high profile event. We are looking forward to a great competition and are proud to be a part of such a respected tradition."
Following the Collegiate Western Qualifier, the region’s top professional lumberjack athletes will race the clock and each other through six traditional disciplines, the hot saw, single buck, springboard chop, standing block chop, stock saw and underhand chop in the Professional Western Qualifier, contending for one of four coveted U.S. Championship slots. Oregon native and longtime STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series competitor Mike Forrester from Glide, Ore., will be among the eight professional lumberjacks to compete in the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Professional Western Qualifier. Another Oregon professional competitor is art teacher and arborist, Jeff Skirvin from Clatskanie, Ore.
In addition to the Western Qualifier, the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series consists of four other regional Professional and Collegiate Series Qualifiers and the U.S. Championships. The complete schedule for the 2012 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series includes:
• Southern Qualifier hosted by NC State University in Raleigh, NC, March 16 • Western Qualifier hosted by Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore., March 30 • Midwest Qualifier hosted by University of Wisconsin Stevens Point in Tomahawk, Wis., April 14 • MidAtlantic Qualifier hosted by Montgomery Community College in Troy, NC, April 22 • Northeast Qualifier hosted by Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, April 28 • U.S. and Collegiate Championships hosted by Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., June 13
The top four pros from each Professional Qualifier advance to the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS U.S. Championship where they will compete for the coveted U.S. Championship title, a brand new Ram 1500 truck and the opportunity to represent the U.S. in the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS World Championship in Lillehammer, Norway, Sept. 89. Additional pros will be selected by officials to represent the U.S. in the World Championship Relay Competition.
At the Collegiate Championship, the five regional competitors and one wildcard pick face off in the single buck, standing block chop, stock saw and underhand chop to determine the nation’s top collegiate lumberjack. The collegiate champion wins automatic entry into the 2013 Professional Series.
In 2003, STIHL created the Collegiate Series to help develop future U.S. pro competitors. The Collegiate Series travels to college campuses across the country with Outdoor Channel, ESPNU and TUFF TV cameras to seek out the best amateur athletes and has grown from five participating schools to 55 in the last nine years.
TV AIR SCHEDULE Outdoor Channel Competition Firstair Reairs Wednesday, April 18 at 8 a.m. ET and Collegiate Western Qualifier Sunday, April 15 at 4 p.m. ET Friday, April 20 at 2 a.m. ET Wednesday, April 25 at 8 a.m. ET and Professional Western Qualifier Sunday, April 22 at 4 p.m. ET Friday, April 27 at 2 a.m. ET
ESPNU Competition Firstair Reairs Collegiate Western Qualifier Friday, June 29 at 7:30 p.m. ET TBD
Established in 1985 by STIHL, the numberone selling brand of gasolinepowered handheld outdoor power equipment in America*, the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series, billed as the Original Extreme Sport, attracts the world’s top lumberjack athletes in a competition based on historic logging techniques. The Series is seen by millions of viewers annually in more than 62 countries on networks such as ESPNU, Eurosport, Outdoor Channel and TUFF TV.
Get the latest information, stay up to date on news and competition and access behindthescenes photos and videos by joining the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series community online and on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series Western Qualifier Professional Competitors
TJ BextenHoquaim, Wash. Mike ForresterGlide, Ore. James HartleyColbert, Wash. Tom MartinLas Vegas, Nev. David MosesSnoqualmie, Wash. Derek PouchnikViola, Idaho Branden SirguyPort Angeles, Wash. Jeff SkirvinClatskanie, Ore.
STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Collegiate Series Western Qualifier Participating Schools
The University of Montana in Missoula, Mont. Central Oregon Community College in Bend, Ore. Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo. Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell, Mont. University of Nevada, Reno in Reno, Nev. University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo, Calif. University of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, Ariz. Modesto Junior College in Modesto, Calif. Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif. Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. Shasta College in Redding, Calif.
About STIHL Inc. STIHL Inc. manufactures the world's largest selling brand of chain saws and produces a full line of powerful, lightweight, and versatile handheld outdoor power equipment for homeowners and professional users. STIHL products are sold through independent servicing power equipment retailers from coast to coast – not mass merchants. STIHL products sold through U.S. STIHL dealers are for distribution in the United States only. For more information or for the name of the closest STIHL retailer, call toll free 1800GO STIHL (18004678445) or visit STIHL's website at www.stihlusa.com.
*"Number one selling brand" is based on syndicated Irwin Broh Research (commercial landscapers) as well as independent consumer research of 20092011 U.S. sales and market share data for the gasolinepowered handheld outdoor power equipment category combined sales to consumers and commercial landscapers.
STIHL Inc. is the official underwriting sponsor of the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series. The series airs throughout the year on the Outdoor Channel and TUFF TV, and the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Collegiate Series airs on ESPNU. The STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® SERIES is the pinnacle event in lumberjack sports. Since 1985 the Series has grown to become the premier showcase of the decades old sport of lumberjacking with competitions held around the world.
The term TIMBERSPORTS® is a registered trademark owned by ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG. and refers to the series of disciplines and competitions that are part of the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series. As such, it should not be used as a generic description of the overall sport of lumberjack sports. This trademark refers to all modifications of the term TIMBERSPORTS such as timber sports, or timbersport. The term TIMBERSPORTS should always appear in conjunction with "STIHL."
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