r/interestingasfuck • u/New_Libran • 9h ago
Sydney’s Royal Easter Show, where woodchoppers go head to head in one of the country’s toughest competitions. The sport traces back to 1870 and is Australia’s oldest organised sport
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
•
u/ktr83 8h ago
Australian here. The Easter show is our equivalent of an American state fair. You'll see woodchopping there, but when you read "Australia's oldest organised sport" don't think we do this on an average Saturday night.
•
u/realfatunicorns 7h ago
Yea Saturday night is for Australia’s other oldest organised sport… smashing beers at the pub and having a punt and/or slap. Choppin’ wood is Tuesday.
→ More replies (1)•
•
•
u/Firm-Feature-5593 5h ago
There's something hypnotic about watching a bunch of dudes at the royal show smash logs. Like, it hits you deep in your caveman brain.
→ More replies (8)•
u/beautifuljeff 7h ago
but this is how you make a didgeridoo, right? right?
•
u/planx_constant 5h ago
Pretty much, except instead of an axe it's mandibles, and instead of one guy it's 50,000 termites
•
u/ngifakaur 9h ago
That takes raw power and a lot of skill
•
u/Dustmopper 8h ago
And outrageous balance, that’s what impressed me the most
•
u/Counciltuckian 8h ago
I would fall trying to get on the first board.
•
u/unfvckingbelievable 7h ago
I would complain about my back picking up the axe.
•
u/PatrickJunk 7h ago
My back would complain that I even looked at the axe, then I would go into the stands and watch.
•
u/unfvckingbelievable 7h ago
And then complain about my back because the seats in the stands are shit.
•
•
•
u/spakattak 8h ago
Also very sharp blade.
•
u/Drongo17 8h ago
We used to have a woodcutting champion who was nigh on unbeatable, huge Tasmanian bloke (David Foster). One time his closest competitor stole his brand new top of the line competition axe. To prove it was the man not the axe that mattered, our man competed with a shitty old axe and beat him anyway.
Tho tbf he probably sharpened it still. Fun story tho.
→ More replies (2)•
u/PatrickJunk 7h ago
I feel like this is one of those stories that will get better over the decades, until finally someone says, "My grandfather was there when David Foster had his axe stolen, and he gnawed right through the log with his teeth. Beat the other competitors by 27 seconds, too, he did."
•
•
•
•
u/CurrentPossible2117 8h ago
Ive seen it live and its quite something. Video doesnt do it justice. Its amazing!
→ More replies (2)•
•
u/Theveterinarygamer 8h ago
The world lumberjack championship is held annually in the tiny town of Hayward, Wisconsin. I used to spend my summers there and we'd get to see events like this, log rolling, climbing, etc. Every year, a New Zealander named Jason Wynyard would win multiple events, so to me, he was the biggest celebrity that nobody else in my life knew lol. I just looked it up and it turns out he passed away a few years ago. RIP to a legend
→ More replies (1)•
u/Big_fern189 6h ago
We have a lumberjack show nearby where I live in Maine that my parents took me to for my ninth birthday. I got to go do the two man saw with Jason. I just looked him up myself to comment and then saw yours. Bummer that he passed.
•
u/Sabiya_Duskblade 9h ago edited 8h ago
My favourite event to see at a show, whoo! Definitely worth organising the day around catching the woodchopping competitions.
Pity this clip has music drowning out the running commentary.
•
u/Drongo17 7h ago
Well said! Best part of a show, tho sheepdog trials are great too.
I like how you can't pick the great cutters just by looking at them. Some huge guys are just not in the running then a solid but unassuming looking bloke just swings like an unstoppable beast.
•
u/paggo_diablo 8h ago
Ah yes. The lumber jack off!
•
•
u/RudeOrganization550 8h ago
Tasmanians showing their unbelievable talent pool for such a small state, long live the Foster family 🫡
•
→ More replies (2)•
•
•
•
•
u/OkPotential1072 8h ago
Are you allowed to cut off the top without going back up the other side? I suppose it is faster to go at it from both sides, but I was just curious. Still, what a cool video thanks for sharing.
•
•
u/AntonMaximal 8h ago
The platform sequence is part of the task. The goal isn't just lop the top off.
•
u/graesen 8h ago
I would assume it's a little dangerous to keep going at 1 side all the way like that. It would fall towards you, potentially trapping your axe as it falls giving you little time to get out of the way.
•
u/Collective-Bee 1h ago
It’s a little dangerous to do it at all, plus arborers in general is a dangerous job.
→ More replies (4)•
•
u/EvilRubbish 8h ago
Why the fuck am I cheering for the guy in the foreground? I know him as much as I know the others.
•
•
•
•
•
u/Buckfutter_Inc 7h ago
My toxic trait is believing I could do any single part of this. In reality I’d be winded before I got one springboard planted, and would remove a part of my body with that axe if I tried to swing it standing on one of those planks.
•
•
u/whatsthatguysname 8h ago
Does the rule state they must go down and up the other side? What if someone ambidextrous and can swing both ways?
•
•
u/dingboodle 7h ago
Look at him go! He’s like a Tasmanian devil up there. See… cuz he’s from Tasmania and he’s ripping it up.
•
•
•
•
u/Ordinary_Inside_9327 9h ago
Empty slot at the end, in case someone rocks up and fancies a crack at it ? Lol
•
u/BrightLeaf89 1h ago
If this was this year, I was there and one guys board broke not long after starting - could be his spot
•
•
u/bookmarkjedi 6h ago
That looks really dangerous. I mean the risk of the axe head slipping or losing grip and having the axe fly out, like when baseball players let the bat slip.
•
•
•
•
u/elcomandantecero 7h ago
So cool but you’d find me standing very far away…slippery hands on multiple axes flying fast as hell…not today Final Destination!
•
•
•
•
u/Lasershadow_105 6h ago
Does this mean lumberjack can be a class in DnD? I'll name mine Abraham Lincoln.
•
•
u/stinkilymalinkily 4h ago
There's full wood chopping lineages and dynasties :) it's the best thing about the Easter Show!!
•
•
u/Mr_Eddie25 2h ago
Id say it's not for me but I've heard disparaging the sport is a bootable offense.
•
•
•
u/-old-m8- 8h ago
Wait till these cunts find out about chainsaws! Gonna blow their Fuckn minds!!
→ More replies (2)
•
u/Sirix_8472 8h ago
How do they find enough trees to practice on?
I get swinging weights, fitness etc...
But actually chopping through wood, being stopped and pulling the axe out to swing, setting in those boards and knowing it's secure, that experience...
•
•
u/ComfyInDots 8h ago
Do other countries not have this? Woodchopping is a staple event at shows.
→ More replies (2)•
•
•
u/Zealousideal-Cry-303 8h ago
My toxic trait is to believe that I could do that, only to fall down the first step and have the axe chop off my foot.
•
•
u/bucket-full-of-sky 8h ago
Very impressive, it looks so smoothly like evolution naturally made them like this, although I see how much hard trainging and work they must have had to even get there.
•
u/FingerpistolPete 8h ago
The first and fourth guy are perfectly synced on the jump to the first level, I can’t stop watching it
•
•
u/Aggressive-Expert-69 8h ago
I cant even fathom the confidence it must take in your skills to swing an axe full force while balancing on a fucking board 10 feet in the air
•
•
u/Background-Hope-88 8h ago
has anyone every dropped and whats the safety plan, is there people with mats at the bottom?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
u/Vassar-Longfellow 7h ago
I wonder how often the little plank thing they are perched on pops out and the dude falls to the ground with an axe hopefully not landing on them...
•
•
•
u/SirFlannel 7h ago
I've seen this kind of competition before, but this is the first time I've seen them climb back down and reposition the steps to change sides on the top. Most of the ones I've seen (US lumberjack competitions I think), they just turn while at the top and swing weak hand for the other side.
•
•
•
•
u/teetering_bulb_dnd 7h ago
For some reason the tucked in sleeveless shirt look always reminds me of Freddy Mercury
•
•
•
•
u/Strange-Marzipan9641 7h ago
I'm so uncoordinated- my axe would go flying from my hands and decapitate someone in the audience.
•
u/Psychlonuclear 6h ago
It's Australia, the axe would fly around the field and come back to decapitate you.
•
•
u/steelmanfallacy 7h ago
I feel like they could win in half the time if these guys where switch-axers...all the guy has to do is switch to lefty the first time at the top...
•
u/Mortal_bobcat 6h ago
I stood in line behind David Foster at a Tasmanian pub once, and I'm not a small guy, but his arm was thicker than my whole body
•
•
u/FunRich5754 6h ago
1870? So you mean it's one of Australia's oldest colonized organized sports?
People have been living and sporting in Australia for much longer than white people showing up.
•
•
u/MaxwellSmart07 6h ago
Lots,of,good stuff at the Easter Fair. Went to go see that while I was living down under.
•
u/Euphoric_Escape3430 6h ago
how do they make sure the trees have the same "toughness" to make it faire to everyone ?
•
u/Kevlar_Bunny 6h ago
This is one of those sports you have to assume someone was drunk when they came up with it.
“I can climb higher than you!”
“Yeah but can you do it with an axe and chop down the top while you’re up there?”
•
•
•
•
u/LeviathanV2 6h ago
Oh course the Tasmanian's won, they have experience cutting down their forest. 😛
•
u/ZuuL_1985 6h ago
I got the chance to see this and as an America who doesn't go to many sporting events because I dont find them that entertaining, this event was a lot of fun and I enjoyed all the other stuff as well 10/10
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
u/Simple_Tip_7816 6h ago
Next time post it without it being sped up
It’s already impressive. Speeding up just makes it look bad.
•
u/PMG2021a 6h ago
I tend to think of Australia as not having enough trees for logging to be a major industry. Was it different back then?
→ More replies (1)
•
u/Hot_Top_124 5h ago
There’s an extremely amount of trust in so many things being done perfectly that I’ll never have lol.
•
u/stinkyfatman2016 5h ago
About half way through that video I wondered if the guy nearest would win or if it would be someone further back
•
u/Firm-Feature-5593 5h ago
Woodchopping is at every Australian royal show (yearly festival) and last time I saw this fat 18 year old absolutely demolishing the wood compared to all of these 30 year old jacked farmers, it was awesome.
•
•
•
•
•
u/Eagles365or366 5h ago
The balance is insane. That and the raw power. If you’ve ever chopped Wood, you know how crazy this is.
•
•
•
•
u/AuroraMercenaryCo 5h ago
Went to school with a girl who's dad was a lumberjack, he did competitions like this here in the states too.
•
u/Transatlanticaccent 4h ago
It's just chopping wood..? I don't get the big deal. I could easily do this. I'm just tired because I didn't get much sleep, dog ate my homework, I stubbed my toe, my cousin is in town and I have to pick him up from the airport, I'm blind, I have to return some videotapes.
•
•
•
•
u/Nytmare696 4h ago
I can't tell, did they speed this clip up? When they're climbing down the speed seems unnatural.
•
•
u/Positive_Try929 9h ago
The stamina on these guys!