Three women’s world records set at Lumberjack World Championships

Three women’s world records were broken Saturday during the 66th annual Lumberjack World Championships in Hayward.

Known as the ‘Olympics of the Northwoods,’ the competition features many lumberjack events, including chopping, sawing, log rolling, boom running, speed climbing, and axe throwing.

Karolina Urbanová of the Czech Republic set two world records. She earned first place in the Women’s Underhand Chop by cutting through an 11-inch white pine log in 21.28 seconds. She followed that with another record in the Women’s Standing Chop, finishing in 19.38 seconds.

Hayward’s Meredith Ingbretson added a third world record. She completed the Women’s Boom Run in 13.78 seconds, sprinting across eight floating red cedar logs and back.

Before championship events began, Event Director Samantha LaSalle said this year’s competition was expected to be one of the strongest ever.

“We have 106 professionals from nine different countries and 16 different states here in the United States,” LaSalle said. “I think it’s our largest field ever. It’s definitely our largest international field.”

That also raised expectations for Saturday’s finals.

“We have some really big names, but just some really stiff competition up there,” she said. “You truly don’t know who’s going to win, which makes it that much more fun.”

In addition to the record-breaking performances, two athletes claimed the all-around titles.

First-time competitor Brayden Meyer of Australia was named the men’s all-around champion. He earned first place in the standing chop, springboard chop, single buck and underhand chop.

Canada’s Stephanie Naud won her second women’s all-around title. She took first in the Jack and Jill Cross-Saw, placed second in the Jill and Jill Cross-Saw and women’s underhand chop, and finished fourth in the women’s standing chop and single buck.

A full list of the Lumberjack World Championships results can be found here.