At Key Peninsula logger’s show, the chips may fall, but not the pole climbers
The weather couldn’t have been better for the Old Time Logging Show at Gateway Park last Saturday. Sunny but not hot, just right.
The rough-and-tumble contests brought loggers from all over Washington and British Columbia to test their skills
There was an enormous Paul Bunyan, together with his Blue Ox. An old time donkey engine blew off steam whistle blasts at unexpected moments. A collection of classic antique automobiles awed those with memories of the beauties. There was an ax-throwing competition with startlingly accurate participants. The women’s event was won by Sasha Finoti of Gig Harbor.
Loggers scurried up poles reaching almost to the sky and rang a bell to prove their prowess. Timed chain saw competitions left a wake of large meticulously sawn “chips” in their path. In the challenge match to drop huge poles accurately on watermelon targets, kids were thrilled to get the melons which survived. A tug of war pitted 36 youngsters, some of kindergarten age, against a collection of tough burly adult loggers. The kids won!
All three winners of the pole climb were from Gig Harbor: Garrett Colberg, Rick Squance and Junior Finoti.
Among other winners were Andy Cohen of Port Orchard, the champion wrapper-thrower; Jake Goranson of Key Peninsula, first in both the classic chainsaw class and pole falling; and Nick Stencil of Lakebay, who came in second in the small-chainsaw division.
The show was sponsored by Key Peninsula Community Services, and proceeds are dedicated to support of the KPCS food bank, senior center, and community support it offers. Many who came said it was the best-attended of all such shows and sported the best assortment of booths, food stands, souvenir kiosks, and other offerings.
As the last contest was completed and the crowds were melting away, the loggers had one last challenge: to clean up the vast collection of downed logs, sawed-off chips.
This story was originally published August 21, 2019 at 12:36 PM.