On May 16, the Timbersports International Championships will come to Italy for the first time, and Florence is the chosen city.
The competitive wood chopping competition dates to the 19th century on the Australian island of Tasmania where, as legend goes, two woodcutters tried to settle an argument on who could cut down a tree the fastest. In 1890 the Australian Association of Woodcutters was founded and in 1891 they held the first world championship. From there, the sport spread throughout the world and the modern iteration has a more international flavor.
The 2015 Champions Trophy brings together eight competitors from the USA, Italy, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Australia, Canada, Switzerland and Germany.
Italian champion Paolo Vincenzi was on hand at the press conference, happy to see the championships held in his native land. He also demonstrated one of the four disciplines showcased in the competition, the underhand chop, where contenders stand atop a horizontally placed log and bring an ax down upon it until it splits in two. Other events make use of chainsaws and traditional long saws.
The event takes place on May 16 at 7.30pm in piazzale Michelangelo and entry is free of charge. For more information, see www.stihl-timbersports.de.
