World titles hosted

CHOPPERS: (From left) Jason Wynyard, Shane Jordan, Kyle Lemon and Adam Lowe. PHOTO/FILE

This weekend at the Rotorua A&P Show the Rotorua Axeman's Club will host two wood chopping world titles. Up for grabs will be the Alan Salter Memorial 450mm single saw world title championship and the David Bolstad Memorial 375mm underhand world title championship.

Rotorua's Kyle Lemon, 41, has been chopping wood since he was 8 and is looking forward to competing in this year's championships.

"I'm looking forward to the underhand competition, it's a world title. I'm always hoping to win, I have got as good a chance as anyone else and it's an event I have never won at home," he said.

Lemon said he loved the sport because it provided great challenges and you couldn't blame anyone else when things didn't go your way.

"I enjoy the challenge, I enjoy taking the family along. My son, who is 8 years old, loves it. He has been chopping wood since he was 3 years old."

Lemon said the A&P Show was a good day out for the family, but the wood chopping was something exciting and different.

Bevin Cavey, the president of the Rotorua Axeman's Club, said all the world's best single sawyers were coming to compete for the title with some from as far as Australia, Wales and the United States. Cavey said among those coming were past and present champions from both championships; David McDonald, present champion for the Alan Salter Memorial, Favae Sefo, who won it last year, David Foster, multiple world champ, Jason Wynyard, previous winner, Shane Jordon, previous winner and Jack Jordon, current champ for the David Bolstad Memorial. The final for the Alan Slater Memorial is on today at 11am and the David Bolstad Memorial final is at 1pm Sunday.

-The A&P Show is being held at the Rotorua A&P Showgrounds, Western Rd, Ngongotaha, from 8.30am to 5pm. Adult entry is $10, children under 16 free.