Hot, Fast and faster

The Hot Saw competition of the Stihl TimberSports Series is a crowd pleaser even though it doesn't last long.

A competitor, using a hopped-up custom-made chain saw, slices through 19-inches of wood three times, and he does it before the sawdust settles to the ground.

	The beefed up chainsaws of the Hot Saw event can slice through 19 inches of wood in less than one second.

The spectacle got even faster during Friday's round. Matt Bush of Croghan, New York broke the world record by completing the feat in 5.64 seconds. It happened so fast, it was over before most spectators could comprehend what really happened..

"He said he was going for it and obviously he did," said Harry Burnsworth, who is considered a master with the Hot Saw.

The world record may likely set a new bar for the Hot Saw competition.

The only high-tech portion of the Stihl TimberSports utilizes chainsaws that are built from a variety of engines taken from dirt bikes and snowmobiles. The average model runs about 65 horsepower (compared to about 10 hp for a big commercial saw), with a chain speed of 200 m.p.h. (80, for a normal saw). It has an extended, expanded exhaust manifold that gets hot and sucks gas through the engine all the faster. Its chain is a half-inch filed chisel chain that hasn't been manufactured since 1954. The whole rig costs about $5,000. And the key stat: It cuts through a 19-inch slab of pine in less than a second, about 10 times faster than an ordinary saw.

Bush, however, has raised those numbers a bit. Instead 65 horsepower, his saw has been beefed up to 80 plus horsepower, and the speed is too fast to guess. It's a saw that Bush has been experimenting with in past competitions, but has just recently been able to work the kinks out.

"The problem is it goes so fast that it can break the chain when it hits the wood," said Mike Sullivan, Great Outdoor Games gold medalist in the Hot Saw Event.

Evidently, Bush figured out how to keep things together. And he's got a world record as a result.

Up until now the Stihl TimberSports Series motto has been "Brute Precision, Real Fast." Maybe it should change to "Brute Strength, Even Faster."

Dressing the part

Beefed up motors aren't the only specialized equipment in the Hot Saw event.

When a lumberjack takes the stage to slice through the 19-inch log three times, many of them dress as if they are getting ready for battle. They adorn double-protection chaps, chain mail protects their ankles and their shoes are armor made strong enough to protect against shark bites.

Goggles are worn over their eyes and heavy orange earmuffs complete the ensemble.

How close is it?

Jason Wynyard and Dave Bolstad are the undisputed kings of the lumberjack sports. Both have dominated the events for the last four years.

But that domination centers on the titles they have won in the Stihl TimberSports Championship.

	Click here to see action from the last Stihl TimberSports Series stop.

A closer look at the numbers give a better look at how close this rivalry really is. After what boils down to seven days of competition, Wynyard leads the series standings by only three points over Bolstad. That's close considering there are a sum total of 28 points available each day for six events.

Matt Bush is third with 494 points, the difference of winning one event separating him and the two winners.

And when you look at the times, it gets even closer.

Bolstad won the underhand chop on Friday; just three seconds away from finishing in the middle of the pack and almost tied with Bush in the overall standings.

Just over two seconds separated first place and last place in the Stock Saw. And less than two seconds separated Wynyard — the leader in the Single Buck — from the middle of the pack.

In almost every event, the difference in points boils down to a few seconds or closer. Take, for example, Bolstad's win over Dale Ryan in the Standing Block Chop. Bolstad won with 15.605 seconds. Ryan was second with 15.777 seconds.

"The fact that every one of these guys is so close after seven days of competition is amazing," said John Hughes, ESPN analyst. "The fact that Wynyard and Bolstad always seem to be on top of the heap and that their points stay so close is almost unbelievable."

One little slip, one miscue in the swing of an axe, even a breath of wind, could change the whole complexion of the standings. Unfortunately for the lumberjacks chasing Wynyard and Bolstad, the little miscues seem to be miles away from the leaders.