OSHKOSH, Wisc. — The first two Stihl TimberSports Series events centered on the showdown between the top two lumberjacks in the world.

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

The next one will feature a showdown between the cellar dwellers.

Actually, the showdown at the top of the rankings remains compelling, but in these last two events what happens at the bottom of the rankings holds more drama.

The Stihl TimberSports Series is boiled down to four qualifying events, held over two weekends of competitions. The first of those was held in June during the Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoor Festival in Memphis, Tenn. The rematch is this Friday and Saturday at the Ducks Unlimited Great Outdoor Festival in Oshkosh, Wisc.

Over the course of this final two days of competitions lumberjacks garner points during those rounds, with the sum total deciding who the top 12 will be in the finals. At the finals, the competitors begin anew, competing in head-to-head competitions to see who wins the most points over a two-day period.

	“	I can promise you there are guys out there who will be relieved that Mike [Sullivan] is not in those events. ”
		— Arden Cogar, Jr.

Before getting to the finals there are two all-important aspects to the competition. The first is leading the top 12, hence the showdown between the two top lumberjacks in the world — Jason Wynyard and David Bolstad. Bolstad, of Taumarunui, New Zealand, is the reigning TimberSports Champion. He won the title in 2001, virtually walking away with the championship after winning four of the six events. It was a convincing victory in the eyes of everyone but Wynyard.

In the four years preceding that contest, Wynyard, of Auckland, New Zealand, was the undisputed champion, having won four straight TimberSports championships.

While the year's spotlight virtually never leaves those two lumberjacks, how they will eventually fare in the finals may have as much to do with who does and doesn't make it into the finals with them. Which brings us to the showdown of the cellar dwellers.

The current standings almost guarantee that Wynyard and Bolstad will compete in the final championship. But in the bubble positions of the standings, that guarantee is shady, depending on how those men compete in the next two days.

"I can promise you Wynyard and Bolstad are watching what happens at the bottom," said John Hughes, ESPN TimberSports analyst. "If you dominate one of the six events you really don't worry about it. But in those events where you may not do as well, you certainly don't want a lumberjack to qualify who could take points away from you."

The way it works in the championship finals is this: all of the lumberjacks compete in each of the six events — the single buck, standing block chop, underhand chop, hot saw, stock saw and the springboard. Like the decathlon in a track meet, each of the competitors is awarded points for his finish in each event.

At the qualifying events, though, few of the competitors make the finals in all of the events.

"In some cases you have one guy who really dominates in one event, but because he's not as good in the other events he doesn't factor into the top of the standings," Hughes said.

Three cases in point are the 11th though 13th place lumberjacks in the standings — Dion Lane, Mike Sullivan and Arden Cogar Jr., respectively.

Considered the bubble guys, each of them has a chance to play the spoiler in the championships, making their performance in the next two days compelling. Likewise, in a sport where making the championship is viewed as one of the pinnacles of the sport, the competition between those three men could provide additional drama.

Fore example, Lane, of New Zealand, is Wynyard's brother-in-law and his nemesis in the Single Buck competition. If Lane were to stumble and not make the finals it would give Wynyard an open slate in the Single Buck.

Bolstad will have his eye on Cogar, who at times dominates the Standing Block Chop. With Cogar absent, Bolstad, who fares better in chopping events over sawing events, will have an opportunity to make up additional ground.

And where it gets really shady is with Sullivan. Sullivan is the Great Outdoor Games gold medalist in the Hot Saw event. He not only excels in that event, but also in the Stock Saw and Single-Buck events.

"I can promise you there are guys out there who will be relieved that Mike is not in those events," Cogar said. "They don't root against him, they just know it will make it easier in the long run."

For now, though, in the short run, Friday's competition will have to center around those three men. The field for the championships could be set as early as Friday evening, even with a full day of competition remaining.

Regardless, it's expected to be an interesting competition to watch, not only as a spectator, but for the top lumberjacks as well.