Summer of Lumber Radio Interview

Recently Keith Reed of Sports Connection radio on 89.3 FM in Chicago interviewed Visit Chicago Southland's President Jim Garrett, Sports Sales Manager Joel Koester and Communications Manager Juston Teach. Click here for more information on Sports Connection, one of the longest running sports talk shows in Chicago radio history.

Click below to listen:

STIHL ® TIMBERSPORTS ® Collegiate and Professional Championships

Hear how Koester spent two years trying to bring STIHL ® TIMBERSPORTS ® Collegiate and Professional Lumberjack Competition to Chicago Southland. He explains what you can expect when you attend the series July 15th - 16th at the Tinley Park Convention Center (sign up for your complimentary ticket).

During the STIHL ® TIMBERSPORTS ® competition, the lumberjacks compete in Six Disciplines:

• Springboard Chop, one of Koester's favorite disciplines, is where the competitors race to the top of a 9' pole. As mentioned in the interview and on STIHL ® TIMBERSPORTS' ® website, "historically, springboards used to allow lumberjacks a flat working surface in uneven terrain or had loggers in the air to cut the stem above the butt swell of a large tree."


• Underhand Chop is where the lumberjacks basically are standing on a 13" diameter log and swinging the axe between their legs. It's definitely important to have extreme eye-hand coordination.


• Standing Block Chop


• Stock Saw


• Hot Saw is a unique event because contestants use self-made chainsaws having either a go-kart or a jet ski engine.


• Single Buck

Also discussed is the Collegiate Competition, with qualifiers beginning Friday, March 18th through April 29th, at several universities throughout the country with the goal to compete in the US Championship at the Tinley Park Convention Center. More information on the "Collegiate Road to Chicago Southland" can be found with this video.

The schedule for the "Extreme Weekend" includes the Professional Qualifier Rounds on Friday, July 15th and the finals for both the USA Professionals and College Champs on Saturday, July 16th. It's being called an "Extreme Weekend" because the STIHL ® TIMBERSPORTS ® series is the original extreme sport and the Tinley Park Convention Center and STIHL ® have coordinated additional extreme activities. In the interview they discuss the speed climbing pole and even though it's not part of the competition, there will be an opportunity for attendees to try it as well as log rolling with professionals available to help. 350 Brewing Co. of Tinley Park and Dark Horse Brewing Co. from Michigan are going to make EXTREME-LY delicious beers specifically for this event. For the third straight year, the Championships will air on the ABC network in the fall. The Professional Series will also re-air on ESPN and ESPN2.

US Log Rolling Open

• June 11th at Lake Sedgewick in Orland Park


• Another free event to bring the family out to watch.


• About 20-30 US and International professional athletes will compete


• Organized by Katie Rick and sanctioned through the US Log Rolling Association


• Regionally broadcast on Comcast SportsNet Chicago

We are always looking to bring conventions, trade shows and sporting events to Chicago Southland. If you are wondering where to hold an event, we'd like to connect. "One of the great things about the Chicago Southland is all of our hotels, including Tinley Park Convention Center, offer free parking," said Visit Chicago Southland President Jim Garrett. "We have Chicago Fire at TOYOTA PARK and Windy City ThunderBolts at Standard Bank Stadium as well as more than 600 festivals and events every year in Chicago Southland. More information can be found at www.VisitChicagoSouthland.com."

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