As one of the founders of 樱桃视频Days Loggers Sports Al McIntosh has seen a lot change over the years.
"I've been on the committee since it started," said McIntosh who will come out of semi-retirement to MC the 50th anniversary this summer. "In that time I would say the biggest change is how the equipment gets better, the guys get faster and bigger, and they get better than the competitors who have come before.
"When we first started out, everyone always used those double-bitted axes. Then these New Zealander guys, they had these single bitted racing axes that they had brought over. As soon as our guys saw them they all wanted to use them."
Now competitors have gone beyond just using different bit types in their axes. McIntosh says he has seen how a number of competitors have gone so far as to have different axes for different types of wood.
That beginning saw loggers take their job straight out of the forest and put it right into competition.
"I remember we used to have guys set up a bag or something on a tree, and they'd put an apple or an orange or a sandwich or something on the line. Whoever would hit the bag would win it," said McIntosh. "I went up to the first chair of the event, Al Hendrickson, and we decided to put axe-throwing in. This was the first time axe-throwing had been part of a loggers sports competition, now it's all over the world."
According to McIntosh, the 樱桃视频event introduced a number of other competitions to the world including the choker man's race, obstacle pole bucking, and the butcher-block chop.
Beyond having a chance to return to the microphone, McIntosh is looking forward to seeing faces that have been a major part of the event over the last five decades.
"Paul MacKenzie, he's coming back for the 50th. He started in the '60s. He put on a costume and painted his face. Next thing you know he's our clown for years and years."
Reflecting on the past McIntosh fondly recalls other people who have made a major contribution to the event over the years including John Drenka, Ryan Couture, John Hurford, Debbie Patterson, Pat Johnstone and Pat Brown.
