VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The world's top lumberjacks representing 24 countries converged on Lillehammer, Norway for the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series World Championship Sept. 7-8. In front of 10,000 international fans, Arden Cogar Jr., a civil defense attorney from West Hamlin, W. Va. placed fourth in the World Championship individual competition. Along with Arden Cogar, Matt Cogar (Arden's cousin) from Diana, W.Va., Warrick Hallett from Glencoe, Minn., Dave Jewett from Pittsford, NY and Branden Sirguy from Port Angeles, Wash. represented the U.S. in the third-annual team relay competition. Team USA took the silver finishing 2nd overall. This year's Collegiate Champion, Tim Benedict from Penn State University also represented the U.S. in the relay competition as a part of the international rookie relay team.
After taking the top U.S. spot in the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS U.S. Championship presented by Ram Trucks for the fifth time in June, Arden Cogar advanced to the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS World Championship for his fourth consecutive appearance in this top-notch lumberjack competition. In Saturday's individual competition finals, Cogar started strong in the springboard discipline and placed first overall in the standing block chop. However, he struggled to post competitive times in the stock saw and hot saw events which ultimately landed him in 4th place overall.
"The 2012 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS World Championship highlighted the most skilled woodsmen from around the world, representing 24 countries and more than 100 competitors," said Brad Sorgen, producer of the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series. "With the most countries competing than ever before, Lillehammer, Norway, home of the 1994 Winter Olympics, served as the perfect host for this world-class event."
In the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series World Championship, 24 national champions chopped and sawed through six professional lumberjack disciplines, the hot saw, single buck, springboard chop, standing block chop, stock saw and underhand chop to determine the world's best lumberjack athlete.
Jason Wynyard from New Zealand took his fifth consecutive World Championship title, and his 12th overall STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series title. Martin Komárek of the Czech Republic placed second, Laurence O'Toole of Australia placed third and USA's Arden Cogar came in fourth.
In the third-annual relay competition, four representatives from participating countries faced off in a four-discipline race featuring the single buck, standing block chop, stock saw and underhand chop. The U.S. competitors who advanced were determined based on who posted the best times in the respective disciplines at the U.S. Championship. The U.S. team placed third in the world in the 2011 team relay competition.
Team New Zealand took first-place honors in the relay competition with the fastest time of the day. USA placed second and Australia took third. Full results are available at STIHLTIMBERSPORTS.US.
Established in 1985 by STIHL, the number-one selling brand of gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment in America*, the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series, billed as the Original Extreme Sport, attracts the world's top lumberjack athletes in a competition based on historic logging techniques. The Series is seen by millions of viewers annually in more than 62 countries on networks such as ESPNU, Eurosport, Outdoor Channel and TUFF TV.
Get the latest information, stay up to date on news and competition and access behind-the-scenes photos and videos by joining the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series community online and on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series World Championships Final Results:
Individual Competition
Rank
Competitor
Country
Points
1
Jason Wynyard
New Zealand
62
2
Martin Komárek
Czech Republic
56
3
Laurence O'Toole
Australia
51
4
Arden Cogar Jr.
United States
47
5
Mitch Hewitt
Canada
46
6
Christophe Geissler
Switzerland
42
7
Roger Gehin
France
40
8
Daniel Vincente
Spain
33
9
Robert Ebner
Germany
31
10
Han Ove Hansson
Sweden
26
11
Istvan Juhasz
Hungary
20
12
Ole Ivar Llergagen
Norway
12
About STIHL Inc.
STIHL Inc. manufactures the world's largest selling brand of chain saws and produces a full line of powerful, lightweight, and versatile handheld outdoor power equipment for homeowners and professional users. STIHL products are sold through independent servicing power equipment retailers from coast to coast - not mass merchants. STIHL products sold through U.S. STIHL dealers are for distribution in the United States only. For more information or for the name of the closest STIHL retailer, call toll free 1-800-GO STIHL (1-800-467-8445) or visit STIHL's website at www.stihlusa.com.
*"Number one selling brand" is based on syndicated Irwin Broh Research (commercial landscapers) as well as independent consumer research of 2009-2011 U.S. sales and market share data for the gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment category combined sales to consumers and commercial landscapers.
STIHL Inc. is the official underwriting sponsor of the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series. The series airs throughout the year on the Outdoor Channel and TUFF TV, and the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Collegiate Series airs on ESPNU in addition to the Outdoor Channel. The STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® SERIES is the pinnacle event in lumberjack sports. Since 1985 the Series has grown to become the premier showcase of the decades old sport of lumberjacking with competitions held around the world.
The term TIMBERSPORTS® is a registered trademark owned by ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG. and refers to the series of disciplines and competitions that are part of the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series. As such, it should not be used as a generic description of the overall sport of lumberjack sports. This trademark refers to all modifications of the term TIMBERSPORTS such as timber sports, or timbersport. The term TIMBERSPORTS should always appear in conjunction with "STIHL."
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