‘Smell the Nitro and Watch the Chips Fly’

April 29, 2026 by Rose Nemunaitis

Razor-sharp skills and roaring chainsaws matched the warmth of the timber sports community as some of the world’s top athletes gathered west of Chardon Library for the Geauga County Maple Festival’s two-day Invitational Lumberjack Competition.

The long-standing tradition highlighted the heritage, strength and longevity of the festival during its centennial celebration. Competitors traveled from as far away as Iowa, while others hailed from nearby Chardon. For many, it marked their first competition of the season.

Event organizer Jen Freeman, of Chardon, has spent two decades competing in the sport. She joined Matt Emrick as an announcer April 26 for the final day of both the competition and the festival.

One of Freeman’s favorite events is the kettle boil.

“It’s pretty unique to Canada, but I kind of fell in love with it so I wanted to bring it to this contest,” Freeman said. “All the people that compete get a piece of cedar and a bean can and it will have a cup of water in it and some soap. You will see us all laying on the ground chopping our cedar wood, building a little fire and trying to get your can to boil first.”

Building Lifetime Bonds

The lumberjack community extends far beyond competition, fostering lasting friendships and family-like bonds among its athletes.

World champion Dave Engasser, of Cortland, N.Y., got his start on his college woodsmen team. After graduating in 1991, he began competing professionally and now participates in 15 to 25 contests each year across the eastern United States, the Midwest and eastern Canada, with one appearance in Australia.

This year marked his fourth time competing in Chardon.

“I am happy to do well in some of my events, but also really enjoy mentoring some younger competitors,” Engasser said. “Some of which are past or soon to be world champions.”

Engasser travels about 10,000 miles annually to compete. His next event is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend in Webster Springs, W.Va. Over the summer, he plans to compete in New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Maine, Michigan and Wisconsin, with additional stops depending on his schedule as a full-time line mechanic for his local power company.

“This sport has let me travel to many great places, keeps me in shape, but most importantly met some of the best friends I could ask for,” Engasser said. “I guess the sawdust got in my blood and I can’t get it out. Almost all my best friends are lumberjacks. They are like family. Most all the competitors are good friends with one another. We all want to win. It’s different than hockey where you don’t care what you have to do.”

Tim Keech, of Bloomfield, N.Y., is known for his skill in axe throwing and wood-cutting events.

He and Engasser began sawing together in fall of 1991, competing in crosscut events throughout the East Coast and Canada.

“A couple years ago, we had 100 wins for crosscut,” Engasser said.

Keeping a Dream Alive

Competitor Melissa Duncan, of Dexter, Ky., wore a shirt honoring her late husband, Dan Duncan, and credited the sport with shaping many of life’s most meaningful moments.

Her 19-year-old son, Sam, is in his third year of competition.

“He came to me the first of his junior year of high school and said, ‘Mom, I want to do Lumberjack sports like dad,’” Melissa said.

Dan was a decorated competitor and Kentucky state and open champion before he died of kidney cancer in 2011.

“Sam won both of these titles, just like Dan, last year at Kentucky Wood Expo,” Melissa said. “I knew this was coming and it was no surprise because all he did was watch chopping and chainsaw racing videos and had wanted to try it for a couple years.”

Melissa reconnected with contacts in the lumberjack community to help Sam learn chainsaw racing and chopping. Many were eager to mentor him.

“When Dan and I competed years ago, my job was wrangling kids, making hotel reservations and making sure we had everything needed packed in a suitcase,” Melissa said. “I dug a little deeper in old contacts and came across some chainsaw racers Dan used to compete with that were happy to help with fuel mixtures and saws, especially Cliff Helsel, for building him a hot saw,” Melissa said. “He set Sam up with Hisers from Michigan and Freemans from Ohio, who have been an awesome support system for him in the chainsaw events and (are) now like family.”

Sam placed second in the underhand and third in the open modified events in Chardon.

“We were fourth in the Jack and Jill and I won the powder puff stick saw, which is huge at show with such great competitors,” Melissa said. “This sport means a lot to me. It has taken me back to a sport Dan and I did together and I now get the privilege to watch Sam grow in and excel. The other competitors become like family and like to see each other succeed. It’s like no other sport.”

She also expressed appreciation for the Freemans for organizing the event.

“This was our second year at this competition,” Melissa said. “It’s great because it’s the first of the year and we get to see everyone after a long winter break. We could have went to a show in Louisiana, but we really enjoy this show and seeing the friends and family we have here. As Dan would always say, ‘Smell the nitro and watch the chips fly.’”

ROSE NEMUNAITIS/KMG

6527 – Ken Freeman and Garry Barker, of Waverly, compete in the 0-81cc pipe class during Invitational Lumberjack Competition finals at this year’s Geauga County Maple Festival.

6520 – Sam and his mother, Melissa Duncan, of Kentucky, compete in the Geauga County Maple Festival’s Invitational Lumberjack Competition.

6495, 6489, 6484 – Professional lumberjacks Tim Keech and Dave Engasser have competed together in crosscut competitions since 1991, pictured on the final day of competition on Chardon Square.

Submitted – Jen Freeman competes in the kettle boil event, one of her favorites, during the Invitational Lumberjack Competition finals.