In front of an impassioned crowd, elite male and female STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® athletes went head-to-head this weekend at the 2024 U.S. Championship, providing fans with thrilling performances. Athletes chopped their way to victory through various competitions, including the underhand chop, stock saw, standing block chop, single buck, springboard chop, and the hot saw. When the sawdust settled, two champions were crowned: Erin LaVoie and Nate Hodges.
LaVoie Locks in Title with Third Championship Win
The U.S. Women’s Championship kicked off on Friday, July 26, with the top 12 U.S. lumberjills in the nation. Erin LaVoie, of Spokane, Wash., took home the title, narrowly defeating reigning champion Martha King, of Chadd’s Ford, Pa., by one point. Heading into the underhand chop, LaVoie and King were neck-and-neck – tied with 30 points. However, LaVoie reigned victorious, breaking a new world record with a time of 23.61 seconds – more than five seconds faster than the previous world record set by Canadian athlete Stephanie Naud in 2023. Rounding out the podium was Hanna Quigley, of Honeoye Falls, N.Y., who secured a bronze medal.
LaVoie celebrates her third U.S. Championship victory; she previously won in 2018 and 2022. It took extra vigor and determination to come back this year and take home the top prize.
“I’m really proud of myself,” said LaVoie. “I went into this just telling myself to be cool and calm, have fun, and do what you’ve been training to do.”
King also broke a world record in the single buck with a time of 14.24 seconds. LaVoie and King are now tied with three U.S. Championship wins each.
Hodges’ Historic First U.S. Championship Win
The U.S. Men’s Championship concluded on Sunday, July 28, featuring the top 24 U.S. lumberjacks. Nate Hodges, of North Fork, Calif., took home the title in a narrow victory against Matthew Cogar, of Grafton, W. Va., by only one point, beating out both Cogar and reigning champion, Jason Lentz, of Diana, W. Va. After several nail-biting podium finishes over the last few seasons, Hodges finally clinched his first gold medal.
Initially trailing Cogar by eight points, Hodges came out victorious in the final discipline, the hot saw, with a personal best time of 4.79 seconds — the 0.23-second lead that he needed to solidify the win. He placed in the top three in five of six disciplines, with the standing block and hot saw as his best performances.
“It ultimately came down to the hot saw,” said Hodges. “Five years ago, I gave my heart and soul into building that saw, and it’s paid off.”
This year, the competition was the fiercest it’s ever been. Matt Slingerland, of Sevierville, Tenn., put up a good fight to seal a bronze medal. While Lentz placed fourth, he secured a national record in the single buck at 11.57 seconds.
Next Up: The World
Hodges will travel across the world to showcase his skills in Toulouse, France, on November 9 where he goes head-to-head with the top lumberjack athletes around the world at the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Individual World Championship. LaVoie will head to Klingenthal, Germany, to defend her title at the International Women’s Cup where she’ll compete against the best of the best on August 25.
“We have our eyes set on international gold medals this year,” said USA Team Manager, Adam Wolff. “Both Erin and Nate are extraordinary athletes at the top of their game and ready to represent the United States against an intense field of international competitors.”
