Written by John Pappadopoulos
From the start, its charm and nostalgic vibe always seemed to paint the perfect picture. It’s what the Lumberjack World Championships was supposed to be about. Small town event. Old school wooden bleachers. And of course the perfect nickname -- the Olympics of the Forest.
When Tony Wise originally brought LWC to Hayward, WI in 1960, the idea of the 3,000 wooden seat Lumberjack Bowl seemed big. It was a shiny new toy that did in fact bring a “big feel” to Hayward, a community of just over two thousand people. The new facility quickly helped take Lumberjack sports to a different level. Stars were born. ABC’s wide World of Sports began broadcasting there in 1965. In recent years, FOX News and ESPN have done the same. And four years ago, The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, one of the largest organizations of its kind, joined forces with LWC, and took over operational control of the Lumberjack World Championships.
For all its good, there was a downside to Wise’s great creation. The original structure, including those wooden bleachers, had already started to show its age when Birkie took over in 2018. The truth is, the worn down wood throughout parts of the facility, along with safety concerns were a problem well before 2018. Time had taken its toll on Tony Wise’s original structure. It had served the community well and transformed the Timber Sport world for six decades. But many agreed, change was needed.
When the Birkie group took over four years ago, according to Marketing Director Blair Flickinger, the idea of renovating the original grandstand was among the top priorities for the new management team. The large gaps between steps on the bleachers, and declining sections of the original grandstand were among areas that clearly needed to be addressed.
“From a safety perspective, but also as far as fans being able to come and really enjoy this facility, it was pretty glaring right away,” says Flickinger. “Looking to keep this event going for many years we saw it as a necessity (to make the changes). We came into it thinking, how do we continue this legacy into the future, and having the infrastructure to do it was very important. From an organizational perspective we really look at putting up world class events, and that takes infrastructure.”
This past fall, most of the 62 year old original structure was torn down to make way for a new state of the art aluminum grandstand. The main grandstand area behind the chopping blocks is brand new, and along with the fresh look, it should give fans a better experience.
“It’s going to have a whole new feel,” says Flickinger. “It just makes the entire lumberjack grounds feel elevated in terms of quality. There will be no more watching your step as you walk. From a safety perspective it’s going to be top of the line, and folks are going to feel really comfortable navigating the bleachers this year.”
The smaller bleacher section (along Hwy B) as well as the Scheer’s Lumberjack show area remain unchanged for now. However, there could be new renovations on the way, in particular the bleacher area along Hwy B, just to the side of the large grandstand.
“This (recently completed renovation) is one of what we’re hoping will be multiple iterations of improvements that we’re able to make to the grounds,’ says Flickinger. “I wouldn’t be surprised if those bleachers (along Hwy B, just to the side of the large grandstand) were on the short list of upcoming projects. We don’t have a certain timeline at this point, but it’s definitely on our minds.”
As for the Logrolling area at Scheer’s Lumberjack show, that area is expected to remain unchanged for now, according to Flickinger.
“That’s a little bit of a unique scenario because the Scheer’s run their lumberjack show from that side so there’s some joint usage, joint ownership. But again, I think improving the grounds overall and having a cohesive look and feel for the entire grounds is a goal. How soon that’s going to happen is a bigger question.”
What’s not in question is the start of a new beginning for the Lumberjack Bowl. And this weekend the updated color scheme, along with a safer, higher quality viewing experience that will also include a handicap accessible area, will all be on full display. And for the 3,000 plus expected to pack the facility, it’ll mark the start of a newer, better experience. An experience that kicks off a brand new era at the Lumberjack World Championships.
2022 TOP CONTENDERS – MEN
Anthony Polentini – The Wisconsin native, who turns 21 next week, is in the midst of an impressive trajectory. It’s one that could soon put him in elite company. A win this weekend would give Polentini three world championships. Over the first 61 years of competition at the Lumberjack Bowl, no men’s roller has won three titles before their 21st birthday. Polentini, who’s got a shot to accomplish that feat, has dominated the men’s division over the past calendar year. He had won 11 straight tournaments before finishing second to Tanner Hallett this past Sunday at the Namekagon River Roll Off. Polentini enters action Thursday as the top ranked roller in the world, and he’s very likely the favorite heading in.
Tanner Hallett – The 23-year old Oconomowoc, WI native catapulted himself back into the winners circle this past Sunday with an impressive win over Polentini in the finals at Namekagon. The victory shot Hallett from fourth in the men’s rankings to second, insuring he will not have to face Polentini on his side of the bracket, at least until a potential matchup in the finals. That being said, he’ll have some possible tough battles Thursday/Friday, with potential head to heads against Sam Polentini, Shane Burns, not to mention the Garrick Birdsong-Dominick Serpico winner. Hallett, who won the 2018 World title, also has nine career pro wins.
Connor Birdsong – With the exception of Polentini, Birdsong has been the most consistent among the men over the past year. Following a fourth place finish at LWC last year, Birdsong has ripped off five straight top three finishes, including a tight runner-up in Wausau earlier this month, where he went four falls with Polentini. Despite not winning a world title yet, Birdsong is certainly on the short list of men in this year’s field with a legit shot to win it all. He’s won five pro tournaments in his career, and has one finals appearance at LWC (2018). The million dollar question - can the 23-year old Birdsong take that final step and win the big one? He should be right in the mix this week.
Sam Polentini – At 18 years old, Polentini is among the youngest in this year’s field. And at 6’7, he’s certainly the tallest. While short compact steps are often the goal at the pro level, Polentini’s long powerful strides give him an advantage most don’t have. His ability to pull opponents in during a bucking match can be lethal, and despite his longer frame, much like Hallett, Polentini has a rare ability to keep his core centered to keep falls alive. Polentini’s best finishes this year came in Gladstone and Wausau, finishing fourth at both tournaments. Polentini made a surprise run to the finals at LWC last summer, before losing 3-0 to his brother Anthony. He’ll likely be back in the mix to possibly be rolling on Saturday again this year.
Dominick Magnone – The Illinois native has been on an upward swing since turning pro last year. His aggressive style has kept opponents guards up the past two seasons, and Magnone could be a dark horse candidate to make a run to championship Saturday this weekend. In four events this summer, he’s cracked the top four in each of them, including third place finishes in Madison and Wausau – at the Midwest Championships in Madison, Magnone knocked off 2018 world champ Tanner Hallett in the 3-4 match, and in Wausau, defeated the current number three ranked Sam Polentini. There’s little doubt Magnone can go toe to toe with the very best on the men’s circuit and should be in the mix this week to make some serious noise.
Shane Burns – The 24-year old Burns secured his first pro win two weeks ago at the La Crosse Open with impressive victories over Connor Birdsong, and a 3-0 sweep over Magnone. He continued to roll well this past Sunday at Namekagon, finishing third, and taking Polentini to four falls in a first round loss. Burns, who’s won multiple amateur world titles, has often been on the cusp of being a regular title contender at the pro level, and now appears to be getting there. He heads in this week ranked sixth for the men, but arguably is rolling at a higher level. At times he’ll bring an aggressive style, and occasionally attack with an outstanding directional splash. There are perhaps only a handful of men this year with a legitimate shot to be rolling on championship Saturday. Burns is undoubtably one of them.
OTHERS TO WATCH –
Andrew Serpico – Brings some legit speed to the table. Grabbed a tie for fifth place at The Three Rivers Roleo this year.
Cassidy Scheer – All around Lumberjack contender always packs a big punch on the log. Finished runner up at LWC in 2017.
Garrick Birdsong – Heads in with some momentum this week following a fifth-place finish in Michigan this month; also came in seventh in Wausau.
Jasper Priest - The 17-year old rookie from Minneapolis has limited experience, but could mature into one of the top pros on the circuit in the coming years. Finished third at the La Crosse Open, and could be a tough out in the early rounds this week.
Dominik Serpico – Cracked the top five in both Oconomowoc and Madison this summer; came in third at LWC in 2015.
Sean Yokoyama – The Vancouver area lumberjack could be a surprise contender this week. He won the Kaslo May Days title earlier this summer, and his aggressive style could shake things up against some of the top contenders.
Kody Koblitz – picked up an eighth place finish last year at LWC; came in fourth in 2018.
2022 TOP CONTENDERS – WOMEN
Livi Pappadopoulos - The 21-year old from Holmen, WI has all but changed the standard for Women’s Logrolling over the past five years, and this summer her dominance has continued. Pappadopoulos has won all six events in 2022, giving her 23 career victories in 24 events since she turned pro in 2018. She’ll head in this week as the heavy favorite to win what would be her fourth world championship. Since the women’s pro circuit was created in the 1920’s, only eight women have ever won four or more. In terms of consecutive world titles, only Tina Salzman, Judy Scheer, Cindi Cook, and Jenny Atkinson have won at least four in a row on the women’s side. This weekend, Pappadopoulos has a shot to join that illustrious group.
Ellie Davenport - Davenport’s speed and lightning quick transitions give her a shot against anybody. The 24-year old St. Paul, MN native is the only pro to have beaten Pappadopoulos (2019 Namekagon) and she’s gone five falls with her multiple times. Davenport has 14 career pro wins, including a World Championship in 2016. She heads in this week ranked number two in the world, and has traditionally been at her best on championship weekend. She’s been to the finals four times at LWC, and should be right back in the mix to win it all again this weekend.
Shana (Martin) Verstegen – Forget about a swan song. Now competing in her third decade as a pro, the Madison, WI native seems to be just getting started. Following a third place finish last year at LWC, Verstegen has reeled off three runner ups this summer, and cracked the top four in every tournament this season. Verstegen is currently ranked third overall, and is absolutely in play to win this weekend. She’s won four world titles in her career, and her 25 total wins are the most all time. Great numbers for sure, but she could be adding to those totals this weekend.
Claire Keech – At her best, the 18-year-old second year pro is as good as anybody in the field. Keech went five falls with Pappadopoulos at the season opening Splash-n-Dash before losing a nail biter. She’s also got head-to-head wins against both Davenport and Verstegen in her career. Keech has a knockout puncher’s mentality, and can drive her front step as hard and fast as anybody - and when she does, it’s usually lights out. Keech has yet to win a pro tournament, but she’s been knocking on the door for two straight years. If everything clicks, don’t be surprised to see her rolling on Saturday night.
Katie (Rick) Burke – After a ninth-place finish at LWC last year, Burke has bounced back with perhaps one of her best years as a pro. She’s competed in five tournaments this summer, and cracked the top 5 in all of them. She brings a smart tactical approach, and a scrappy no fear mentality that seemingly keeps her in every match. Case in point: Burke was down 2-0 against highly regarded Emily Christopherson this past Sunday at Namekagon, and grinded her way to a 3-2 comeback win. For Burke, these kinds of wins have been the norm in her career. Look for Burke to make some noise this week, both on the log and the boom.
Claudia Duffy -- Duffy is the defending LWC Boom run champ, but don’t sleep on her Logrolling skills. Duffy was a fall away from rolling in the three-four match at the highly competitive Three Rivers Roleo in Wausau earlier this month. She was also up 1-0 to the second ranked Davenport this past Sunday, before losing that match. Bottom line, Duffy hasn’t filled up the stat sheet with multiple top 5 finishes, but the eye test has been impressive. She’s looked the part of a serious contender heading in this week. Combine that with a strong sixth place finish at LWC last year – and Duffy absolutely could be in play to make a very deep run this week.
Abby (Hoeschler) Delaney -- Don’t let the rankings fool you. Delaney heads into LWC ranked ninth this week, but is rolling at a much higher level. Over the past two weeks, she’s twice taken the top ranked Pappadopoulos to the four log, and ended with impressive finishes at those tournaments - a third place (La Crosse Open) and a fifth (Namekagon). Delaney’s steps are short and lightning quick, making her a major challenge to shake loose. She has six pro wins in her career, and you can bet she’ll be in the mix to be in the top five or better this week.
Meredith Ingbretson – The big question here involves a serious Lisfranc (foot) injury Ingbretson sustained a few years ago. Is she all the way back to her old self? The answer could be coming this week. After missing the better part of three years both on the boom and the log, she returned to action two weeks ago in La Crosse, and finished fifth. This past Sunday she looked more like her old self, coming in third. And maybe more telling, she set up some of her signature power kicks, and dropped the thunder a few times against strong competition, including in a win over Verstegen in the three-four match. Ingbretson’s resume speaks for itself. Five LWC Boom run championships, and two Logrolling world titles. If her foot cooperates, she could be adding to that resume this Saturday.
Emily Christopherson – Currently ranked eighth, Christopherson has been a mainstay on the pro circuit for well over a decade, and she’s been a consistent winner. Among the physically strongest on the women’s side, she delivers powerful kicks, and can be especially tough to handle in bucking matches. Christopherson made it to the finals at the 2016 Lumberjack World Championships, losing to Davenport, and has finished third at LWC three times. She’s also won six pro tournaments in her career.
Hailey Miller -- The 21-year old Hayward native has put together a good calendar year of rolling. Beginning at last year’s Lumberjack World Championships, where she finished fifth, through this week, she’s looked very impressive. Miller, who cracked the top seven at both Namekagon and Wausau this summer, is currently ranked sixth overall. If the seeds play out this week, she’ll need to beat Davenport and Verstegen to reach the finals. She lost to Verstegen this past week, but pushed the match to five falls, and last year at LWC went toe to toe with Davenport in the semi’s before losing. Bottom line, she’s been highly competitive against both women, and should have a good chance to make a run this week.
OTHERS TO WATCH –
Olivia Judd – The Madison, WI native has been a consistent top 10 roller the majority of her career, and at times, rolled at a top five level. Last year she had three top five finishes, including a runner up in Oconomowoc. She heads into LWC ranked 13’th this year.
Sam (Hadley) LaSalle – LaSalle has rolled a limited schedule this year, but could be a dark horse to pull off an upset or two this week. Her history on LWC week is a good one, including a runner up finish in 2017.
Taylor Duffy-Biser – The Hayward, WI native has not rolled as much or as competitively in recent years, but she’ll bring a championship pedigree into play this week. Duffy-Biser, who won the 2011 World title, is one of six women in this year’s field who have a Logrolling Lumberjack World Championship on their resume.
Jenny Atkinson – Speaking of former world champs, Atkinson is among the best ever. The Minnesota native started rolling at the Lumberjack bowl over 30 years ago as an amateur. She went on to win four pro logrolling world titles. keep an eye on her opening match with Judd on Thursday – if she wins, she’ll face off with fellow four-time world champion Shana Verstegen.
MEN’S BOOM RUN –
Charlie Fenton – From Jamie Fischer to Will Hoeschler, there have been some remarkable boom runners at LWC. And Fenton is right there among the very best. Blessed with a compact super athletic frame, Fenton zips across the boom with an explosion perhaps unmatched by anyone. In 2019, he won his fourth boom title – putting him one ahead of Hoeschler on the all-time list, but still a long ways from Fischer’s record of eight titles. He came up short last summer, and no doubt will be looking to put himself back on top. He’ll be among the favorites this weekend.
Anthony Polentini -- Four years ago, as a 16-year old, Polentini burst upon the scene as a rookie boom runner, and made a strong statement by winning the competition. He may have made a stronger statement following his winning run by leaping over the stretch of water behind the dock, and landing right in front the bleachers as the crowd cheered him on. Polentini has run well since his rookie year, but fell short to Fenton the following year, and Caleb Graves last summer. Look for Polentini to be back in the mix again this year – and don’t forget, as the world’s top ranked log roller – there’s a decent chance he takes home both titles this Saturday.
Caleb Graves – It may have been the signature moment of last years Lumberjack world championships. Graves had just completed an impressive pole climbing victory – and very soon after, the men’s boom run championships were about to start. Graves hustled over, got in his stance, and ran a blistering 13.38. It would be good enough to clinch his first boom run title. Graves has become a crowd favorite in Hayward, and look for him to be among the top candidates to win another boom title (and perhaps some other gold) at this year’s Lumberjack World championships.
Cameron Pilgreen -- Speaking of multiple event standouts, keep an eye on Pilgreen this weekend. He’ll compete as a Logroller, but his specialty is on the boom. Pilgreen has yet to win on the big stage at LWC, but without question, he’s got the skill set to do it. Last week, he finished in second (behind only Polentini) at the Namekagon boom event and won earlier this year at the Splash-n-Dash boom competition. Graves took home his first boom title a year ago, don’t be surprised if Pilgreen does the same this Saturday.
WOMENS BOOM RUN –
Abby (Hoeschler) Delaney – As a teenager 18 years ago, she won the first of her six boom run titles. Delaney hasn’t slowed down since, and will be among the favorites to win it all this year. Her titles have been scattered out (2004, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2019), showing a remarkable consistency, with victories in several different eras against a variety of competitors.
Claudia Duffy - Duffy broke through with her first boom championship last year, running a 15.58. Duffy also took home a first place finish last week at the Namekagon boom competition. She’ll have her hands full this year with Delaney and Meredith Ingbretson back in the field – but expect Duffy’s experience and recent success to put her back in the mix to win again this year.
Meredith Ingbretson -- Between 2012-2018, Ingbretson clamped down on the competition, winning five boom titles in seven years. The former college hockey star uses her athleticism to glide across the boom with outstanding efficiency and speed. After injuring her foot three years ago, she plans on running for the first time since the injury this weekend. If she’s back in her groove, Ingbretson could win number six on Saturday.
Katie Burke - In recent years, Burke has climbed the list of top boom runners, and could be a dark horse to win the event this year. She came in second to Duffy a year ago, and has had a solid 2022 so far. Burke won the Splash-n-Dash boom event in June, and came in second last week at the Namekogan river roll off.
