STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® BRING THE AXE-ION TO WOLLONGONG WITH 2023 AUSTRALIAN PRO AND ROOKIE CHAMPIONSHIP

STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® is Australia’s original extreme sport where professional athletes compete in a series of wood chopping and sawing events. In a day of high-octane sport, our nation’s top athletes will don axes and chainsaws to be crowned the 2023 Australian Rookie Champion and the 2023 Australian Pro Champion.

The Pro winner of this exciting event will go on to represent Australia in the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® individual World Championship in Stuttgart, Germany on 3 November 2023. Last year the Chopperoos took home a historic seventh world title in Gothenburg, Sweden. Team captain of the Chopperoos, Brad De Losa, won the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Australian Championship last year to lead the team to glory on the world stage.

“I had a successful TIMBERSPORTS® season last year and I would like to walk away with the title again this year,” said three-time World Trophy winner and 2022 PRO Champion Brad De Losa. “There is nothing better than getting the chance to represent your country on the world stage. This year’s World Championship is in Stuttgart, Germany, which is the home of STIHL, and the crowd will be like nothing I have ever experienced before.”

Top Australian Rookie athlete Curtis Bennett is thrilled to be taking on fellow rookies including Matt Coffey and Tyson Rowe who will be bringing their A-game to this year’s competition. “I am feeling confident walking into the Rookie Championship this year. I have been training hard and I am ready to take on the top rookie athletes here in Australia again having won the 2022 Australian Rookie Championship last year on the Gold Coast.”

Following the Rookies epic battle on the day, the top 12 PRO’s will come face-to-face in three rounds, first round disciplines (Underhand chop, Stock Saw and Standing Block Chop) before knocking out four contestants and moving on to round 2 with two more disciplines (Single Buck and crowd-favourite, Springboard). Then the final round being the pinnacle of the day – the Hot Saw where athletes compete with their custom-made chainsaws!

2023 Australian Trophy winner Laurence O’Toole is hoping to win another title after a successful start to the year, “It was incredibly satisfying to win the Australian Trophy in Adelaide in March, I’m excited to be challenging for the Australian Championship this September. It would be amazing to head to Stuttgart and battle for a second World championship and to lead the Chopperoos once again. Woodchopping is in my family’s blood and I want to take the top step on the podium once again.”