(Stillwater, Minn.)
- STIHL®TIMBERSPORTS® and ESPN will once again roll into town to briefly shatter the silence along the St. Croix River with the sounds of axes pounding and chain saws roaring. As part of Lumberjack Days ’07, the weekend’s highlights include the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Professional Series Championship, the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Collegiate Series Championship, and the STIHL World Championships of Log Rolling and Boom Running. Fans can see all the action live July 19-22 at Lowell Park.
“This is going to be a very special championship weekend in the place where much of the lumber that built our country came up the hills and into the mills,” said Roger Phelps, promotional communications manager for STIHL Inc. “To be seated in this cradle of lumberjack history has a very special meaning to all of the competitors. The fans were the some of the best we have seen in our 22-year history and they demonstrated a thorough knowledge of our sport, so we are thrilled to bring back all the excitement they have come to expect from the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series!”
Stillwater is thrilled to have the Series back in town, according to Dave Eckberg, president of St. Croix events. “To have the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series Championships here again is a perfect synergy for us to salute our heritage. We will again welcome this top-notch competition which gives our city tremendous exposure to the rest of the world through ESPN.”
The STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series competition, aired on ESPN throughout the world, will be filmed for broadcast later this year on ESPN2. The professional competition is the last stop on a three-city tour that starts with 32 axemen, 12 speed climbers and 12 boom runners. The Stillwater competition will pit the top eight lumberjack sport athletes against one another in their respective disciplines to determine the ultimate champion.
The STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Collegiate Championship, filmed for ESPNU and scheduled for broadcast in August, features the top competitor from each of the four regional U.S. qualifiers and two from Canada. These six college athletes will vie for the STIHL®TIMBERSPORTS® Collegiate Championship title here. Last year in Stillwater, Jonathan Blais from McGill University in Quebec earned a spot on the professional circuit, and this year a new collegiate champion will be crowned and offered the chance to move up in competition.
To round out the week of competition, STIHL is proud to introduce the STIHL World Championships of Log Rolling and Boom Running. Presented in conjunction with the International Log Rolling Association (ILRA), the official sanctioning body of the sport, the World Championships will feature four days of competition in both men’s and women’s log rolling and boom running.
“ The lumber industry and lumberjacking activities have tremendous historical significance in Stillwater,” said Dave Eckberg, coordinator of Stillwater Lumberjack Days. “Bringing the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series back helps us honor the men who worked the sawmills and the rivers for many, many years right here in Stillwater.”
Dodge, the official truck of the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series, will showcase some of the latest Dodge vehicles; Carhartt, official work wear sponsor for the Series, will operate its show trailer with displays and prizes; and Cabela’s, official outfitter of the Series, will add to the excitement with the “Cabela-tron” and additional giveaways. ESPN2 will air the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Professional Series this November and December, and ESPNU will air the STIHL®TIMBERSPORTS® Collegiate Series this summer, with all shows rebroadcast throughout the year.
For more information and latest updates, log on to:
www.stihltimbersports.com
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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 servicing power equipment retailers from coast to coast— not mass merchants. For more information, or for the name of the closet STIHL retailer, call toll free 1-800-GO STIHL (1-800-467-8445) or visit STIHL’s Web site at
www.stihlusa.com
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STIHL Incorporated is the official underwriting sponsor of the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series. The series airs throughout the year on the ESPN2 cable network, and the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Collegiate Series airs on ESPNU.
For information on job opportunities with STIHL Inc., please go to
www.stihlusa.com/employment
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