(STILLWATER, MINN.)- Dogs and sawdust will be flying at the STIHL Dogs & Logs World Championships July 24-27 in Stillwater, Minn. at the Stillwater Lumberjack Days. This dual world championships, the first time Ironjack and DockDog World Championships have joined forces, is jam packed with excitement and energy.
Forty-seven DockDog teams from around the world, including the returning world champions in Big Air®, Extreme Vertical® and Speed Retrieve® events will represent the canine side of the championships. Eight lumberjacks, including six-time Ironjack Champion Rob Waibel, will compete for the $25,000 Ironjack prize. Fans will also be treated to a special, first-ever Dogs and Logs Relay competition that will feature the best teams of athletes, human and canine, in head-to-head action. The events, which are being filmed and will air this fall on the Outdoor Channel, are free to the public.
"I have worked along side sporting dogs my whole life in both the field and in outdoor sports production," said Rob Scheer, president of Lumberjack Sports International. "Dogs and Logs is a perfect pairing of man with his best friend to give the fans a big dose of excitement and emotion. It's flying dogs and cutting logs!"
"The lumber industry and lumberjacking activities have tremendous historical significance in Stillwater," said Dave Eckberg, event director of Stillwater Lumberjack Days. "We are both proud and excited to host these world championships as part of our annual Stillwater Lumberjack Days celebration."
Roger Phelps, promotional communications manager for STIHL Inc. shared in his sentiment, "We at STIHL are definitely fans of Stillwater. We held the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series Championships in Stillwater the past two years, and the folks here are real outdoor enthusiasts. It was an easy decision to become the title sponsor of this new event and bring it to Stillwater."
DockDogs Competition
The DockDogs competition will showcase the top 24 Big Air® Dogs, top 16 Extreme Vertical® teams, and the top 18 Speed Retrieve® teams from all over the world as they compete in the prestigious annual championship event.
The attending DockDogs teams have qualified from more than 60 different worldwide competitions. Among the dock-jumping athletes are Team STIHL's own Tom Dropik and his powerhouse black Labrador Retriever, Rocky. Tom, a regional favorite from New Prague, Minn. will put Rocky through his paces in three canine events at this year's championships.
New Iron Dog Competition
The new all-round challenge, Iron Dog competition will also be unveiled for the first time. The Iron Dog event pits the best dog-and-handler teams against one another in each of three disciplines, Big Air, Speed Retrieve and Extreme Vertical to award the Overall World Champion of DockDogs.
Ironjack Competition
The world championship lumberjack competition will name the true "King of the Forest," as skilled athletes are tested like never before in Ironjack history. This grueling event pits the eight lumberjack athletes against one another in six back-to-back events: axe throw, standing chop, single-buck, obstacle pole race, speed climb and boom run.
Top lumberjack sports athletes from all corners of North America will vie for the $25,000 prize. World Champion Speed Climber and two-time Ironjack Champion, Cassidy Scheer, is looking to repeat the excitement of his narrow victory over six-time Ironjack Champion, Rob Waibel. Scheer beat Waibel by only one second after six events of competition in the ESPN Super Jack event at the last Great Outdoor Games.
Five-time Ironjack World Champion, Wade Stewart of Victoria British Columbia, will also be competing. Stewart's return comes as great news for his fans who saw him suffer a severe leg injury in a very dramatic speed climbing crash. This will be his first competition after 18 months of rehabilitation.
New Dogs and Logs Relay Championship
The final event will combine both sets of athletes as the lumberjacks pair up with their canine DockDog friends in a competition of four teams in the Dogs and Logs Relay Championship. This eight-discipline, head-to-head relay will feature two Ironjacks and two DockDogs with "jacks" climbing, sawing and chopping, while their four-legged teammates speed retrieve bird dummies.
STIHL will present the winner of the Ironjack and IronDog competition with a STIHL MS 210 C-BE chain saw with Easy2Start™. Winners will also drive off in a brand new ATV courtesy of event sponsor Polaris.
For more information on the weekend's event please visit http://www.lumberjackdays.com/
For more information on Team STIHL visit www.stihlusa.com/events.html
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 closest STIHL retailer call toll free 1-800-GO STIHL (1-800-467-8445) or visit the STIHL Web site at http://www.stihlusa.com/.
For information on job opportunities with STIHL Inc., please go to http://www.stihlcareers.com/. STIHL is an EEO and drug-free work environment.
About DockDogs
DockDogs® is the independent governing and sanctioning body for regional, national and international dock jumping performance sports. DockDogs® establishes the rules and standards of the sport, tracks results and records and supports and promotes the growth of its athletes, events, spectators, and sponsors.
For additional information visit http://www.dockdogs.com/
About Ironjack
A combination of the modern athlete and the extraordinary skill and courage of the American Lumberjack, the Ironjack Forest Sport Competition melds together the top athletes from all lumberjack sports. Referred to as the Olympics of the Forest, Ironjack features the most exciting events lumberjack sports have to offer performed by its premier athletes. Athletes compete in six distinctly different events and, to become the champion an athlete, must be skilled in all aspects of lumberjacking. If an athlete fails in one he can regain in another, but the one who is best across the board will be the Ironjack Champion.
For additional information visit www.lumberjackshows.com/ironjack
