Virginia Beach, Va. (Sept. 12, 2008) – The STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series, the premier lumberjack sports event seen by millions of fans on ESPN, is bringing its Collegiate Series to the campus of Michigan Tech on Saturday, Sept. 27. The Collegiate Series travels to schools across the country to challenge amateur lumberjacks in head-to-head competition and determine the best all around collegiate lumberjack athlete. The event is televised on ESPNU.
The amateur competitors go head-to-head in the underhand chop, stock saw and single buck Saturday, Sept. 27 at 4 p.m. 40 miles south of the Michigan Tech campus at the Ford Center, the research forest and conference center in L'Anse, Mich. There, one competitor will earn his school a $1,000 scholarship from STIHL and, for himself, a berth in the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Collegiate Championship to be held June 2009 in Columbus, Ga. The winner of the collegiate championship event earns a spot in the 2010 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Professional Series.
"We're gearing up for our fifth season creating and producing the STIHL TIMBERPORTS Collegiate Series," said Roger Phelps, promotional communications manager for STIHL Inc. "Every year the series grows with the number of participating schools and the level of tough competition. We created the Collegiate Series to support collegiate interest in the sport around the country and help develop the next top U.S. pro athlete."
The Michigan Tech event marks the first of five qualifying events in the 2009 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Collegiate Series. Amateur lumberjacks will compete from nine area schools, Iowa State University, Lakehead University, Michigan State University, Michigan Tech University, Missouri University, Purdue University, Southern Illinois University, University of Minnesota at Minneapolis and University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.
Contestants at the Midwest conclave hosted by Michigan Tech will compete in three disciplines using professional rules and equipment. Contestants will be awarded points based on their finish in each event, and the individual with the best all-around score moves on to the Collegiate Series Championship.
Collegiate competitors will also have an opportunity to learn competition skills from Mike Slingerland, one of the top professionals in the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series. Slingerland will perform demonstrations of all of the lumberjack disciplines and assist the collegiate athletes in improving their skills.
The Michigan Tech event will be broadcast in 2009 on ESPNU. Fans of the series can also get the latest information and up-to-date news and video on all the competitions by signing up for the Quick Cuts e-newsletter at
www.stihltimbersports.com
.
STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Collegiate Series Event
When:
Saturday, Sept. 27, 4 p.m.
Where:
The Ford Center
21235 Alberta Ave.
L'Anse, Mich. 49946
Colleges:
Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Lakehead University, Ontario Canada
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.
Michigan Tech University, Houghton, Mich.
University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Ill.
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn.
University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, Wis.
For more information, go to
www.ESPNOutdoors.com
and click on TIMBERSPORTS, or visit
www.stihltimbersports.com
.
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 independent 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 STIHL's Web site at
www.stihlusa.com
.
STIHL Inc. 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. The STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® SERIES is the pinnacle event in lumberjack sports. Since 1985 the Series has grown to become the premier showcase of the decades old sport of lumberjacking with competitions held around the world.
The term TIMBERSPORTS® is a registered trademark owned by ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG. and refers to the series of disciplines and competitions that are part of the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series. As such, it should not be used as a generic description of the overall sport of lumberjack sports. This trademark refers to all modifications of the term TIMBERSPORTS such as timber sports, or timbersport. The term TIMBERSPORTS should always appear in conjunction with "STIHL."
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