It seems there still is a place for real men in Rainy River District if the turnout for the annual loggers’ competition last Friday during the Rainy River Valley Agricultural Society’s fall fair in Emo is any indication.
The competition has been part of the fair for the last 19 years, and the enthusiasm of the crowd in the grandstand showed it remains one of the most popular events.
Only six competitors entered this year, but the skill levels were as high as ever. There also were signs there could be a changing of the guard fairly soon, as some of the younger loggers served notice to the older veterans that their places at the top no longer can be taken for granted.
Defending champion Kelvin Caul once again was the overall winner, but his son, Jason, was a close second.
Jason took top honours in the axe throw and axe chop, but his dad still dominated in the strength events like the power saw speed buck and the log toss.
The elder Caul made five passes through an eight-by-eight log in a blazing 9.56 seconds and tossed a 10-kg log a combined 22.67 metres in his two throws.
Father and son then teamed up to take the two-man cross-cut saw event over Wes and Orville Smith, who were a close second.
Orville got a measure of revenge, though, by capturing the log fell. He was the only competitor to successfully drop his log squarely on the target peg.
There was a change in the pecking order in some of the other events, too. Seventy-five-year-old Gaston Godbout has dominated the chair carve for years, but this time he finished second to his grandson, Duane Loveday.
Godbout—a 10-time winner of the loggers’ competition—did capture the buck saw event with a winning time of 6.47 seconds, then teamed up with Loveday to take the tea boil.
After the competition, Kelvin Caul acknowledged his son is getting better every year, but he has no intentions of relinquishing his crown without a fight.
“Yeah, I’ll be back next year,” he vowed. “When Jason beats me, then maybe I’ll retire.”
Godbout has competed over the years with and against his son and now his grandson. His youngest great-grandson is now six, and when asked if he thinks he’ll still be around to enter the fray with a fourth generation, he shrugged and said, “I don’t know.”
Of course, by then he’ll be 85, but don’t bet against it. Godbout started working in the bush more than 60 years ago—at the age of 13—and judging by his performance Friday, he has a few more good years in him yet.
He looks as tough as old leather and probably is just as durable, so if he can still swing an axe or wield a chainsaw 10 years from now, chances are he’ll be there.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
