Two World Records Smashed at STIHL TIMBERSPORTS 2024 U.S. Championship in Milwaukee

It was another axe-tion -packed competition in Milwaukee for the 2024 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS U.S. Championship. The top lumberjack and lumberjill athletes in the country went head-to-head with the most powerful chainsaws and razor-sharp axes, all backed by the power of STIHL. And when the sawdust settled, two champions were crowned: Erin LaVoie and Nate Hodges. This is the third championship win for Erin LaVoie of Spokane, Washington, breaking a new world record with a time of 23.61 seconds in the underhand chop, more than 5 seconds faster than the previous world record holder. LaVoie narrowly defeated reigning champ Martha King of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, by one point. King also broke a world record in the single buck with a time of 14.24 seconds. LaVoie and King are now tied with three U.S. championship wins each. For the men, Nate Hodges of North Fork, California, finally took home the gold against Matthew Cogar of Grafton, West Virginia, beating him out by only one point following several nail-biting podium finishes over the last few seasons. He came out victorious in the final hot saw discipline, claiming his personal best with a time of 4.79 seconds. Although Jason Lentz, of Diana, West Virginia, placed fourth this year, he secured a national record in the single buck with 11.57 seconds. Next up: LaVoie will head to Klingenthal, Germany, to defend her title at the International Women's Cup on August 25. And Hodges will travel to Toulouse, France, for the Individual World Championship on November 9. See it for yourself by checking out the action on the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS U.S. YouTube channel .