Aussies have the wood on South Island team

Nelson A&P Showgoers were treated to some outstanding woodchopping last weekend in Richmond.

The arena was packed as the South Island side took on a powerful New South Wales outfit in team relay racing which returned to the region for the first time in several years.

“It is great for little old Nelson to have this calibre of competition. Even though the Aussies left a couple of national reps at home, they are incredible,” enthuses Rotoiti-born, Nelson College-educated axeman Peter McEwan, who’s now based in rural Canterbury.

“The crowd support was amazing and the competition was probably closer than expected. The sport requires skill, fitness and tenacity”, says Pete, who was the underhand chopper in the South Island team.

As the Aussies edged ahead in the first race and a South Island axeman was making hard work of it, one fan quipped good naturedly “it must be a tough log”.

It is not just the wood that is tough though, as Pete explains the gash on one of his hands which he sustained while competing for the South Island back in March.

“I was trying to avoid putting an axe I had borrowed from a friend, into a stand. The theory was an axe was worth about $1100 and my hand would heel,” says the 27-year-old registered valuer, who took up the sport at 11.

“I am probably one of the more accident-prone competitors but in the grand scheme of things I have hardly ever been injured. We wear all the right safety gear.

Our injury toll is minute, if anything,” insists Pete, who also had his share of knee injuries playing rugby at high school.

“I played lock or six but didn’t make the Nelson College 1st XV. Quinten Strange (inspirational Tasman Mako captain and lock) was in my year.”

Ironically, he suffered a back injury in the gym three years ago which threatened to end his career, but he underwent surgery and was back competing six months later.

The Selwyn-based axeman hopes to be still competing at 60 and to make the New Zealand veterans side. While that is 33 years away, New South Wales captain, manager  and team sponsor, Noel Marsh, plans to be an international veteran in just two years.

Noel used to be a bull rider. “I broke an arm and suffered internal bleeding and when I turned to woodchopping I cut my foot once,” says the laidback Aussie who’s been competing in New Zealand on and off for almost 30 years and remembers previous trips to Nelson.

When asked if he is missing any fingers, the 58-year-old points to half a finger on one hand.

“A lawn mowing accident when I was three,” reveals Noel, who owns a firewood and fence post business in the Hunter Valley.

Noel was on the double-handed saw during the teams racing, alongside his sons Blake and Cameron, and admits his fitness was down a bit.

“I have recently come back from prostate cancer surgery.”

Just reinforcing how tough and driven these elite axemen are.