Family Affair Involves Axes

It’s fair to say that most ‘family affairs’ involving axes wouldn’t end well.

But that’s exactly what’s on the chopping block this week in Palmerston North and some of the whanau will even be rewarded for it.

Familial combinations at this year’s Stihl Timbersports National Champs extend to mother & son and husband & wife competitor combo’s and even a couple of sibling rivalries.

“That’s exactly what wood-chopping is,” says Raewyn Windley, a 28-year veteran of the sport and mum to son Lochie who’s competing in the Rookies Division this year for just his second time. “It’s all about family.”

She should know. As a third generation competitive wood-chopper hailing from the West Coast, Raewyn started competing as a 12-year-old.

Although she still holds a world title for a Jack & Jill Double-Saw event from 2019 and has podiumed in the Women’s Division at the last two National Champs, her rookie son has actually been teaching her a thing or two recently.

“Lochie’s only 17 but like me he started competing at age 12 too. He’s being chopping for five years now and for many years women competitors were only allowed to participate in sawing disciplines not axe-chopping ones. So really I only have a few more years of chopping experience than he does.

“When we train together there can be a little bit of turmoil when ‘mum doesn’t want to listen’ or take his advice,” smiles Raewyn.

An ironic dynamic given Raewyn’s also a school teacher.

“Actually, it’s very special to be taught by my son. Although we don’t directly compete against each other it’s really wonderful to travel around all the shows and events as a family.”

That tight-knit unit includes 16-year-old daughter Bri who according to Raewyn is ‘transitioning from horse riding to woodchopping’ and husband Joe – proudly bearing the status of ‘support crew’.

Other family affairs on show at the Stihl Timbersports Nationals this weekend (held as part of the NZ Rural Games) are:

• Husband and Wife: Chris Lord (Men’s Division) and Mikhayla Lord (Women’s Divisions) from Otorohanga
• Brother v Brother in the Men’s Division: Jack and Shane Jordan 
  (Last year these brothers finished 1st and 2nd – Jack just beating Shane by less than a sec!)
• Brother v Brother in the Rookies Division: Scott and Jack Matthews from Hokitikia (Jack is the youngest of all the Rookie competitors – aged 17, Scott is 19.)

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