Step into a world of sawdust and swinging axes at the Devils Backbone’s Lumberjack Classic, two days of extreme timbersports, live music, food vendors, and family-friendly fun. Lumberjill Hanna Quigley is one of the competitors who’ll be racing to start her chainsaw and notch some wood in disciplines like underhand chop (imagine chopping through a tree that’s a foot across in seconds) and the stock saw (using a chainsaw to make precise cuts in a log). The free event is held September 15–16 at Devils Backbone Basecamp Brewpub & Meadows. dbbrewingcompany.com/events
Name: Hanna Quigley.
Age: 25.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers.
Hometown: Honeoye Falls, New York.
Job: Landscape designer.
How did you get into timbersports: I didn’t make the cut for the volleyball team or the wind ensemble upon tryouts in college, where SUNY ESF students had to compete against SU students in New York. I hoped to continue with sports and extracurricular activities. My friend signed me up for the Woodsmen Team at the club activities fair, mainly as a joke after we saw a “firebuilding event.” But as I joined the team, made friends, and learned the events, I came to enjoy how challenging the sport was and wanted to continue further with it.
What’s something about timbersports that people would be surprised to learn: Timbersports is a global sport that started in Australia. Many of the most talented athletes in the sport live in Australia and have passed their knowledge down through multiple generations. Several competitors worldwide travel there to compete against these athletes to learn and improve their technique.
What disciplines are you competing in at the Devils Backbone’s Lumberjack Classic: All the women’s events are offered to the athletes, including the standing block chop, underhand chop, single buck, jack and jill sawing, and stock saw. My best events are the standing block and the single buck.
What’s your favorite discipline: My favorite discipline is the underhand chop. While it is the event that I am slightly behind the field at, it was the event that got me hooked on the sport back in college, and with it being one of the first women’s events, it’s one of the most competitive and most rewarding to perform well at.
Do you have a favorite wood to chop into: About a year ago, I would’ve told you my favorite wood to cut was aspen. That was mostly because to cut the wood well, it isn’t necessarily about pace; it’s about the placement of the axe and the slope at which the axe enters the wood. However, more recently, I’ve enjoyed cutting pine because with improved accuracy, I’ve been able to speed up my hits and race more effectively.
How fast can you cut down a tree: My fastest time in the standing block chop (which mimics tree felling) is about 24 seconds—I hope to beat that this weekend!
Who is your hero: My hero is Tia-Clair Toomey, six-time fittest woman on earth (CrossFit).
Best advice you ever got: Think about one thing going into each event; it’s too hard to handle more than that. Other improvements will come in time.
Proudest accomplishment: World title standing block at the Hayward Lumberjack Championships.
Describe a perfect day: A fall day out on a hike, training in the backyard, and hanging out with my dog.
If you could be reincarnated as a person or thing, what would you be: A cardinal.
If you had three wishes, what would you wish for: A private jet, a house, and to make enough money to live comfortably and solely compete in timbersports.
Do you have any pets: Mini Bernedoodle—Elouise.
Favorite movie/show: “Ted Lasso.”
Favorite book: Jane Eyre.
What are you listening to right now: Imagine Dragons.
Go-to karaoke song: “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
Who’d play you in a movie: Jennifer Lawrence.
Celebrity crush: Ian Somerhalder.
Most used app on your phone: Pandora Music.
Last text you sent: Video of woodchopping.
Most used emoji: Crying laughing face.
Subject that causes you to rant: Transgender women in sports.
Best journey you ever went on: Study abroad in Barcelona, Spain.
Next journey: Tasmania Christmas Circuit.
Favorite curse word: F-bomb.
Hottest take: Pineapple and ham on pizza.
What have you forgotten today: How to draw my lines in a standing block (jetlagged and just got back from a trip to Australia!).