My grandfather was Northland Axe Champion, well before I was born. Every year we used to go to the Easter show and watch my uncle chop in the arena event.
20 years or so ago we took the kids to the Easter Show and chopping was no longer an arena event, but just a sideshow on a back lot. I stood and watched, bringing back childhood memories. The axemen strutted around warming up, and there was some real old guy, must've been close to 70, stringy baggy muscle, but I knew he was the one to watch. They were doing a vertical chop. Then they are off! The old guy is still on his backswing when the young guys are sending their first chips flying, and I was a bit disappointed in my hero. Then his axe hit as the young guys hit on their second swing, I felt it hit, and on his second such a huge chip came out that he was halfway through. He finished well ahead of the young fellas. Impressive stuff from a veteran of my uncles era.
