The Original Extreme Sport Heads Back to the Gold Coast!

You’ve seen it on 7Mate, now see it live! The 2019 STIHL TIMBERPSPORTS® Australian Championships will be back on the Gold Coast on Saturday 14th September, 2019. In a day of high-powered, high-octane extreme sports action, our nation’s top athletes in the original extreme sport will be battling it out with razor sharp axes and high powered saws to be crowned the Australian Champion in the Men’s, Women’s and under 25 Rookies divisions.

The free entry event will kick off on the southern lawn of Southport’s Broadwater Parklands from 10am on Saturday 14th September. The main event of the day, the Men’s Championship, will start from 2pm and the supporting Timber & Tucker Festival will run through until 10pm with food trucks, kids rides, music and licensed bar. Whilst entry is free, gold coin donations are welcome at the gates with all proceeds going towards the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Australia Official Charity Partner, the Movember Foundation.

O’TOOLE IS THE MAN TO BEAT

Last year Victorian Laurence O’Toole put on a chopping and sawing masterclass taking out 1st place in the men’s championship to book his spot at the 2018 world championships in Liverpool, England. Whilst representing our great nation, O’Toole repeated the feat to claim the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Individual World Championship. O’Toole came home from Liverpool with not one, but two gold medals as the Aussie Chopperoos once again flexed their muscles on the world stage claiming a new world record on the way to victory in the hotly contested Team World Championship.

Fellow Chopperoos Brad De Losa, Brayden Meyer, Glen Gillam and Jamie Head will all be looking to knock O’Toole from the top spot, and claim their ticket to the 2019 World Championships to be held in Prague, Czech Republic on the 1st and 2nd November, but the giant Victorian is looking forward to the challenge.

"The pressure is on to repeat my successes of last year, but I love the pressure. Brayden and Brad and the boys will be back to try and knock me off the top spot of the podium, but my training is going really well and I can’t wait to try and defend both my Australian and world titles this year," said O’Toole.

 

NEW YEAR, NEW FORMAT, NEW CHAMPION?

One factor that could play in to O’Toole’s favour is the switch of formats to match the same format used at the World Championships. At past World Championships, all athletes have had to compete in a total of six disciplines, the fastest in each discipline claimed the highest points (8 for a field of eight competitors) and the slowest 1-point. The winner at the end was the athlete with the most point.

This year we will start the day with 12 athletes, all of which will complete the first three disciplines (underhand chop, STIHL stocksaw and standing block chop), with 12 points awarded to the fastest athlete, and 1 for the slowest. After the three disciplines, only the top eight athletes will go on to the next two disciplines; the single buck, and the crowd favourite, the springboard. Points will now double with 16 going to the fastest athlete, and 2 to the slowest. Before the final event, the hotsaw, we will lose another two athletes, leaving the top six to shoot it out for triple points with their custom-made monster chainsaws!

 

HOW TO WATCH

STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® is best experienced LIVE! However, if you can’t make it to the Gold Coast on Saturday September 14th, you can catch all of the axe-ion via the live stream on our Facebook page and YouTube channels.

Highlights of the action will also air on 7mate after the completion of the 2019 World Championships. Ten episodes following the 2019 series are scheduled to air on 7mate from mid December 2019 on Saturdays at 12:30pm.

Want more? Catch up with all the action from the 2018 series, which is currently airing every weekend at 12:30pm on 7mate until the new series is ready to go! Episodes will also be available to view on the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Australia YouTube Channel.

 

MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP CONFIRMED ATHLETES:

Laurence O’Toole – VIC, Brad De Losa – NSW, Brayden Meyer – VIC, Glen Gillam – VIC, Jamie Head – QLD, Kody Steers – TAS, Matt Gurr – TAS, Mitch Argent – QLD, +4 more athletes to be added.

LOCATION: Southern Lawn of Broadwater Parklands, Southport, Gold Coast

(Opposite side of the Gold Coast Highway from the Meriton Hotel, Southport)

MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE: SATURDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2019: 2:00pm – 6:00pm

WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE: SATURDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2019: 10:00am – 12:00pm

ROOKIE CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE: SATURDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2019: 12:00pm – 2:00pm