For one Memramcook man, chopping wood is more than just a chore, it’s a fun sport.
Marcel Dupuis recently took second place at the STIHL Timbersports Canadian Champion Trophy event.
When Dupuis isn’t competing, he is either working full time as a Moncton firefighter or training for his next event.
“In the off season there’s quite a bit of gym training and all that stuff, trying to build up your core strength so you’ll be stronger for the next year, that’s pretty much what the training entails,” says Dupuis.
Dupuis says events include chopping blocks with an axe, long saw or chainsaw and can be learned by anyone.
“It’s a sport that you can do ‘all ages’, like there’s different events so you can do that throughout your life if you wish to do it,” says Dupuis. “You can do it at a lesser level also, there’s smaller contests, different circuits here and there that you can join up, there’s room for anybody that wants to compete.”
He says it’s something you get addicted to “once you start hitting a piece of wood with an axe, and the woodchips are flying, it’s kind of an addictive thing.”
Dupuis says it’s also a good stress reliever because “you get your frustrations off on the piece of wood and not on somebody else.”
With his recent victory, he will now compete at the 2018 Canadian championships that will be held in Wasaga, Ontario in July.
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(Photo: submitted)