France’s oldest lumberjack contest puts axe skills to the test

Around 60 competitors gathered in Chamrousse on Sunday 9 August for France’s 73rd competitive lumberjacking championship, racing to cut through logs by hand with axes in a test of speed, accuracy and endurance. Timekeepers stopped the clock as each section finally broke free, with the fastest run of the day recorded at 4.49 seconds.

The championship has been held at the Alpine resort south-east of Grenoble since 1953, preserving a tradition closely tied to the region’s forestry history. Between rounds, competitors prepare identical logs and sharpen their axes, while some wear chainmail guards to protect their legs from accidental blows.

Eight-time French champion Pierre Puybaret, who also holds the world record in single-buck sawing, was among the competitors. Organiser Pascal Gaidet said the event started as a friendly contest between local lumberjacks before growing to attract participants from neighbouring regions.

With recent editions drawing around 2,000 spectators, the competition keeps a traditional logging skill alive even as chainsaws and mechanical harvesters have transformed modern forestry.