Jack Jordan (New Zealand) celebrates his fourth World Trophy title in Budapest
The world’s strongest and fastest sports lumberjacks faced off at the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® World Trophy international competition on June 5–6, 2026, in Budapest. Nearly 40 athletes, including the sport’s 16 best competitors, took up their axes at the City Park Ice Rink, where the sport’s first professional women’s world championship field also competed. The home crowd could cheer on two Hungarian woodcutters during what turned out to be an adrenaline-fueled weekend. Budapest proved to be an excellent host city, with the competition running smoothly and being professionally organized throughout, with no issues or disruptions.
The World Trophy is one of the world’s most spectacular and intense woodcutting competitions, and its Budapest leg included several highlight events. The Rookie World Championship was held Friday, June 5, featuring the sport’s most promising young competitors, including 17-year-old Ádám Urbán.
The victory went to Mathew Gower (New Zealand), who remained in the lead throughout with a confident and consistent performance and ultimately stood on the top step of the podium.
Awatea Moore Barrett (Australia) finished in second place, while Kamiel Van Raemdonck (Belgium) took third in a close battle. Hungarian competitor Ádám Urbán fought hard with the support of the home crowd and ultimately finished the World Championships in sixth place, gaining valuable experience in the international field.
After each woodchopping discipline, the stage set on the lake was quickly and professionally cleared, ensuring a smooth transition between events and maintaining the competition’s fast-paced flow. Photo: Hungary Today
On Saturday, June 6, the series hosted its first-ever Women’s World Championship, followed later that same day by the World Trophy, which closed out the competition weekend. At the women’s world championship,
Canada’s Andrea Hand secured the overall victory with an outstanding performance, becoming the first woman in the sport’s history to lift the world championship trophy.
Karolina Urbanová (Czech Republic) finished in second place on the podium, while Lauren Bergman (United States) took third place, bringing an extremely exciting and memorable competition to a close in City Park.
In the World Trophy format, two competitive loggers competed simultaneously in four events, which they completed against the clock without interruption. In the Stock Saw event, competitors used brand-new chainsaws in factory setting.
Photo: Hungary Today
They needed to cut a single, standard-sized disc from a log secured horizontally. In addition to speed, a precise start, the correct cutting angle, and controlled use of force were also crucial. In the Underhand Chop event, competitors stood on a horizontally positioned, specially turned log and cut through the wood beneath them with an axe. The event required a keen sense of balance and concentration, as the athletes work just a few centimeters from their own feet while cutting through the log cleanly on both sides. The Single Buck was one of the most technical events.
Competitors used a specially designed hand saw nearly two meters long to cut a complete cross-section from a log secured to a stand. In this event, the rhythm of the strokes, the coordination of body movements, and the precise guidance of the saw determined a strong performance, in which efficiency was at least as important as physical strength. The Standing Block Chop was the most spectacular of the axe-throwing events. Competitors cut through a vertically mounted log, first from one side and then from the other. Explosive power, precise angle selection, and the timing of the strikes determined who could cut through the log in the shortest time.
At the end of the competition, defending champion Jack Jordan (New Zealand) proved himself once again, securing his fourth world championship title with an extremely confident and consistent performance in the four-event, non-stop format.
Matthew Cogar (United States) took second place on the podium, while Kody Steers (Australia) claimed third after a close and spectacular competition.
Hungarian competitor Bence Strúbel performed excellently amid tremendous encouragement from the home crowd.
Throughout the four events, athletes needed to maintain not only their strength but also their stamina and mental focus. The world’s top competitors could complete the entire series in as little as one minute.
Fact
STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® was launched in 1985 and has since become one of the world’s most-watched extreme sports series. The sport grew out of the traditions of 19th-century loggers in Australia, New Zealand, North America, and Canada, and today the international field consists of more than 2,000 active competitors. One of the premier events in international sports logging, the World Trophy, returned to the Hungarian capital after 12 years.
Via erdo-mezo.hu; Featured photo: Hungary Today
