Nick Egerton on Woodchopping at the NZ Agricultural Show

We’re joined by Southland’s own Nick Edgerton, live from Christchurch, where the woodchopping Competition is underway at the New Zealand Agricultural Show. Nick gives us the inside scoop on the event, what makes woodchopping such a crowd favourite, and how the South Island team is shaping up against New South Wales.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now we go to christ Church and hear from one
of Southland's top wood choppers, Nick Egerton. The wood chopping
competition kicked off yesterday at the New Zealand Agricultural Show
and runs right through the weekend. It's one of the
most popular attractions, drawing big crowds for spectacular displays of strength,
endurance and skill. Nick and the team are taking on

(00:21):
New South Wales. So let's find out what it's all about.
Good morning here, you are good, Thank you great to
have you on this morning. Things got underway yesterday. How's
it all going?

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Pretty good? We had a very wet day today and
we called it off about three o'clock. We were on
with soaked so we called her off. But we got
a team race games New South Wales. We just lost
for maybe half a block, so hopefully we took them
up today.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
Oh absolutely, and just like our competing in Southland with
that weather making its way out to Canabury. But for
those who might not have seen wood chopping live before,
can you paint us a picture what makes the sport
so exciting?

Speaker 2 (01:03):
H Well, there's a couple of different events. You've got
the crosscut sawing and it's like the old school wave
cutt and forward, I guess, and the one you stand
on the block and it's like I guess chopping the
tree up once you chopped it down, and then the
standing one or you just chop the tree down when
you're standing up, and then these acts throng and chainsaw.

(01:28):
So yeah, how do.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
You train for this or prepare for this or practice this?
And how sore does your back get?

Speaker 2 (01:38):
I do get a saw back, but we've got a
massuse that messages us and gets us all prepped and
we do a few stretches beforehand. I've been for a
run in Hegley Park this morning already. Just yeah, done
a few stretches and we're usually prepare by chopping a
few blocks or we go to the gym quurt a bit.
But oh yeah, been doing too much training.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
Well, I was going to say, with the recent weather events,
you probably will have your training plan sorted for the
rest of your life. But you are part of a
strong team lineup. Simon Bond, Stephen jonahe Cayle Burgess, Adam Finlay,
Tony Jensen, Kayla Molly Jensen, Neil Hatlee, Raywan Windley and
Lockie Winley what's it like competing alongside that crew.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
Oh yeah, it's pretty good. We're all pretty as good
as each other really and we sort of push each other,
which is good. And you've got to chop for your
play and then you're going to try chop against the
New South Wales boys do a lot more chopping than
we do. And looking forward to the day when we
do took the mark because there'd be a few Shandy's
involved for sure.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
I was going to say, as the camaraderie quite a
fun part of the competition.

Speaker 2 (02:50):
Yeah, we were out last night with him guys at
the Laren Star and yeah there was a fair bit
of being to be twenty our sets for sure.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
Oh, as this should be. And that's what's so great.
You can have a laugh and have some band to
you know, when you're not competing. But then when it
gets down to business and as business time, indeed, out
of all those events that you just readled off before,
as the one that you enjoy the.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
Most, Yeah, I like the standing block because if it
take as much time setting it up, it's pretty good.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
Just get out there and do it. For those who
want updates results, what's the best place to go or
where's the best place to go and find them?

Speaker 2 (03:31):
And keep up on the Canary X Men's page on Facebook.
They put a video up there. The god on the
video is not really good. I think New South Wales
has got their own New South Wales Excellent Association have
got their own Facebook page. The video quality is probably
ten times a bit of it. You'll get the gist

(03:52):
to what I mean.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
Okay, okay, I love it, I love I love a
dusty morning. Yeah, and how good is this?

Speaker 2 (04:00):
All? Right?

Speaker 1 (04:00):
What is next? After the Canterbury Show.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
We've got the sound Horn chaps next week and Nowson,
it's the South of the Tago team. We'll be trying
to win the curtain cutback off West Coast hopefully, and.

Speaker 1 (04:12):
You'll keep us all updated as to how that plays
out as well.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
Yeah, you can give me a call next next Friday
or Saturday morning and I'll tell you and about how
how are we going?

Speaker 1 (04:22):
Sounds great?

Speaker 2 (04:23):
Right?

Speaker 1 (04:24):
Thank you so much for joining us. Go get some meccas,
a good lut and make sure you go and beat
those Aussies.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Thank you. Yeah,