by Brian Kern
DANVILLE — Several Hendricks County leaders had a chance to showcase their skills (or lack there of) at log rolling during the Hendricks County Fair. Eight-time world champion log roller, Jenny Atkinson, was on hand as part of Wood-Mizer Lumberjack Days at the Fair.
Hendricks County Flyer Publisher Harold Allen joined U.S. Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Jacob Cash at one of the demonstrations in which Atkinson provided a quick log rolling lesson before demolishing opponent after opponent in a friendly one-on-one log rolling competition.
Allen was first to go and held his own for a few seconds before succumbing to the lukewarm pool of water below. Attempts two and three saw a similar result and it was on to Sgt. Cash to give Atkinson a run for her money. Cash and Atkinson had dished out several friendly exchanges prior to their log rolling encounter, but when it came down to crunch time, it was Atkinson who would have the final say.
“Sgt. Cash had been talking smack all day and he pulled a little trick and tried to splash me before and I was like ‘OK, I’ve got tricks too, how about boom on your butt right now,” Atkinson joked.
Cash was impressed with Atkinson’s skills and says that log rolling was deceivingly difficult.
“It was a lot harder than what I thought it could ever be. That water and that log floating and just holding your balance while they’re holding it, it’s pretty rough,” he said. “Jenny’s amazing to be able to that and stay up there and keep control of that log. She seems to own it and apparently she owned me too.”
Other Hendricks County residents taking a crack at the log rolling competition were 2008 Fair Queen Jordan Pritchett, Hendricks County Council member Dick Thompson, State Rep. Jeff Thompson, Avon Town Manager Tom Klein, Fair Board President Jim Williams, and Linda Morgan with The Republican newspaper in Danville.
Participants ran on a log layered in carpet in order to provide a little extra traction. Atkinson won’t have that luxury next week as the Minnesota native plans to travel to Hayward, Wis., for the 2008 Lumberjack World Championships.
Other members of the Wood-Mizer lumberjack team were also on hand at the fair to demonstrate ax throwing and chopping techniques and wood-sculpting and team sawing skills.
brian.kern@flyergroup.com
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