But one thing never changes in timbersports: families.

And lending out a hand on that new single buck saw.

Amanda Beams has the advantage of leaning on her sons Daniel and Zach – and vice versa – at another Australian championships. 

While the instruments of destruction might be finely tuned to give a modern polish to cutting through a log, the top fuel dragsters of hand saws still need assistance.

“It’s certainly a sport to keep your family unit together as we have to sort of help each other out,” she said.

“You’re allowed a second [person] when you’re doing your single buck and that’s always a member of your family to get you through.

“So we feel we are all very lucky that we all get to compete together.”

Except for the patriarch of one of Tasmania’s celebrated woodchopping families.

Dale Beams won’t be in attendance at the Gold Coast event this weekend, sidelined after being forced to recover from shoulder surgery.

The Winkleigh husband and wife and their two sons combined for the first time last year together at the timbersports championships.

Both brothers qualified for the rookies section again.

The 22-year-old Daniel will return after two podium finishes in as many years.

“He’s looking at going one better,” Amanda said, “but they also don’t put too much expectations on themselves.”

The burden of taking on the single buck, stock saw, underhand and standing block is pretty tough going.

One miscued cut or chop and the title’s gone.

“It’s all a real emotional rollercoaster,” she said.

“You can think you’ve had a good cut, then someone else will do a better time and you’d think that was no good. 

“One time you might win, the next you may come last.”

The national women’s champion has good reason for renewed confidence.

She feels even stronger and fitter than last year.

Beams knows all eyes will be on her every move, her rivals hoping to cut her down.

“I have done a lot of training again,” she said.

“But I have also done a lot more work fine tuning my underhand cutting this year. 

“So hopefully that works a bit better for me. You’ve got to have a luck in timbersports – you’ve got to be consistent.

“You may not necessarily win every event, you sort of got to stay around the top three placings.”

Beams is feeling relaxed about defending her crown.

“You don’t go out too cocky,” she said. “It’s comforting to know I’ve achieved it once and with the slate been scraped clean now, I have to try and do it all again.”

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