Woodchopping in Tasmania moves to a new venue this weekend when it makes its debut at the Nunamara Country Fair.
It's come as a breath of fresh year for competitors, with a number of agricultural shows cancelled with uncertainty from organisers on being able to comply with COVID-safe guidelines.
Thankfully, organisers of the Nunamara Fair have invited the Northern Tasmanian Axemen's Association to stage an event at the Nunamara Hall.
Association secretary Amanda Beams said with some of the bigger events cancelled in the early part of the season, the Nunamara program would provide a much-needed hit-out for the state's best woodchoppers ahead of the Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals Series.
A condensed program of events will be held from 10am to 2pm, with the inaugural Nunamara Market 275mm standing championship the main event of the day.
Handicaps will also be held in 250mm and 275mm block sizes, a 250mm veterans' handicap, and a 275mm underhand handicap.
The program will also feature a unique event, in the form of a Jack and Jill underhand relay handicap.
Jack and Jill events are traditionally held as double-handed sawing events with one male and one female competitor.
However, the handicap will involve a male woodchopper cutting the first half of the block, before handing over to a female partner to finish the job with the back.
