Three women set world records at Lumberjack Championships in Wisconsin

Three women’s world records fell at the Lumberjack World Championships in Hayward, Wisconsin, turning the “Olympics of the Northwoods” into a rare showcase of international women’s dominance in a sport built on strength, speed and precision. The annual competition is staged at the Lumberjack Bowl on the shores of Lake Hayward and draws elite competitors to timber sports that include sawing, chopping, speed pole climbing, log rolling and boom-running.

Karolina Urbanová of the Czech Republic broke the women’s underhand chop world record, while Stephanie Naud of Canada was shown celebrating after the performance. Meredith Ingbretson of Hayward set a world record in the Women’s Boom Run by sprinting across the water and back over eight red cedar logs. A third women’s world record also fell in the standing chop, extending a record-setting run that began when the 65th annual competition ended with a new world record in 2025.

The 66th annual competition brought together more than 100 elite competitors from nine countries and 16 states, with nearly 8,000 spectators filling the grounds over three days. That kind of turnout helps explain why the championships have outgrown their regional roots and now operate as both a festival and a serious athletic meet, with food, vendors and family activities alongside the contests.

The records matter because timber sports reward far more than brute force. Competitors train for years to master the timing, balance, stamina and technique needed to move fast without losing control, especially in events such as the boom run and underhand chop, where one misstep can erase an entire run. In that setting, three women setting records in the same competition signals depth in participation and a higher standard of women’s performance in a field long associated with logging culture and male labor.

The championships’ own entry process reflects that seriousness. Professional lumberjacks and lumberjills are invited to apply by email and must submit a competitive résumé and recommendation to be considered, making the field a curated one rather than an open exhibition. In Hayward, that structure has helped turn a local summer fixture into a national stage where women are now forcing timber sports to be covered as elite competition, not novelty.