Sportsmanship meets competition

There are numerous community events held throughout our province that promote healthy competition, and good sportsmanship.

Like most of those events, you won't find footage of it on the evening news, only in a community newspaper. The annual Gambo Loggers Competition is one of those events.

The event has been going strong for 12 years, and although competitors dog it out for prizes, it seems that sportsmanship is paramount at the competition.

The event began on Saturday morning, Sept. 5, with the boom run. As one competitor ran across the boom, or swam to the other side (depending on luck and skill), they usually waited for the next competitor to attempt the slippery trek. Why'd they wait? To yell encouragement to the next person up, and to laugh with them if they slipped off the boom, and flew headfirst into the chilly water below. As that person emerged from beneath the water, the entire crowd went nuts yelling support and urging the competitor to finish that they started.

At the end of the day, nobody remembered who won their respective division. They probably remember Joe Paul running across the boom with his western socks hauled over his pants, or the friendly rivalry between buddies Kevin Keats and Baxter (Boom) Collins more. In fact, the order of runners was changed so Keats and Boom could run one after the other. There was no protest, only applause.

However, the support shown at the boom run was nothing in comparison to the support given to competitors participating in the cross cut competition and buck saw competition. When Corner Brook youth Jennifer Duffy stepped up to tackle the piece of wood that stood in her way during the buck saw competition, it was quite evident that the youth was going to have trouble. However, the two men that held the wood in place refused to let her quit, and the emcee made sure the crowd continued to cheer Jennifer on as she slowly sawed her way to the finish. It seemed to last forever, as Jennifer grew weary and fatigue started to kick in. With a ruckus crowd behind her, and the two men yelling and clapping next to her, Jennifer finally cut her way through the wood, and received the loudest applause of the day.

This event is definitely one of a kind. Whether you get to see the often hilarious boom run, or a new event like the log chop, the annual Gambo Loggers Competition is one that all nearby residents should take in.