| Team
History
In the second semester of the 1964-65 year, an enthusiastic group of 7 Aggies (Wayne Morris, Dave Oulton, Doug Housley, John Rand, Adrian Touesnard, Brian Murray, and Don Gunn) decided they would accept an invitation to compete in the Macdonald College Winter Carnival Woodsmen Competition. The schedule included:
| 10:00 |
Cross Country Snowshoe |
| 10:30 |
Fell and Twitch |
| 10:45 |
Swede Saw |
| 11:00 |
Chopping |
| 11:15 |
Water Boil |
| Lunch |
|
| 1:00 |
Cross Country Ski Race |
| 1:30 |
Chain Saw, Pulp Throwing, Splitting, Bag Rolling |
| 2:15 |
Cross Cut |
| 2:30 |
Four Man Snowshoe Relay |
The NSAC team finished 9th .
Thus the NSAC Woodsmen team began....
For the first two years, the Mac Competition was the
single event of the year. However, in 1967 UNB Forestry
extended an invitation to NSAC and the season then became
a “two event” schedule. NSAC finished 9th at the initial
UNB Meet. With the two meets, there was a team of 12 competing
at UNB and then the top 6 went to Mac.
In 1970-71, two men's teams attended the UNB and the Mac meet, and this practice continued until 1979-80 when the first women's team was formed.
The Russell connection to NSAC woodsmen teams began in 1974-75 when Barry Russell made the team. Then in 1977-78 little brother, Rick, enrolled at NSAC competing with the team for three years. With the exception of one year as an “assistant” , Rick was the coach from 1980 until his death in 2004.
In 1979-80 was the first year for a women's team and in 1981, Pauline Duivenvoorden was the first woodsmen to receive an “athlete of the year “ honour.
1983 saw the Aggies venture to Lindsay, Ontario for their first appearance at the Sir Sandford Fleming College competition. 1984 and 85 continued with the traditional two meets (UNB and Mac) It wasn't until 1985-86 that the SSFC was added to the annual competition schedule and it was that same year that NSAC hosted it's first meet.
In 1996, the interest among women on campus peaked and a second women's team was added to the mix and the four teams (2 men's and 2 women's) has been the contingent ever since.
In the late 1990's and into the year 2000, the 4 consistent competitors (NSAC, Mac, UNB, and SSFC) , talked about a national organization to improve the consistency of the meets, establishing standards and increasing the profile of the sport among other post-secondary students. As a result, the formation of CILA (Canadian Intercollegiate Lumberjacking Association) has received support of sponsors (STIHL - major) and sport networks alike - ESPN and OLN.
This year , the "novice" in the hosting of woodsmen
competitions (NSAC) is celebrating:
1. their 20th annual competition,
2. the outstanding contribution of athlete and long time NSAC Coach Rick Russell (1959-2004)
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