Strong performance by Nordic TIMBERSPORTS® athletes with 19 new records at part three of Nordic Cup 2023
The third round of the TIMBERSPORTS® Nordic Cup 2023 was held in Orsa, Sweden, on 5-6 August. The top Nordic TIMBERSPORTS® athletes competed in their respective divisions and impressed the crowds of spectators with 19 personal records. The Swedish professional lumberjack athlete, Ferry Svan, set a new Nordic Hot Saw record and also scooped up the gold medal in his division.
The third round of the TIMBERSPORTS® Nordic Cup 2023 took place last weekend. The event brought extreme sports athletes from the Nordic countries together to accumulate points for the fourth and final round of the competition which will take place on 23-24 September. Several of the Nordic athletes achieved no fewer than 19 personal records at the weekend, with Swedes Viktor Clarmo, Tove Njåstad and Ferry Svan breaking both world and Nordic records. Viktor surpassed the world record in Single Buck in the Intermediate competition (13.94 seconds), Tove set new Nordic records in Single Buck and Underhand Chop, and Ferry claimed a new Nordic record in Hot Saw (4.75 seconds) – just a tick away from the world record of 4.62 seconds.
– It’s a tremendous thrill to be moving closer to the world record. There was a brief moment, while we were waiting for the official times to be announced, that I actually felt like I’d broken the world record. Getting that close, just one tenth of a second away, is spurring me on even more for all the upcoming competitions. Now it’s a matter of fractions of a second and that requires focused training, says Ferry Svan.
Swedish athlete Kim Wolke also axed his way to a new Nordic Intermediate record in Underhand Chop (29.04 seconds) and finished in third place in the Intermediate division, which was won by Viktor Clarmo. Vebjørn Sønsteby came fifth and set a new Norwegian record in Hot Saw (6.52 seconds) in the Pro division.
– Overall, I’m satisfied with my performance. I need to keep polishing my game in some of the disciplines, but my times have improved throughout the season across all disciplines and I’m feeling in great shape. And it feels really good to have broken the Norwegian record in Hot Saw too, says Vebjørn Sønsteby.
Edvin Karlsson, from Sweden, claimed first place in the Rookie division, followed closely by the Danish athlete Esben Pedersen. Pedersen also set a new Danish record of 32.65 seconds in Underhand Chop. The performance of these two Rookie athletes qualifies them, along with the Pro athletes Ferry Svan and Emil Hansson, to participate in the Nations Cup 2023 in September.
It was an even battle among the female athletes in the third round of the Nordic Cup’s Women’s competition. Felixia Banck, from Denmark, took the top spot at the event, closely beating the Swedish athlete Tove Njåstad, who, while having to be content with second place, also claimed two new Nordic records in Single Buck (28.87 seconds) and Underhand Chop (56.35 seconds).
– Looking back on the competition, there are a few things I need to reflect on. I’d hoped for better results in the Stock Saw discipline, but encountering and overcoming setbacks is all part of the learning process. I’m pleased with my performance in Single Buck. My saw was in tip-top form and I finished with a new record time. And I set another record in Underhand Chop by performing exactly as I had trained to do and following the lines in my cuts. My performance is becoming more stable, but a better Stock Saw result would have been sweet, says Tove Njåstad.
The final round of the Nordic Cup will be staged at the end of September in the Swedish town of Svenljunga. Elite athletes from the Nordic countries will come together on 11-13 August in Elverum in Norway for the Nordic Championship 2023, and Stuttgart will be hosting the TIMBERSPORTS® World Championship on 3 and 4 November.
Dates for the Nordic Cup 2023:
- The first round of the Nordic Cup is in Falun on 26-28 May.
- The Nordic Cup continues with round two in Malung on 21-22 July.
- The third round of the Nordic Cup is in Orsa on 5-6 August.
- On 23-24 September, the Nordic Cup will be decided when the fourth round takes place in Svenljunga.
View the full results from the second round of the Nordic Cup 2023 here.
