STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Is Back For The 2021 Season

The Original Extreme Sport makes its triumphant return with live competitions, new disciplines, and expanded fan engagement opportunities

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STIHL TIMBERSPORTS(R)

Jun 04, 2021, 14:24 ET

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., June 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® competitions officially return to the United States in 2021. Postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19, "The Original Extreme Sport" features the best men, women and rookie lumberjack sports athletes in the country, chopping and sawing for the title of U.S. Champion.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8893151-stihl-timbersports-extreme-sport-competitions-return/

2019 Women’s Division Champion Martha King

2019 Men’s Division Champion Cassidy Scheer

"We are all excited to resume live competitions," said Roger Phelps, Corporate Communications Manager for STIHL Inc. "We are working with our production team to ensure safe and exciting competitions, and while events will be closed to the public, fans can still see all of the competitions through livestreams on the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® U.S. Facebook page and YouTube channel. Additionally, shows around the 2021 season will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network later this year."

There are several new developments for 2021. In the Men's Division, 40 athletes will compete in four pools of 10 - in the international elimination format at all qualifiers - with the top-20 athletes moving on to the semifinals and Championships. For the first time in competition history, all rounds will be filmed.

"I'm ecstatic that STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® will be holding a 2021 season this year," said 2019 Men's Division Champion Cassidy Scheer. "This is the pinnacle of the sport and we are all eager to compete for the U.S. title and to represent our country at the World Championships. We all appreciate the effort being made to ensure we can participate in the sport we love, safely."

In the Women's Division, 28 women will compete in four pools of seven athletes. New this season, the female competitors will participate in four disciplines – with the new addition of the Standing Block Chop. "The competition in the Women's Division gets stronger every year, and I'm glad to see STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® continue to help it grow by adding one of the more challenging disciplines in the sport," said 2019 Women's Division Champion Martha King.

New for 2021 is the Rookie Division where athletes 25 or younger compete in five disciplines for the U.S. title. "We are looking for the future superstars of STIHL TIMBERSPORTS®," said Phelps. "And this new division allows rookies to learn from professionals and experience the highest level of competition in this sport."

Four qualifier competitions will take place around the country in June, and the U.S. Championships will be held July 23 to 25 in Little Rock, Ark. For the full season schedule, visit: www.stihltimbersports.com.

The U.S. STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® season is part of the larger international season taking place this year. Throughout 2021 there are Championship events in Australia, Czech Republic, Poland, Switzerland and France. The winner of the U.S. Men's Division Championship will qualify to compete against the world's top lumberjack sports athletes in the World Championship in Munich, Germany on October 2.

"STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® is a global sport and the United States is an extremely important region with stellar athletes. We're ecstatic to be back with a season and several new elements this year," said Nathan Waterfield, STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Assistant Sports Global Director, North America.

The 2021 season features several talented athletes. Scheer will look to defend his 2019 title, but will have one of the best STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® athletes ever - six-time champion Matt Cogar - looking to get back to the top of the medal stand. Nate Hodges burst onto the scene in 2019, earning second place in his first-ever competition, and now has the experience of competing on the main stage. King is the defending 2019 champion and one of the sport's most impressive competitors. 2018 champion Erin LaVoie is routinely one of the best competitors in the sport and will renew her rivalry with King this season. To see the full 2021 roster of competitors, visit: https://www.stihlusa.com/stihl-timbersports/athletes/

STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® is proud to welcome back returning sponsors Duluth Trading Company and John Deere. The sport is also excited to announce that Ace Hardware has signed on as a new sponsor in 2021.

Fans can catch all of the thrilling action and learn updates about the sport by visiting the U.S. website at www.stihltimbersports.com and following on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Fans can also learn results, both in the States and internationally, by visiting https://data.stihl-timbersports.com/. The U.S. Championship will be livestreamed on the Facebook and YouTube pages, and all of the competitions will air on CBS Sports Network in the fall.

About STIHL Inc.

STIHL Inc. is the official underwriting sponsor of the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS^® Series. The term TIMBERSPORTS® is a registered trademark owned by ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG. and refers to the series of disciplines and competitions that are part of the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Series. As such, it should not be used as a generic description of the overall sport of lumberjack sports. This trademark refers to all modifications of the term TIMBERSPORTS such as timber sports, or timbersport.

SOURCE STIHL TIMBERSPORTS(R)