Keen to keep honing skills

The Richards family at Eastern Bush are relative newcomers to the sport of woodchopping and 14-year-old Jack Richards has got off to a flying start in his axeman competition career.

"We used to see the woodchopping competitions at the New Year's sports events and about four years ago, after watching the claybird shooting with my grandfather, I decided to give it a go," Jack's father, Al Richards, said.

"From there the whole family got involved."

Jack's mother, Karen, has already represented New Zealand as an Axe Fern in sawing events and is also seeking to compete in the upcoming test series against Australia this year.

This is Jack's third season of woodchopping and he is working hard with Welsh coach Simon Bond to continue to develop his skills.

Jack placed in the restricted underhand final at the Browns sports this year and has performed well in other competitions, including in an unlikely final appearance in the double-handed sawing event with veteran Nelson List.

"Jack naturally has a good style and the challenge is to develop and maintain that while he continues to grow and get stronger," Mr Bond said.

Mr Bond came to New Zealand from North Wales to compete in woodchopping competitions and has stayed on to work in the country as well as continue to compete and coach.

While most of the chopping Jack has done has been with pine, his team has recently added poplar to the mix to help develop accuracy and technique.

Jack, who goes to Waiau Area School in Tuatapere, has just turned 14 and said he was keen to keep woodchopping as his main sport.

"I do like rugby and other sports," he said.

"But I'd like to continue on with the chopping and see how far I can go."

He said he had received much help from local axemen such as Stu Vaughan among others, which made it much easier to progress.

KEN.MUIR @alliedpress.co.nz