Brennen Slangan, age 9, of South Gibson, demonstrates his axe skills. PHOTO BY TOM FONTANA
BY TOM FONTANA
Correspondent
For Paul Bunyon, the giant lumberjack of legend, it was all about speed with his mighty axe.
Although Brennen Slangan of South Gibson isn’t a giant at 4 feet, 11 inches, he’s also about speed with his mighty axe.
The nine-year-old and his sharp blade are in full swing, as his age has now made him eligible to participate in log chopping demonstrations and competitions at annual country fairs, such as the Harford Fair, and most recently the 99th Annual Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.
A new feature at the farm show this past January was the Lumberjacks & Lumberjills Logging Events, which offered demonstrations of axe throwing, crosscut sawing, underhand chops, and hot sawing sponsored by the Pennsylvania Professional Lumberjack Organization (PPLO).
Under the strict coaching of his aunt, Lavonne Mikloiche (who is a PPLO member and an avid lumberjill competitor), Brennen participated in the underhand chop demonstration at the farm show, and made an excellent showing. The goal was to see who could chop through a 10-inch diameter log the fastest.
“There was me and about 30 Penn State college students chopping,” Brennen explains. “I came in 15th, and chopped through my log in about two-and-a-half minutes.”
According to Brennen, the choppers mark a center line on the log, then balance on top of the log with a foot on each side of the center
Brennen Slangan, 9, of South Gibson, a third generation wood chopper, recently participated in lumberjack demonstrations at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, and is working on his chopping skills in preparation for logging events during the upcoming summer fair season. (Photo by Tom Fontana)
line.
“It’s all about feet position and body movement,” Lavonne said as Brennen demonstrated his skill. “The chopper turns their hips and feet, twisting the axe to chop a ‘V’ shape through the center of the log, trying to be the first to split the log in half.”
Brennen is the third generation of wood choppers in his family. In addition to Lavonne, Brennen’s grandfather Chip Arthur has been a life-long expert with an axe, and was an early participant in logging events at the Harford Fair in the 1970s.
Brennen is a fourth-grader at Mountain View Elementary School, and in addition to chopping he enjoys hunting and snowmobiling. Chopping practice with his aunt will begin again in the spring, about once a week, to prepare for the summer fair season. Brennen will also be working on his hot sawing skills, using a reconditioned chain saw instead of an axe.
When asked what he likes about chopping, Brennen just shrugs his shoulders. “I like to hot saw more,” he admits. “It’s louder.”
Brennen may not be as large as Paul Bunyon, but expect him to be making a big noise during the upcoming chopping season.
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