STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Brings the Grit and Grind of Lumberjack Sports to Life in New Docuseries: TIMBER! Chop It Like It's Hot

With consumer interest in niche sports on the rise, the five-part series – directed by Emmy-award winning director Michael McKinnis – captures the power, passion, and human stories driving TIMBERSPORTS' rapid growth

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- TIMBER! Chop It Like It's Hot, a five-episode docuseries that pulls back the curtain on the high-energy world of STIHL TIMBERSPORTS^®, is now live on STIHLUSA.COM. The series offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the athletes and underground communities that fuel this unique sport, capturing the grit, camaraderie, and intensity that makes it so compelling.

Self-produced by STIHL and directed by Emmy-award winning director Michael McKinnis, the series follows the best lumberjacks and lumberjills in the nation on their journey through the 2024 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS^® season from the U.S. Championships in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to the culmination at the World Championships in Toulouse, France. Along the way, fans will see how old-school forestry techniques and traditions meet modern athleticism, and how every swing of the axe carries both risk and reward in a sport where the competitors are there strictly for the love of the game.

The docuseries features athletes from across the country, including the remarkable journey of North Fork, Calif.-based Nate Hodges from a small-town rookie with zero experience and a fierce determination to standing at the top of the podium in the pinnacle event of the sport. Hodges recently defended his national title at the 2025 U.S. Men's Championship, earning him the opportunity to represent Team USA at the 2025 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS^® World Championship in Milan, Italy in October.

Another featured athlete includes Spokane, Wash.-based Erin LaVoie, a CrossFit gym owner and veteran competitor who also defended her national title at this year's U.S. Women's Pro Championship – becoming the first woman to win back-to-back U.S. titles – and shattered two world records in the process.

For over 40 years, STIHL TIMBERSPORTS^® has blended strength, speed, and precision in wood chopping and sawing competitions – a rugged test of endurance that continues to captivate audiences around the world. Today, the sport is breaking through like never before: live event attendance has more than doubled over the past three years, while TV viewership on FOX Sports FS1 is surging with over 3 million viewers this year. TIMBER! Chop It Like It's Hot captures this momentum, giving audiences unprecedented access to the sport at a pivotal moment in its rise.

"What makes TIMBERSPORTS so special is that it's as much about the people as it is the competition. The TIMBERSPORTS community is a close-knit tribe and they all have interesting stories, but the same obsessive passion for the sport," said Adam Wolff, STIHL TIMBERSPORTS^® USA Team Manager. "Now felt like the right moment to bring the behind-the-scenes moments of this sport to our fans – the athletes, families, and rivalries that make this competition unlike any other, and show why, after 40 years, the sport is more alive and relevant than ever."

In addition to TIMBER! Chop It Like It's Hot, viewers can relive highlights from the 2025 season by tuning into FOX Sports FS1 at https://www.foxsports.com/presspass/latest-news/weekly-schedule/.

To learn more about TIMBERSPORTS, visit www.stihl-timbersports.com or the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS^® YouTube and Facebook pages.

About STIHL TIMBERSPORTS^®
STIHL TIMBERSPORTS^® is an international lumberjack sports competition series. Its roots lie in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. Today the world's best athletes compete in national and international events featuring three axe disciplines and three sawing disciplines. Springboard Chop, Underhand Chop and Standing Block Chop are classic axe disciplines; Single Buck (single-man cross-cut saw), Stock Saw (STIHL MS 661 chainsaw) and Hot Saw (tuned, customized chainsaw with up to 80 horsepower) are sawing disciplines. Athletes compete against both each other and the clock. For more information on the sport, the tools and the wood management please visit: www.stihl-timbersports.com. 

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SOURCE STIHL TIMBERSPORTS®