Woodchopping horror as competitor's axe head flies off handle into 100-strong crowd...

dailymail.co.uk ^ | 14 Nov 2011 | Jennifer Madison

[smokingfrog]

A New Zealand man is recovering in hospital after being hit in the groin by a flying axe head during a wood chopping exhibition.

The man was watching the Canterbury A&P show when the axe head came loose from a competitor's handle and whirled into the 100-strong crowd.

Show event director Rae Finlay said the axe struck the man, believed to be in his 50s, on the very top of the leg and he was taken to hospital for emergency surgery.

** - - - - **

All tree chopping events were cancelled the day of the accident and replaced by others while organisers carried out a safety check on all gear.

The axemen, who had represented New Zealand in the sport, is said to be devastated by the accident.

He did not compete again on Friday.

The tree event in which the man was hit consists of axemen cutting small pockets into the side of a tall pole to jam a wooden jigger board into it.

They then climb on to the board and chop another pocket and repeat the process for several boards up, at which point they chop off the top of the pole.

[smokingfrog]

lol!

[GreenHornet]

The axemen, who had represented New Zealand in the sport, is said to be devastated by the accident.

Just imagine how the other guy felt!

[Opinionated Blowhard]

All tree chopping events were cancelled the day of the accident and replaced by others while organisers carried out a safety check on all gear. The axemen, who had represented New Zealand in the sport, is said to be devastated by the accident.

This sounds a little over the top. One guy got his leg hurt in a freak accident and they shut everything down and make it seem like someone got killed. They should carry on and perhaps build the victim a nice wooden foot-stool to rest his leg on when he gets out of the hospital.

[blueunicorn6]

Back when I was cutting trees, that was worth an extra ten points at the competition.

[gitmo]

LOL.
“I didn’t even know you were Jewish.”

Great line.

[Haiku Guy]

The groin?!? All the places the axehead could have landed and it HAD to hit a groin?!?

Tornadoes find trailer parks, toast lands butter side down, and flying axe heads will hit you in the groin. That's just the way the World works...

[Dem Guard]

It wasn't exactly a whopping crowd, just 100 people.

[humblegunner]

I've watched 'em doing this, it's a cool sport.

[Dem Guard]

What happened? I told you honey, don’t axe me again.

[NormsRevenge]

A sad occurrence,, but it could have been worse. Hope the guy heals up OK.

An ax is not a toy.. hate to see them go ‘nerf’ tho either.

I don’t recall any similar events with injuries like this and they been doing this kind of stuff along time..

[SAJ]

That was the singer/actor Ed Ames, who was at the time starring with Fess Parker in the TV show "Daniel Boone".

Carson lost it. He was asked some years later about it and said words to the effect that he had been worried Ames might miss the wooden silhouette target completely.

[joesbucks]

What was that Woody Herman tune? Woodchopper’s Ball’s

[thackney]

I've watched 'em doing this, it's a cool sport.

I've watched several competitions, but I never got to see them throw an axe head into the crowd.

[onyx]

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[dfwgator]

How much wood could a wood chopper chop, if a wood chopper could chop wood?

[dis.kevin]

Bump

[OrangeHoof]

Hate it when that happens...

[RedMDer]

[THE_RAIDER]

I guess he had a woody

[THE_RAIDER]

Lucky it didn't happen in America, Obama would have shut down the whole logging industry and sued the axe manufacturers.