Nearly 15,000 visitors are expected on September 20th and 21st in the industrial zone of Malmedy for Forest Days and the 48th Belgian Lumberjack Championships. Fifty exhibitors will participate in the trade fair while thirty loggers will compete to succeed David Gerard, the winner in 2013. Admission to the event is free. This year Forest Days, which is held every two years, has partnered with Zoning en Fete, making all activities, including the fair and the Belgian Lumberjack Championship, free of charge.
A 1,000 m2 space has been made available to the organizers to house 60% of the exhibitors. The goal of the organizers is to use scientific and practical information to raise public awareness on how important the forest is.
The Belgian Lumberjack Championships will be held over these two days as well. The elimination rounds will be held on Saturday where the loggers will have to chop down a 25 meter spruce tree. Three speed events will take place in the afternoon. The top ten will qualify for the final which is scheduled for Sunday.
The contestants will face each other in a series of challenges such as: tree-felling, ax throwing, balancing and slicing a tree trunk with a chain saw and wood sculpting.
Although there was an entry fee in 2012, 8,000 people attended the festival.
(Source: Belga)
