LOG ROLLING / THE SPORT OF THE LUMBERJACKS

Year Published: 1960

Description: "Log Rolling The Sport of the Lumberjacks" , is a circa 1960 documentary film directed by Gordon W. Hedwig that explores the sport of log rolling, a traditional lumberjack activity. The movie examines the origins and evolution of log rolling, or burling, a sport that developed from the dangerous work of lumberjacks who navigated log jams on rivers using dynamite. What began as a risky job has become a competitive and entertaining sport, now governed by formal rules and organizations like the Rolio Association. Held in Escanaba, Michigan, the World's Championship Log Rolling Contest features skilled men and women performing balancing acts and tricks on spinning logs, from veteran lumberjacks to daring newcomers. The tournament includes semifinals, consolation matches, and championship rounds for both men and women. Jimmy Heron emerges as the men's world champion, while Mary Mallet wins the women's title. The event closes with humor, as the referee is tossed into the water by the athletes in celebration. 0:18 – Introduction to the theme of heat and the challenging sport of log rolling, also known as burling. 0:53 – Origins of log rolling traced back to hazardous lumberjack work managing log jams with dynamite. 1:35 – Log rolling described as a sport rooted in tradition, now formalized with competitions and rules. 2:21 – The World's Championship Log Rolling Contest begins in Escanaba, Michigan, with crowd entertainment. 2:32 – Veteran Bill Bureugard showcases his log rolling skills after 44 years in logging. 2:44 – Frank Marshand demonstrates hoop-stepping and balancing tricks on the log. 3:15 – Marshand attempts rope skipping on a log, with mixed success. 3:35 – Wilbur Marx performs a humorous stunt while balancing on a log in a gown. 3:46 – Semi-final match between James Running and Harley Forster, with Forster advancing. 4:24 – Consolation match held between Jimmy Johnson and Elvis Swanson. 4:42 – Final championship match between Jimmy Heron and Harley Forster begins. 5:05 – Jimmy Heron wins the championship and receives the silver cup. 5:13 – Women's competition is introduced; Miss Arbutus Wilson and Maretta Fipps compete in the semi-finals. 5:35 – Final women's match between Mary Mallet and Sylvia Winters; Mallet wins and celebrates with a dive. 5:57 – Mary Mallet is awarded the championship silver cup. 6:06 – The referee is humorously thrown into the tank as the contest concludes.

Complete Record: "Log Rolling The Sport of the Lumberjacks" , is a circa 1960 documentary film directed by Gordon W. Hedwig that explores the sport of log rolling, a traditional lumberjack activity. The movie examines the origins and evolution of log rolling, or burling, a sport that developed from the dangerous work of lumberjacks who navigated log jams on rivers using dynamite. What began as a risky job has become a competitive and entertaining sport, now governed by formal rules and organizations like the Rolio Association. Held in Escanaba, Michigan, the World's Championship Log Rolling Contest features skilled men and women performing balancing acts and tricks on spinning logs, from veteran lumberjacks to daring newcomers. The tournament includes semifinals, consolation matches, and championship rounds for both men and women. Jimmy Heron emerges as the men's world champion, while Mary Mallet wins the women's title. The event closes with humor, as the referee is tossed into the water by the athletes in celebration. 0:18 – Introduction to the theme of heat and the challenging sport of log rolling, also known as burling. 0:53 – Origins of log rolling traced back to hazardous lumberjack work managing log jams with dynamite. 1:35 – Log rolling described as a sport rooted in tradition, now formalized with competitions and rules. 2:21 – The World's Championship Log Rolling Contest begins in Escanaba, Michigan, with crowd entertainment. 2:32 – Veteran Bill Bureugard showcases his log rolling skills after 44 years in logging. 2:44 – Frank Marshand demonstrates hoop-stepping and balancing tricks on the log. 3:15 – Marshand attempts rope skipping on a log, with mixed success. 3:35 – Wilbur Marx performs a humorous stunt while balancing on a log in a gown. 3:46 – Semi-final match between James Running and Harley Forster, with Forster advancing. 4:24 – Consolation match held between Jimmy Johnson and Elvis Swanson. 4:42 – Final championship match between Jimmy Heron and Harley Forster begins. 5:05 – Jimmy Heron wins the championship and receives the silver cup. 5:13 – Women's competition is introduced; Miss Arbutus Wilson and Maretta Fipps compete in the semi-finals. 5:35 – Final women's match between Mary Mallet and Sylvia Winters; Mallet wins and celebrates with a dive. 5:57 – Mary Mallet is awarded the championship silver cup. 6:06 – The referee is humorously thrown into the tank as the contest concludes.

Transcription

[Music] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] The sport of log. rolling or burling as it is sometimes called grew out of one of the most dangerous jobs mortal man ever tackled. The job of getting the logs from the forest to the sawmill. The usual way was to roll them into a river, thousands upon thousands of them, and let them float downstream. Now and then, these logs would jam in a narrow part of the river. It was then up to the lumberjack to skip out over the logs with four or five sticks of dynamite tied to a long pole, find an opening, ram the dynamite way under the logs, set the charge, and race back out of danger. Then, with a mighty roar, the jam would loosen and go thundering downstream. Log rolling is the recreation of daring men, descendants of the legendary Paul Bunan, whose giant figure looms in the background of this traditional tournament. Informal contests have always been common in lumber camps, but the standardized rules and annual competitions established by the Rolio Association have invested the game with the dignity of other amateur sports. The game requires two contestants, usually fully clothed and wearing steel spiked boots. They stand on either end of a free log. One or the other starts to twirl the log and his opponent keeps pace. Faster and faster it goes, spun by the heavy spiked boots, reversing its spin now and then as one contestant takes it away from the other until one loses his footing and tubbles into the drink. A little entertainment is enjoyed by the crowd before the opening of the World's Championship log rolling contest held at Eskanaba, Michigan. Bill Bureugard of Odinac Indian Reservation plays leapfrog on a pitching rolling log. He has been on logging river drives for 44 years and is still an expert log roller. If you're thinking of taking up log rolling, here is something you might start with. Step through a hoop while rolling a log. Frank Marshand of Coke, Minnesota shows you how it's done. After a few lessons, try this one. Frank Marshan proves a good log roller always has good balance. Here's something a boxer might try to improve his training. Frank seems to be better at log rolling than at skipping a rope. [Music] As a final gest, Wilbur Marx gets aboard a log dressed in a mother hubard gown which he attempts to strip off while maintaining his balance on the contrary log. The great matches on. James Running of Oaklair, Wisconsin, and Harley Foster of Junction City, Washington, stage a fast and furious battle in the semifinals. They start slowly, feeling one another out. Running wears the checkered shirt. He's putting up a great battle, but Forster's superior skill and stamina prove too good. Jimmy Johnson in white and Elvis Swanson, who have already lost out in elimination contests for the championship finals, compete in a consolation prize. They're good, but not quite good enough. Now for the finals in this great event. Jimmy Heron of Kelso, Washington and Harley Forster compete for World's Championship honors. [Music] Here's the tops in log rolling. And this is the king, Jimmy Heron, receiving the silver cup, emblem of the world's champion log roller. But that's not all, folks. The queen of the lumberjills, still has to be crowned. Yes, believe it or not, lady log rollers. And believe me, they are good. Here are Miss Arbutus Wilson of Lady Smith, Wisconsin, and Maretta Fipps, also of Lady Smith, rolling it out in the semi-finals. Miss Fipps proves the better by dumping Miss Wilson two times out of three. And now for the final match for the ladies championship between Miss Mary Mallet of Bluma, Wisconsin in figured costume and Miss Sylvia Winters of Atoria, Oregon. Dumping her opponent for the second time, Miss Mallet, overjoyed by her victory, dives gracefully into the tank. And here she is, proudly receiving the silver cup from Bill Duane of the Rolio Association. The referee always seems to get the worst of it. The log rollers throw referee Sheridan into the tank as a farewell gesture to the world's champion log rolling contest. [Applause]

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