Former MD, Hilton Lane, was the first to hoist a chainsaw competitively in 1981 and was closely followed by son Dylan Lane, the current MD. According to Lane, Husqvarna's racing pedigree and the quality of its chainsaws have delivered numerous medals for both him and others in the Husqvarna family over the years. "Husqvarna has won Gold every year over the past decade, except for one. This impressive record is something that no other chainsaw manufacturer has come close to touching and is the reason why Husqvarna is the true chainsaw champ."
This year's showdown, which proved one of the biggest drawcards at the Royal Show arena, had competitors starting out with their switched-off saws at their feet and their hands on top of a supplied log. At the starter's gun, each competitor started his saw and cut three complete discs from the log in the shortest possible time.
Across the various categories, chainsaws ranged from 70cc standard machines used by the forestry industry to super-modified 120cc giants that produce incredible horsepower and speed with chain speeds in excess of 180kmh. An operator using a standard saw can take around 10 seconds to make three cuts while a counterpart wielding a super-modified version just a fraction of that time. Lane completed his cuts in just 5.06 seconds!
However, he certainly wasn't the only competitor flying the Husqvarna flag to win a medal. In the Novice category, Chris de Waal from Mr Mow Husqvarna took top honours in 14.70 seconds while, in the Small Modified Pro Class (up to 73cc), Craig Jackaman from Rudamans Husqvarna came in third in just 7.57 seconds.
Husqvarna's wins also took a more artistic bent when Chris de Waal from Mr Mow Husqvarna also took top honours in the log-carving category with his bird feeder. Shaun Jones, from Husqvarna SA, took third place with his eagle. Using plenty of precision and dexterity, competitors have just an hour to transform a log into an intricate and detailed work of art armed with nothing more than a chainsaw. No pictures or visible aides are allowed into the arena.
For more information on Husqvarna, go to www.husqvarna.co.za.
