Hart will defend his back-to-back Canadian championships this weekend at Victoria Park in Charlottetown when the STIHL Timbersports Canadian Champions Trophy competition rolls into town.
“I’ve been doing it for so long. I saw my dad and grandfather do it,’’ said Hart, who has been competing in STIHL Timbersports events since 2009. “I’ve had an axe in my hands since the age of 4.’’
The top professional axe-men in the country will compete at Victoria Park on Friday and on Canada Day as part of Charlottetown’s Canada 150 celebrations.
The Master’s Cup will also be featured, a free event that will include the top eight athletes from the Canadian championship.
Qualifying events take place in the west meadow at 8 p.m. on Friday with the TSN broadcast championship getting underway on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
“I personally got involved through my family, originally. You get involved with your family and you get involved at such a young age you actually grow a passion for the sport,’’ Hart said.
“And, because you truly love what your doing, you’re able to justify to yourself putting the extra time and energy and money into equipment.’’
The Charlottetown event will be the first time a Champion’s Trophy has been fought over on Canadian soil.
“Even though it’s not my hometown crowd, it still feels like we’re competing in front of a hometown crowd,’’ said the British Columbia native.
STIHL Timbersports has taken axe-men competition out of the back pastures and turned it into a legitimate sport, he says. Not just anyone can walk off the street and compete.
“It’s an extremely difficult endurance event so you’ve got to have the muscular endurance as well as the cardiovascular endurance. I would say most guys are going to the gym four or five times a week.’’
Hart said people will not only see an intense competition but an entertaining one as well. Two athletes go head to head and only one comes out on top.
“What you’re coming out with is about an hour to an hour and a half of a polished product of seeing some of Canada’s top Timbersports athletes go head to head.’’
Hart said as the sport grows in prominence, more and more athletes are turning pro and making a living at it.
“Most guys have a side job but our sport is at an interesting level where more and more guys are turning to the professional side. There are enough competitions going on around the world that you can make a living at it.’’
