Chainsaw race back in action at Murgon Show

Murgon show has finally reintroduced the chainsaw race.

FLURRY OF SAWDUST: Murgon Show Chainsaw Race is back on again. Picture: Madeline Grace

Chainsaw Racing:

Murgon show has finally reintroduced their Chainsaw Race.

After years of holding off on this sport due to lack of interest, the Akers family have brought it back.

Katrina and Jason Akers have been travelling for Chainsaw Races for as long as they've been together.

"Jason has been doing this since I met him about 21 years ago,” Katrina said.

"His dad Lindsay Akers has been doing it for over 35 years.”

Katrina was able to find seven competitors for the Murgon Show.

They had two competitions.

"We've got the speeds up first. Where they've got to cut three pieces by piercing the timber,” Katrina said.

"It's a pattern of down, up, then down again. They've only got four inches of timber to do that in.”

The second competition was post ripping.

"So these are the 100CC class. Which is a still 66 range. They cut five posts,” Katrina said.

"Then they've got the open class which is about an 84 range and they cut six posts.”

The Akers have just come back from Tenterfield where Jason competed in the Australian titles.

"Jason made it into the top ten. So we were pretty proud of that,” Katrina said.

The Akers lives changed drastically as the sport grew in popularity over the last 20 years.

"When I first got into it there were maybe a few shows a year we would travel to,” Katrina said.

"But now we spend most of the first half of the year travelling from show to show.

"We can have up to four shows a week to go to.”

Usually a show would have an open rip and a novice competition.

"Now because we've only got seven competitors we don't have a novice comp here,” Katrina said.

"So the thing is once you've won an open rip you can't compete in a novice comp.

"But when you have such low numbers like this every competitor has to step up and compete against the big boys.”

It's a family sport and the Akers love travelling to watch Jason compete.