Inaugural North American Women's Cup and Hot Saw Showdown debut alongside a world record and multiple photo-finish results

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., June 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® opened its 2026 season with razor-thin finishes, breakthrough performances and historic firsts as thousands of fans gathered at JACKALOPE Virginia Beach for three days of elite lumberjack competition on the oceanfront.

The season-opening weekend featured three championship-caliber events between U.S. and Canadian athletes, including the third annual North American Trophy, the inaugural North American Women's Cup and the first-ever Hot Saw Showdown, with multiple competitions decided by mere seconds.

"You couldn't have asked for a better way to open the 2026 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS season," said Adam Wolff, USA Team Manager. "JACKALOPE provided an incredible stage for our athletes, and the competition delivered from start to finish. From the inaugural Hot Saw Showdown to the first North American Women's Cup and one of the closest North American Trophy finals we've seen, the athletes put on an incredible display of skill, determination and sportsmanship."

Slingerland Seizes Inaugural Hot Saw Showdown Crown After Early Upset

The battle at the beach began Friday evening with the inaugural Hot Saw Showdown, introducing a new format at the Trophy event for one of the sport's fastest and most powerful disciplines.

The competition delivered an early surprise when current Hot Saw world-record holder and 2025 U.S. Champion Nate Hodges of Norfolk, Calif., suffered a mechanical issue during his opening matchup. After his chain came off the guide bar during his second cut, Hodges was unable to continue, eliminating one of the discipline's most dominant athletes from contention and leaving the field wide open.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Matthew Slingerland of Sevierville, Tenn., battled through the bracket to claim the inaugural Hot Saw Showdown title.

In the championship round, Slingerland defeated STIHL TIMBERSPORTS legacy athlete Jason Lentz of Diana, W. Va., by nearly a full second, posting a winning time of 4.53 seconds — just 0.25 seconds shy of Hodges' world-record mark of 4.28 seconds. Aaron Hovis of Marquand, Mo., secured third place with a personal-best time of 5.49 seconds to complete an all-American podium.

"This discipline requires extreme focus and speed, and that's what I brought to the stage this weekend," said Slingerland. "Hot Saw is one of the most demanding events in STIHL TIMBERSPORTS because everything happens so fast. Knowing the level of competition we have in this discipline, it's incredibly rewarding to earn the inaugural title and be the first athlete to bring home the belt."

Bergman Breaks Through as Inaugural North American Women's Cup Champion

Saturday marked a milestone moment for STIHL TIMBERSPORTS as athletes competed in the inaugural North American Women's Cup, one of the new women's events added to the 2026 competition calendar as the sport continues to expand opportunities for female competitors.

The continent's top lumberjills squared off across four disciplines — Stock Saw, Standing Block Chop, Single Buck and Underhand Chop — with cumulative times determining the inaugural champion.

As officials tallied the cumulative times across all four disciplines, only four seconds separated the top four athletes in the final standings, making the race for the title one of the tightest contests of the weekend.

When the results were in, Lauren Bergman of Kalispell, Mont., captured the first North American Women's Cup crown and the first major STIHL TIMBERSPORTS victory of her career. Bergman finished just two seconds ahead of Canada's Stephanie Naud, who earned silver, while three-time U.S. Women's Champion Erin LaVoie of Spokane, Wash., rounded out the podium in third.

The competition also produced a record-setting moment when Martha King of Chadds Ford, Pa., established a new women's Single Buck world record with a time of 14.10 seconds. In doing so, King eclipsed the previous mark of 14.27 seconds, set by LaVoie at the 2025 U.S. Women's Pro Championship.

"I'm incredibly grateful to make it to the top of the podium for the first time," said Bergman. "Being part of the first North American Women's Cup was an honor, and becoming its inaugural champion is something I'll never forget. To now have the opportunity to wear Team USA colors at the Women's World Championship makes the experience even more meaningful."

Cogar Three-Peats in Thrilling North American Trophy Final

The weekend concluded Sunday with the third annual North American Trophy, where North America's top male athletes battled for the season's first major title and the opportunity to represent Team USA at the 2026 World Trophy in Budapest, Hungary.

Competitors were challenged to complete four disciplines in succession — Stock Saw, Underhand Chop, Single Buck and Standing Block Chop — where every transition and every second could mean the difference between advancing and elimination.

After advancing through the bracket, reigning North American Trophy champion Matt Cogar of Grafton, W. Va., faced Hodges in a highly anticipated final. With every transition proving critical, the two athletes remained nearly even throughout the competition before Cogar secured the title with a winning time of 57.93 seconds.

Hodges pushed the defending champion to the limit, finishing just four-tenths of a second behind Cogar in a tightly contested final. Jason Lentz secured third place with a victory over Canada's Stirling Hart in the Small Final.

"It's pretty amazing to come away with another North American Trophy title against a field this talented," said Cogar. "The margins are so small in this competition that every transition, every swing and every cut matters. Winning three in a row is something I'm incredibly proud of, and I'm looking forward to carrying that momentum into Budapest."

With their victories in Virginia Beach, Cogar and Bergman will represent the United States on the international stage at the 2026 World Trophy and Women's World Championship in Budapest, Hungary, on June 6.

The remainder of Team USA now turns its attention to the summer competition season, culminating with the 2026 U.S. Hot Saw Showdown and Men's and Women's Pro Championships at German Fest in Milwaukee, Wis., July 24–26. Team Canada will return to the stage at the Canadian Championship at Western Fair in London, Ontario Sept. 11-13.

Fans can relive the action and livestream all upcoming events on the STIHL website at www.stihlusa.com or the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS^® YouTube and Facebook pages. Results for all competitions, domestic and international, can be found on the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS^® database at data.stihl-timbersports.com.

Additional photos from the 2026 North American Trophy weekend can be downloaded HERE.

About STIHL TIMBERSPORTS®
STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® is an international lumberjack sports competition series. Its roots lie in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. Today the world's best athletes compete in national and international events featuring three axe disciplines and three sawing disciplines. Springboard Chop, Underhand Chop and Standing Block Chop are classic axe disciplines; Single Buck (single-man cross-cut saw), Stock Saw (STIHL MS 661 chainsaw) and Hot Saw (tuned, customized chainsaw with up to 80 horsepower) are sawing disciplines. Athletes compete against both each other and the clock. For more information on the sport, the tools and the wood management please visit: www.stihl-timbersports.com.  

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