HE’S just back from Norway competing in the World Timbersports Championships at Lillehammer, now Brad De Losa from Lithgow is targeting the inaugural Old Bar Tavern Woodchop on Sunday.
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De Losa, 40, will be the star attraction on a field of 27 top woodchoppers contesting the event to start from noon.
He’s the current world champion and intends to contest four events on Sunday – three handicap and one open chop.
De Losa’s sure he’ll put on a show with his fellow competitors.
De Losa went to Norway with the five strong Australian team – the Chopperoos – while he also competed in the individual event.
“We finished third in the teams to bring home a bronze medal. I was second in my event to finish with the silver,’’ he said.
He was beaten in a tight finish by New Zealander Jason Wynard. The Chopperoos were the defending champions in the team section.
He’s been a competitive woodchopper since he was 17.
“Usually it’s a family sport – there are a lot of second and third generation wood choppers on the circuit,’’ he explained.
However, De Losa’s path was slightly different.
“A family friend was involved in in the timber industry and he talked me into having a go,’’ he explained.
He admits he never envisioned wood chopping becoming his fulltime occupation, nor would his job take him around the planet, for De Losa competes around the world.
“I usually go in 25 to 30 different competition a year,’’ he said.
“I compete in Europe, the US and Canada – some of the places are off the beaten track.’’
He said there’ll be plenty of familiar faces in Sunday’s field.
“We usually run into one-another somewhere on the circuit,’’ he said.
However, he is looking forward to competing against Gloucester’s James Laurie, who will be returning to the sport after a six year absence.
De Losa believes he’ll be competing for about five more years. His training regimen at the moment includes gym and pool work as well as simulated woodchop events, which he rates as the best.
He understands there are plans to make the Old Bar chop an annual event. De Losa has competed on the Mid North Coast before in the Forster-Tuncurry area, but this will be his first trip to the Manning. He’s looking forward to the journey.
“Hopefully the weather will be good,’’ he said.
“We live in Lithgow and we don’t get all that many warm days here.”
The chop will carry $6000 in prizemoney and is being billed as the biggest outside of the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
