Chipping away at titles

Woodchoppers Phil and Dean Campbell.

Father and son woodchoppers Phil and Dean Campbell were centre stage at the Sunshine Coast Agricultural Show at Nambour on the weekend with Tasmanians the team to beat.

The Tasmanians first came to the Nambour show in 1991 and have been winning more than their fair share of prizes ever since.

Phil said the regional event attracted some of the best axe cutters in the world and about half the Australian team were present.

The Cooroy builder and captain of the Australian side has been competing for more than four decades and won numerous titles including the world title and Australian title.

His son Dean, 32, who is also on the Australian side has been involved in the sport since he was about three-years-old and regularly teams up with his father for the double hand cross cut saw division. Over the weekend Dean won second place in the state sawing competition.

The family-oriented sport brings together a number of sibling and husband and wife teams and the handicap system that staggers time starts helps give all competitors a chance to be in the race.Phil said the Tasmanians again won the event two to one providing tough competition.”They’ve always been a good side,” Phil said.