Ferntree Gully
Belgrave
Mail Covering the Dandenongs in the Yarra Ranges & Cardinia Shires
9
20 years of mourning
Tuesday, 20 January, 2015
3
GP sees red
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18-19
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Car vin’ it up By JESSE GRAHAM A COMBINATION of sport and art saw sawdust fly at SkyHigh in Mount Dandenong last week, when worldwide competitors converged for the Australian Chainsaw Carving Competition. Ten competitors from around the globe took part in the gruelling 35-hour carving competition, which stretched from Tuesday 13 to Saturday 17 January before finishing with a public auction. Each of the carvers used chainsaws, drills, angle-grinders and any power tool they could to shape, whittle and sculpt beautiful pieces from the wood, with incredibly detailed results. Wandin-based sculptor Rob Bast was crowned the winner of the competition with his dragonfly sculpture, which included intricate holes all over the insect’s outstretched wings. Mr Bast, who was awarded $3000 for his work, said that with heavy machinery combined with intricate design and flair, the competition and the job was a mixture of sport and art. “It really is a niche market in Australia,” he said. “We have to train for these competitions as well as have that creative flair, too - that sort of artistic bent.” The competitors were well-invested in the event, with Australian sculptor Leigh Conkie taking on the four-day carve with a broken rib. That investment began long before the event for some, though - Mr Bast said he spent days designing and laying out his dragonfly idea, finishing his plans at 11.30pm the night before the competition. But he said the result of that planning spoke for itself. “It really pays to plan ahead,” he said. “You’ve definitely gotta make yourself a bit of a timeline, otherwise you’ll get behind the eightball or finish ahead of time and think ‘I could have spent more time on this or that’.”
Japan’s Hikaru Kodama received $2000 for his second-placed entry, the Last Judgement, while England’s Tim Burgess came third with his sculpture, Community, earning $1000 in the process. The sculptures varied greatly in their content, with peacocks, dinosaurs and even Crocodile Dundee holding a crocodile being carved into the wood before spectator’s eyes. SkyHigh’s General Manager Richard Pitts told the Mail the competition was in its second year and had grown dramatically since its first run. Last year’s competition featured 14 hours for the carvers to create their works - compared to roughly 35 hours in last week’s competition. “It’s exhausting, but you get a little more competitive,” Mr Bast said. “You really push yourself to get as much done as you can in the 35 hours, and you can see the results - the calibre of the sculptures was just phenomenal.” Mr Bast was one of the organisers of last year’s event, but said he took a step back from that role to focus on competing this year. Even though the weather became grey, foggy and rainy throughout the week, both Mr Pitts and Mr Bast said the sunny finish to the event on Friday and Saturday drew large crowds and boosted morale for those taking part. Mr Pitts said that ideas were already in the works for next year’s competition, and that smaller events, such as a one-hour speed carving competition, could also be held with the main event. He said the prize money and the equipment were provided by Stihl, the major sponsor. Mr Bast, along with Mr Kodama, Mr Burgess and People’s Choice Winner Griffon Ramsay will be automatically invited back to compete next year. For videos from each day, visit www.skyhighmtdandenong.com.au. For more event photos, turn to page 8 or visit mail.starcommunity.com.au.
Australian competitor John Brady carves a Crocodile Dundee sculpture at SkyHigh in the Picture: ROB CAREW Australian Chainsaw Carving Championships. 133078
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