When the sport of wood chopping courses through your veins it’s hard to ignore the annual call of competition.
That’s why world champion wood chopper Bruce Winkle, 47, recently stepped back onto the competition circuit after a five year hiatus, competing at the EKKA in Brisbane.

With his father Brian and 18-year-old son Carl looking on Bruce took his finely honed axe to a thick block of gum sourced from a pine plantation in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
With just 26 swings in as many seconds the block, roughly 30 centimetres in diameter, split in two.
Experts would say it was a perfect chop from the holder of four world titles and 45 titles from the Brisbane Exhibition.
However, Bruce was more circumspect about his comeback performance.
“It was the perfect cut bar one hit,” he said.
“It was going well on the far side but on the third hit up I was a bit anxious about getting around to the other side and my back foot moved and that caused the hit to have a bit of a scoop in it.”
Nonetheless Bruce was happy to sign and present the block to QGC who sponsored the VIP area at the wood chop arena for the first time at the show this year.
“I’m 47 and have a crook right shoulder but I’ve enjoyed cutting again and I’ll come back and chase the championships again,” he said.
The Winkle family hail from Mount Mee, on the northern end of the D’Aguilar Range, north of Dayboro.
Bruce’s father Brian and grandfather were both dairy farmers who also cut timber on the side to help pay the bills.
Their skill and experience has been passed on to Carl who has been chopping competitively for 16 months and who this year won the 2011 Brisbane Exhibition 12 inch underhand championship.
“I’m into cutting in the underhand event which is all about using raw power,” Carl said.“It does spur me on to follow my dad and grandfather into competition.”