Arden Cogar Jr. won't be competing anytime soon.

OSHKOSH, Wisc. — It is a simple move; one Arden Cogar Jr. has made thousands of times.

But a slip in the middle of it has not only forced him out of the Stihl TimberSports Championship, but placed his right arm and shoulder in a cast for more than a month.

The move takes place at the mid-point of every Standing Block Chop event. With the pine log cut halfway through, lumberjacks run around the log, with axe in hand to finish the cut.

In a sport where axmen waylay logs, cutting out huge chunks of wood, it is not often a small wood chip makes a huge difference.

For Cogar, though, a small wood chip was like a brick wall in the middle of his move around the log in the final heat of the Standing Block Chop at the Stihl TimberSports Series event in Oshkosh, Wisc.

Cogar's fourth-place finish in that event ensured him of a spot in the 12-man final of the Stihl TimberSports Championship and a certain berth in the 2003 Great Outdoor Games. The placement of the small wood chip, however, ensured that Cogar would not be competing in lumberjack events any time soon.

"I cut my traditional eight-hit front and was in the process of rounding the log to the back side,'' Cogar said, recalling the accident.

"As I took my first step, I slipped on a chip that was at the base of the stand. I was thrown off balance in a way that my right arm violently struck the base of the stand.''

Cogar knew he had hurt himself, but didn't realize the seriousness. The day following the TimberSports competition, he competed in a lumberjack event in Booneville, Wisc. Despite, having one healthy arm, he placed in several events.

"The bad part was that the edge of the top scarf struck the medial head of my right tricep,'' Cogar said. "I didn't miss a step. I put the first hit up in the back, and as I went to put the first down hit, the pain stuck me like a ton of bricks.

"I never really felt anything like it. I thought the axe had hit the back of my arm. Momentarily I looked down at my arm to see if I was bleeding. I wasn't, so I continued, in gut wrenching pain."

His desire to compete was evident, even after the seriousness of the injury had been revealed. He insisted that the cast be placed on his arm in a way that would still allow him to compete in the Hot Saw and Stock Saw competitions during the championships. Those would be the only events he could possibly complete.

But reason replaced desire and he had to withdraw from the competition. Organizers of the Stihl TimberSports Championship have decided to pay him the money reserved for the 12th place lumberjack in the event. And his qualifying spot has been passed to Mike Sullivan, who finished 13th in the overall standings.

The pain of the injury is nothing compared to the disappointment Cogar is currently feeling. In lumberjack terms the championship is the single major event that defines their sport.

Cogar, like 26 other lumberjacks, has competed all summer to qualify for one of 12 coveted spots in the championship. To get there, they have spent a total of eight days competing in six separate events, which are often decided by 1/10 of a second, a difference that can often be measured in things as simple as the density of a log.

"It's not an easy event to make,'' said 10-time qualifier, Cogar. "There are a lot of things that can go wrong, things you might expect. You don't expect things like this. I'm quite depressed. With this injury, I feel that all my work is for naught. It hurts.''

Cogar, though, who works full time as a lawyer and moonlights as a professional lumberjack expects to come back from this injury and get back on track.

Prior to the injury, Cogar had been making huge strides in his performances. He was often the top competitor in the Standing Block Chop and much of the last year had been devoted to focusing on improving his performances in every event. The improvement was obvious.

"The time that I devote to training is totally focused and driven, Cogar said. "Last winter and spring, I devoted my energies to losing a substantial amount of weight and improving my overall quickness. In addition, I implemented tai chi and yoga into my regimen.

"The combination of the two things has resulted in performances that put me right with Jason Wynyard and David Bolstad (the two top lumberjacks in the world) in the standing block and underhand events."

Cogar's weight loss did affect his physical strength in the single buck.

"But it was a matter of time until I perfected my timing to get to where I was at the year before,'' he said. "As the season went on, I saw myself getting closer, and closer, and actually beating the guys who compete in this sport for a living.

"I know it may sound somewhat self-serving, but that makes me feel good. In essence, I've been able to compete with and beat people who devote their lives to the sport despite my many irons in the fire.''

Despite the injury, Cogar expects to come back stronger.

"I will learn and hopefully come back stronger,'' Cogar said. "Accidents such as mine just happen. From a realistic standpoint, anytime you compete in any athletic endeavor, whether that be badminton or rugby, an injury can occur.

"My accident was just that — an accident."