Jason Wynyard, right, outlasted Matt Bush to win the Timber Endurance event.

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — When Jason Wynyard won the Men's Timber Endurance event at the recent ESPN Great Outdoor Games here, he did so in front of about 1,000 enthusiastic spectators and in front of television cameras that will show his victory to millions of viewers across the globe.

When Wynyard returns to his native New Zealand, he will compete in tournaments just about every weekend in relative obscurity.

On average, 50 or 60 spectators will witness many of the top lumberjacks in the world give their all, and it's only on race occasions that their talents will be displayed on television for their countrymen to see or in print for them to read.

The irony is not lost on Wynyard. While many of the world's top lumberjacks come from New Zealand, they must travel halfway across the world to find greater recognition and financial reward for their hard work.

"We don't hardly get any publicity back in New Zealand, which is a real big shame," said Wynyard, who stands 6-feet-4 and weighs 295 pounds.

"It's really nice to have a large crowd screaming, hooting and hollering. It makes you proud when you compete in front of a crowd. We really enjoy it."

	“	We don't hardly get any publicity back in New Zealand, which is a real big shame. … It makes you proud when you compete in front of a crowd. ”
		— Jason Wynyard, gold medalist, Men's Timber Endurance

Such enthusiasm, though, did take some getting used to, he said.

"It was really hard for me when I came over here at the start. I've been coming over here for five years now, so I'm a little more used to it now," Wynyard said.

"When I first came over, it was like, 'Oh, wow, look at all these people.' You really have to focus on what you're doing, but it's quite pleasing for me now."

It is in the chopping events that the New Zealanders excel. Many got their first ax at about the time their counterparts in the U.S. got their first bicycle.

In the endurance competition, which combines two chopping events and one sawing event, three of the top four finishers were from New Zealand.

Fellow countryman David Bolstad joined Wynyard on the victory stand with a bronze medal, while Dion Lane took fourth. American Matt Bush was the silver medallist.

Bush is thankful that the New Zealanders now spend two to three months of the year in the United States because it improves the performance of the Americans.

	"If you want to be up there where the best competitors are, you've got to follow them," David Bolstad said.

"The fact I was there (in second place) has a lot to do with the guys from New Zealand, like David (Bolstad), helping me out with my chopping," Bush said.

"He comes to my house to stay in the summers and we train together. Without their influence, without those guys coming over here, Americans can't improve, really, to that level."

Bolstad said he comes to the United States because that is where the top tournaments are taking place. And the reason they are the top tournaments is because they offer greater purses.

"We're here because of the Stihl Timbersport Series and the Great Outdoor Games," Bolstad said.

"These are two of the biggest things happening in the world today, and that's where your competitors are. If you want to be up there where the best competitors are, you've got to follow them."

Bolstad said the travel abroad is not something he gets a lot of joy from, but he feels compelled to do it.

"I have some personal goals. I've won just about everything there is to win in individual events in the sport of woodchopping," he said. "I'd love to win the Stihl series. I'd like to keep coming back here until I win it once or twice."

Many of the top lumberjacks in the world also come from Australia, where an annual show in Sydney also draws thousands of spectators. That show is part of a larger agriculture show, in which, Aussies go to view livestock, produce and farm equipment.

	"The money in the States is a hell of a lot better than we get at home," Wynyard said.

While the tournaments in New Zealand may not offer the financial incentives or the worldwide recognition that some events in the United States bring, Wynyard said people should not underestimate how much the New Zealand lumberjacks love to compete in their home country.

The tournaments are set up differently there. Most of the events focus on wood chopping, while in the U.S., there are climbing and log rolling competitions, too.

The New Zealanders also use a handicap system that allows mid-level lumberjacks to compete with the best. The higher your handicap is, the more time you give an opponent for a head-start.

"The money in the States is a hell of a lot better than we get at home, but I think we have a lot of pride when we compete at home," Wynyard said.

"It's not all about the money, you know. It's about trying to win that particular championship and for the love of the sport."