By Tim Elliott
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -The 17th annual Midwest Log Rolling Championship hit the water in Madison Saturday. Athletes from all over the Midwest and beyond were out on Lake Wingra for some stiff competition.
“It’s such a unique sport that nobody is at it when they first try,” said Shana Verstegen. Verstegen is a six-time Lumberjack athlete world champ. She’s won four world titles in log rolling and two world titles in the boom run.
“It surprises people how hard it is, but the cool thing is -- as you practice, as you log roll, as your balance gets better, you get better every single time and it’s just a fun rewarding sport,” said Verstegen.
There was a child and amateur division followed by the professionals in the afternoon. The event also raises money for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America.
Verstegen lost her mother to the disease almost 10 years ago. Log rolling is a passion of hers but so is raising money for a cause near and dear to her heart.
“We have a center of excellence at the University of Wisconsin- Madison where they are doing a lot of fantastic research and we also have more than 500 families in the state of Wisconsin who are suffering from this disease,” said Verstegen.
The goal of the event was to raise $5,000.
The Midwest Log Rolling Championships is an early season event in the world of lumberjack sports. The Lumberjack World Championships is being held at the end of July in Hayward, Wisconsin.