16.09.24 – He is a five-time German champion, winner of the 2022 European Cup and bronze winner at the 2023 Individual World Championship in Stuttgart: sports lumberjack Danny Martin from Sinntal-Sterbfritz (Main-Kinzig district). The 36-year-old turned a harmless bet into his great passion around 14 years ago and now competes as a professional sawyer both nationally and internationally.
In an exclusive EASTERN HESSE|NEWSIn this interview, he explains “Stihl Timbersports” and reveals, among other things, what makes this unique extreme sport so special. What qualities do you need? Can anyone do it? Read for yourself!
Danny Martin is a native of Sinntal-Sterbfritz. Photos: Marie Birkenstock/ Julia Schuchardt
“Every discipline has its challenges.”
He is a five-time German champion and has been in the German squad for ten years in a row…
“I got a taste for it and couldn’t stop” Screaming chainsaws, huge axes and muscle-bound men and women. “It’s extreme, sharp, pretty loud and not normal,” is how Danny Martin describes his passion, competitive woodcutting. The 36-year-old is passionate about it and impresses with his skills by setting world best times. How did he get into “timbersports” in 2010? Justified arrogance: “Back then I had a big mouth and claimed I could split wood faster than a tractor and its engine. Of course, after making such a claim I had to prove myself, which is why a few months later I competed against an old tractor at a vintage car meeting and actually won,” grins Martin.
As a trained bricklayer, he also helped out his neighbor at the time. There, the 36-year-old met a man who happened to be a professional in extreme sports. He advised him to prove himself at the talent scouting event. “I was a little keen on it. In fact, I had already seen ‘Timbersports’ on TV and always found it interesting. In June 2010, I finally let myself be persuaded and a few months later won the title of German junior champion. Then I got a taste for it and couldn’t stop.”
Martin’s favorite discipline, the “Hot Saw.” Photos: STIHL Timbersports
Great joy: He set a new national record on the “Single Buck”. …
“Without my family, nothing is possible” Martin has now been part of the German team for the team world championship for around ten years in a row and has achieved some really impressive placings in his sporting career. A big plus point is of course the competitions that take place all over the world: “For example, I have competed in Australia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, England and Sweden. You get to travel around a lot,” the 36-year-old explains to O|NIn the interview it becomes clear that he is passionate about “Timbersports”, but he makes it clear: “Without my family and especially my wife, nothing works. If I don’t have the support, I just can’t perform to my full potential.” As a former competitive equestrian, his wife knows what it means to train every day and put her heart and soul into getting the best out of herself. “We complement each other, she is an important factor for me,” says Martin.
His eldest son, now six years old, has a very special role model: his father. “He really likes the sport and has been hacking with me for a year, taking the appropriate safety precautions. If you really want to do it, it’s important to start as early as possible,” explains the 36-year-old. He continues: “As things stand today, he would probably leave every young athlete behind him, I’m pretty proud of him. It would be a dream to perform together as a father and son duo at some point.” Will it come to that in the future? It remains to be seen. But what qualities are actually important as a “timber athlete”? “You have to have a connection to the sport. Furthermore, weight is a huge advantage in order to be really good.”
Photos: Marie Birkenstock/ Julia Schuchardt
“Every discipline is tough” At “Timbersports”, the twelve best athletes in the world compete in three axe disciplines (springboard, underhand chop and standing block chop) and three saw disciplines (single buck, stock saw and hot saw). The supreme discipline, “hot saw”, involves a tuned, specially made racing chainsaw that has 75 to 80 HP and weighs around 30 kilos. Isn’t that pretty dangerous? “Every discipline is tough, but we are well prepared and have to acquire certain licenses beforehand. In addition, safety equipment, such as eye and hearing protection, is very important. Beginners even wear a kind of knight’s protection as a precaution,” explains Danny Martin.
The extreme sport has a tradition that goes back over a hundred years. At the end of the 19th century, forest workers began competing with axes and saws. But what is so special about it? “Nothing is normal in ‘Timbersports’. From axes that shave hair to hand saws that only three people in the whole world can make. That’s pretty rare. What makes it special is the combination of athletic performance, knowledge and affinity for tools,” says the 36-year-old. “Timbersports” has experienced a real hype in recent years and continues to attract young people from all over. “We are like a big family and we take every newcomer by the hand.”
What are the 36-year-old’s plans for the future? Will he be crowned German champion again? “My goal is to continue to do extreme sports well for another five years and to win two titles.” A great role model: his “friend and mentor”, the German lumberjack Dirk Braun (†19 February 2021). In the past, he has been German champion an incredible eight times and European champion twice. “The experience of how to handle the axe properly is simply essential,” Martin explains in conclusion. “There is a lot of passion in it. The love for this sport is incredible.” (Julia Schuchardt)+++
