Millions and millions of people watched it live that day. It was another unique and exciting season in timbersports. I feel fortunate to have so much passion for log rolling and boom running and feel blessed that it keeps me in good shape! I truly enjoy each day on the logs and I miss it when the summer season winds down! I am definitely looking forward to another great season in 2011……I hope to reclaim some time on the podium once again!

THANK YOU 2010 Sponsors:
Central Boiler, Wood-Mizer, Brick Alley Massage & Starfish Point

2009 Season Recap
This season was full of balancing new motherhood, unique experiences, and great memories! I appreciate the continued support of awesome companies like Central Boiler, Wood-Mizer, & Starfish Point as sponsors. I am always proud to represent them and passionate about the excellent products & service that they are known for throughout the world. My official training started just 6 days after giving birth to my first child, Berendt (nickname "Bear") on April 10, 2009. He was a special part of the competition season, cheering me on all the way! I continued to update my website this season: www.jennyatkinson.com to keep my fans informed about all the current events, photos, videos, results, blog, etc. I am also now on Facebook, which has been a nice way to stay connected to fans. As always, I am so grateful for my sponsors! I wouldn't be where I am today without their support and encouragement!

Boom Running

Wow.......talk about highs and lows! I felt so fortunate to be back in competition form for the 1st event of the year, the STIHL Timbersports Series in Utah, less than 8 weeks after Bear was born. It was really fun to be on logs again after a 9 month hiatis! Thankfully I qualified in 6th place and was very excited about the STIHL Timbersports finals at the Aflac Outdoor Games in Georgia 2 weeks later. This was a major accomplishment and I knew I just needed a little more time to be right back in top form. My training and progress made LEAPS & BOUNDS during the next 2 weeks and I was looking forward to podium finishes throughout the season. I knew it was possible! Unfortunately, on the media day in Georgia just prior to the start of competition, I was injured and had to pull out of the tournament. It was very painful and disappointing to say the least! I had hoped for a speedy recovery, but it was agonizing for the rest of the season and log rolling hadn't even started yet. I was barely able to boom run in the world championships at the end of July and competed only one other time at the end of the season. Each day I looked longingly at my booms in the pond in hopes of running again soon. It didn't happen. I can hardly wait for next year! Tune in to the coverage on ESPN2 in November and December for some fantastic boom running action.

Log Rolling

It was a magical feeling to log roll again just a few weeks after giving birth! Bear spent many days taking a comfortable nap in his portable basket on the dock while I practiced. Although my injury allowed me to at least be able to log roll, it was still quite painful and hard to use my right leg effectively for strength and power. I still competed in each event and did respectable considering my situation. Consistently placing in the top 6 is certainly something to be proud of against an extremely competitive field of women, however not seeing the podium even once was a rare feeling. It was a highlight to see the kids in Grand Marais become more passionate about the sport and improve their skills greatly throughout the year. Many new people from near and far (France being the farthest!) had fun spinning western red cedar with smiles galore in our pond on Clearwater Lake. The same thing happened in our portable Wood-Mizer built tank in Grand Marais during the Fisherman's Picnic festival for 4 days in August.

Stock Saw
I love stock saw racing! This year Husqvarna sponsored the event in Grand Marais which drew an awesome field of 20 sawyers. I was happy to place 7th and had a blast running the big saws with the big boys!

Media/Other Events
With my recent new baby and competing so soon after giving birth, it also brought along a lot of media attention. I had significant airtime on ESPN2, and many local news broadcasts. Besides the millions who watch it on TV, each year I compete to a live audience of over 100,000. I did 2 "media preview" days in Utah and Georgia to promote and educate TV, radio, and journalist about the STIHL Timbersports Series and the boom running event. This season I also did 7 radio interviews and was featured in over 50 newspaper articles and internet postings. I had impressions of over 6,000,000 and an editorial value that exceeded $3,000,000. I always enjoy meeting new fans each season and people are always happy when I give away fun sample products from my sponsors. People in the crowd LOVE the autographed posters, coloring books, product literature, key chains, clips, water bottles, etc! I really like the opportunity to tell them about my sponsors, the sport I love, and thank them for coming to watch the competition. We hosted another blowout 4 day event at the Fisherman's Picnic festival in Grand Marais at the beginning of August. The exhibition included sawmilling, log rolling, axe throwing, stock sawing, crosscut sawing, underhand chopping, and a renewable resource presentation to thousands of people. We also promoted a professional and youth log rolling & boom running tournament. It was really awesome to have the Central Boiler interactive semi-truck display at 3 events this summer: Georgia. Hayward, & Grand Marais. Once again being a part of the Central Boiler display for 2 days at the Minnesota State Fair signing autographs and talking to people interested in boilers was a lot of fun! On September 16th, I did a 13 minute segment on The 700 Club focusing on boom running and getting fit right after pregnancy. To watch the interview click on:
http://www.cbn.com/700club/guests/bios/Jenny_Atkinson091609.aspx
Millions and millions of people watched it live that day. It was great to end the season with my first site visit to Central Boiler headquarters in Greenbush, MN. We enjoyed meeting many of the hard working employees behind the scenes making the best boilers on earth. I credit my exciting season to many things. I always give 110% in every competition no matter what. I end each day on logs with a smile on my face knowing I gave it my best. I especially appreciate the support this season from my sponsors and family. The financial assistance from Central Boiler, Wood-Mizer, and Starfish Point are important to my success. I feel fortunate to have so much passion for log rolling and boom running after competing for over a quarter of a century! I truly enjoy each day on the logs and I miss it when the summer season winds down! I am definitely looking forward to another great season in 2010......I hope to reclaim some time on the podium again!

THANK YOU 2009 Sponsors:
Central Boiler, Wood-Mizer, Sanctuary Condominiums & Starfish Point

2008 Season Recap
This season was full of highs, lows, new experiences, and great memories! Central Boiler became a new sponsor and fit perfectly with my other fantastic sponsors: STIHL, Wood-Mizer, & Starfish Point. I am always proud to represent great companies and continue to tell interested people about the excellent products that they make. My training was right on and I was able to reach out into the community and let MANY new people try log rolling and boom running at different events. I was even boom running in the snow on May 9th to get ready for the early season STIHL Timbersports event in Utah! I launched a new website: www.jennyatkinson.com to keep my fans updated with all the current events, photos, videos, results, blog, etc. Many thanks to my sponsors! I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support!

Boom Running
This was an interesting year for boom running. The competition is incredible and everyone is blazing fast! Some competitors became much more consistent and I experienced the agony of "da-feet" for the first time. It was crushing to place 9th in the opening boom running event at the STIHL Timbersports Series in Utah, especially after great training and preparation. I realize it is part of the sport and I can't win all of the time. I held my head high, cheered on my competitors, had fun interacting with the fans with more free time than normal, learned from experience, and was rejuvenated for the next event. I was thrilled to be the silver medalist at the STIHL Timbersports Series finals in Columbus, GA. They had some of the most enthusiastic fans I have ever experienced in 25 years of competing. The inaugural Aflac Outdoor Games were really cool to be a part of. I can't wait to go back! Tune in to the coverage on ESPN2 on November 30th, December 14th & 21st. At the world championships in Hayward, WI I was just 0.02 off the podium which stung a little bit after having the 2nd fastest qualifying time. I was lightning fast and came very close to winning, but it was just not my day. It was really fun to host the Minnesota State Championships at our place in August and the kids loved having a boom tournament again this year.

Log Rolling

I had another awesome year in log rolling once again securing the #2 world rank for the 2009 season. The field of competitors is as strong as ever and each match is critically important. I only lost one match all season to Shana Martin in the finals at the World Championships. It was the largest women's field ever and I had to come right from my uncle's funeral Friday morning to step onto a log for my first match of competition. I felt lucky to be alive and having fun. As an avid outdoorsman, I knew my uncle Randy would want me to be enjoying my passion in the great north woods! I defeated Shana two other times this season, but Lumberjack Bowl seemed to be calling her name this year. We had a great match down to the 4 log in the finals! Shana and I always have fun, aggressive, and exciting matches every time and this year was no different. I was thrilled to win the Midwest Championships in Madison, WI and the Minnesota State Championships in Grand Marais, MN defeating her in the finals both times. This season I also really enjoyed watching the kids in Grand Marais flourish in log rolling as I was committed to holding free lessons twice a week at the community pool and our house. I had a lot of fun doing five days of really cool demonstrations on behalf of my sponsors at three different events. It is so much fun to share my love of log rolling without the pressures of competing. Hundreds of people were able to try log rolling in our Wood-Mizer built tank and you couldn't wipe the huge smiles off of their faces!

Stock Saw
I entered two STIHL stock saw events this season and was the only female both times. The first event I placed 7th and the second event I tied for 3rd place against a respectable field of 15 qualified men. I LOVE running chain saws and competing in the events is always a highlight for me.

Media/Other Events

With my recent successful seasons, it also brought along more media attention. Being the current boom run & overall world champion seemed to draw attention wherever I went. I had significant airtime on ESPN2, and many local news broadcasts. Besides the millions who watch it on TV, each year I compete to a live audience of over 100,000. This season I also did 7 radio interviews and was featured in over 50 newspaper articles and internet postings. I had impressions of over 6,000,000 and an editorial value that exceeded $3,000,000. In July I was invited to be a part of Wood-Mizer's Lumberjack Celebration at the Hendricks County Fair and had a great time giving a log rolling demo to thousands of attendees. I also gave a lesson to 8 local dignitaries and challenged them to a match. The crowd LOVED it! I always enjoy meeting new fans each season and it is such a joy to give away fun sample products from my sponsors. People in the crowd love the autographed posters, foam axes, coloring books, key chains, bandanas, pens, etc! I really like the opportunity to tell them about my sponsors, the sport I love, and thank them for coming to watch the competition. My husband and I also had a blast doing a really cool full day demonstration on the 4th of July for Timber Days on the shores of Lake Superior. We performed sawmilling, log rolling, axe throwing, stock sawing, crosscut sawing, underhand chopping, and a renewable resource presentation to thousands of people. The event was such a success, we did it again for a 4 day event in August, this time incorporating a professional and youth log rolling & boom running tournament. As part of an Earth Day celebration we also did a really unique full day sawmilling presentation at an Elementary School. The message about renewable resources, forestry, and the process of milling timbers was really impactful for the kids. Another highlight to end the summer season was being a part of the Central Boiler display for 2 days at the Minnesota State Fair. I had a great autograph signing booth and enjoyed talking to people about the awesome outdoor furnaces that they make. With the rising costs of fuel and tight economy, so many people are interested in alternative energy. It was nice to meet new people working for such a great company. We also had a special opportunity this fall to complete a sawmilling project to cut extra long timber frame beams for rebuilding a youth camp which lost over 60 buildings in a terrible fire in the early spring.

I attribute my successful season to many things that keep me balanced. I always give 110% and remind myself I am having fun. I end each competition day smiling knowing I gave it my best. I especially appreciate the support this season from my sponsors and family. The financial assistance from STIHL, Central Boiler, Wood-Mizer, and Starfish Point are vital to my success. Having a great deal of passion for log rolling and boom running, I truly enjoy each day on the logs! I am definitely looking forward to another great season in 2009……I am hoping for hot, sunny days come May!

THANK YOU 2008 Sponsors:
Central Boiler, STIHL, Wood-Mizer, & Starfish Point

2007 Season Recap
When the recipe comes out for the "dream season," my 2007 competitions held most of the important ingredients. I had incredible outcomes in both log rolling & boom running at all of the top competitions. My pre-season training was awesome and I was ready to hit the logs when the ice melted! I have supportive sponsors (STIHL, Oberto Beef Jerky, Wood-Mizer, Idaho Chucks & Starfish Point) that I was proud to team up with again for a winning season......MANY THANKS!

Boom Running

Becoming the 2007 Boom Running World Champion was a definite highlight! I laid down the 2 fastest runs in the finals as I raced into the history books as a 3-time world champion spanning over a decade. My husband, Niel, and I were both overwhelmed with emotion! The victory was also on the most challenging boom run ever in the history of the sport! One week later I validated my new title by winning the Lumberjack World Championships (LWC) boom run in Hayward, WI. The feeling was incredible! My consistency showed once again this season in the STIHL Timbersports Series boom running competitions. The competition was fierce and the races were very close! I opened the first tournament of the year with the silver medal in Decatur, AL and took home the bronze medal in the finals in Stillwater, MN......just 0.05 seconds away from making the finals round. The coverage will be aired on ESPN2 in December. Check it out! My young black lab, Aruba, also learned to boom run this season and she was the star of the day at the competition in Stillwater. This season I am most proud of earning the #1 world rank in the boom run for the 2008 season. It has been a long time coming!!

Log Rolling

I had another very successful year in log rolling once again securing the #2 world rank for next season. The field of competitors is strong and deep so each and every match takes a lot of determination and perseverance. I was a consistently on the podium winning the gold or silver in every event. Shana Martin seemed to be my biggest nemesis and I always love to compete against her. We have fun, aggressive, exciting matches! At the world championships in Stillwater, MN I had three great matches winning 3-0, 3-0, & 3-1 followed by earning 2nd place honors by losing 0-3 in the final match. I was happy with the silver, but very disappointed that I didn't have a better performance in the finals. It just wasn't my day! One week later at LWC I showed my unbeatable form and focus. I won my preliminary matches 3-0, 3-0, 3-1, and defeated Shana Martin 3-0 in an awesome final match with all falls on the 4 log. The crowd was on the edge of their seats! I was thrilled to take home the LWC victory for the 3rd year in a row. My relay team also won making it a "Golden Trifecta" weekend for me in the log rolling, boom run, and relay. This was an amazing feat and has never happened in the history of LWC!

Overall

Winning the Overall title at the World Championship combining log rolling and boom running was also a goal for this season. I am thrilled to have accomplished it for the 2nd year in a row. It was a phenomenal feeling to stand on top of the podium holding the STIHL chain saw over my head! Being the hometown hero in Stillwater and having so many friends, relatives, school kids, and fans in the stands was exciting. I enjoyed riding on the STIHL truck in the Lumberjack Days parade with 75,000 people lining the streets of Stillwater screaming for foam axes, posters, and beef jerky!

Media/Other Events

With my successful 2007 season, it also brought more media attention than ever before. Becoming the current boom run & overall world champion along with podium finishes in every competition, I have proven that my abilities run deep. I am a consistent performer at top levels. I had significant airtime on ESPN2, and many local news broadcasts. Besides the millions who watch it on TV, each year I compete to a live audience of over 100,000. In April I filmed a reality TV show for the New York Yankees called the Ultimate Road Trip which reached 1.1 million homes in the 1st airing. The episode ran 13 total times. This season I also did 6 radio interviews and was featured in over 30 newspaper articles and internet postings. I had impressions of over 6,000,000 and an editorial value that exceeded $3,000,000. In August I had the honor of throwing out the first pitch at a Norfolk Tides Triple-A baseball game in Norfolk, VA along side Rick Dempsey, a legend in his own sport. I was also featured on the cover of the Great Lakes Timber Professional Association Magazine. In October I was invited to Wood-Mizer's 25th Anniversary Celebration and had a great time giving a log rolling demo to thousands of attendees. I also gave a lesson to the company CEO and was then featured on the cover of the Wood-Mizer Way magazine which is sent out to 30,000 people. I donated one hour log rolling lessons to charity and raised over $4000 for a non-profit organization. I also had the privilege of visiting STIHL and Wood-Mizer headquarters and met a lot of great employees of both companies. I love meeting new fans each season and it is always a joy to give away fun sample products from my sponsors. People in the crowd love the beef jerky, autographed posters, foam axes, coloring books, key chains, bandanas, pens, etc! I really like the opportunity to tell them about my sponsors and thank them for coming to watch the competition. I attribute my successful season to many things including focused training sessions, visualization, weight lifting, video analysis, and most importantly goal setting with a strategic plan. I prepare myself as much as possible knowing that I am giving it 110%. I always end each competition day smiling knowing I gave it my best. Most importantly, I am having fun! I especially appreciate the support this season from my sponsors and family. The financial backing from STIHL, Oh Boy! Oberto Beef Jerky, Wood-Mizer, Idaho Chucks and Starfish Point are vital to my success. Having a great deal of passion for log rolling and boom running, I truly enjoy training and competing every day! I have been involved in the sport for 25 years. This was the most memorable competition season of my entire life. I am definitely looking forward to another fabulous season in 2008......let the training begin!

THANK YOU 2007 Sponsors:
STIHL, Wood-Mizer, Oh Boy! Oberto Beef Jerky, Idaho Chucks & Starfish Point

2006 Season Recap
This was one of the most memorable competition seasons in my entire life. Log rolling and boom running are really on the move and I am very happy to be at the top! With 9 out of 10 podium finishes this season, I have great reason to be proud. A lot of hard work, determination, and focus went into my training and competing. It was well worth it and paid off. I only lost 3 log rolling matches during the entire season, earning the #2 World Ranking for the 2007 season. Winning the Overall World Championship was also a goal for this season. I am thrilled to have accomplished it. It was a phenomenal feeling to stand on top of the podium holding the Stihl chain saw over my head!
A highlight and new experience for me this year was having the World Championships and Stihl Timbersports Series Finals in my hometown of Stillwater, MN. This was the first professional tournament ever held in Stillwater and the crowds were incredible. It was really fun to have my family, relatives, friends, fans, and kids from school in the stands cheering me on. They made signs and posters that brought tears to my eyes. The excitement was phenomenal! It will be aired on ESPN2 from December17th-22nd. Tune in!! I was the bronze medalist in both the log rolling and boom running and a gold medalist in the overall at the world championships. I am already looking forward to this premiere event in Stillwater again next year!
One week later I was in unbeatable form again, defending my title at the Lumberjack World Championships (LWC) in Hayward, WI. This proved again that I am always a top contender amongst amazingly talented women competitors. This was a great way to end the season! It was a very special and emotional win for me as the LWC tournament has traditionally been the host of the world championships for the past 4 decades. I had deep desire to win at Lumberjack Bowl and it was great to have my whole family and many friends on hand for the victory! This was my 14th podium finish at LWC. I am very proud of this accomplishment and look forward to continued success.
After 1 silver medal, 4 bronze medals, and 1 fourth place finish in boom running, I proved to be the most consistent athlete by far. The competition is fierce and the races were very close! I was proud to take home the silver medal at the STIHL Timbersports Series in Decatur, AL defeating Mandy Erdmann in the semi-finals. This event will be aired worldwide on ESPN2 in December. Having the bronze medals around my neck at the world championships and LWC were both amazing feats. My strong, consistent results insured a #2 Boom Running World Ranking for 2007. I know I am one of the best boom runners in the world, and I love every opportunity to compete and prove it to myself. There are only hundredths of a second between the top competitors on any given day.
With my successful 2006 season, it also brought more media attention than ever before. After finishing 9 out of 10 times on the podium and winning the overall world championships, I have proven that my abilities run deep. I am a consistent performer at top levels. I had significant airtime on ESPN2, and many local stations. I was invited to log roll on The NBC Today Show in New York City. The experience of performing on Rockefeller Plaza was something I will never forget! Besides the millions who watch it on TV, each year I compete to a live audience of over 100,000. This season I also did 6 radio interviews on major networks and was featured in over 20 newspaper articles and internet postings.
I attribute my successful season to many things including focused training sessions, visualization, weight lifting, video analysis, and most importantly writing down my 2006 goals and keeping a daily training journal. I have prepared myself as much as possible knowing that I am giving it 110%. It is a good feeling, and I always walk away smiling and happy with the outcome knowing I gave it my best. Most importantly, I am having fun! During the off-season, as a 3rd grade teacher in Stillwater, MN the kids keep me inspired. They are some of my biggest fans! I especially appreciate the support this season from my sponsors and family. The financial backing from STIHL, Oh Boy! Oberto Beef Jerky, Wood-Mizer, Idaho Chucks and Starfish Point are an important component to my success. Having a great deal of passion for log rolling and boom running, I truly enjoy training and competing every day! I am definitely looking forward to another tremendous season in 2007.

THANK YOU 2006 Sponsors:
STIHL, Wood-Mizer, Oh Boy! Oberto Beef Jerky, Idaho Chucks & Starfish Point

2005 Season Recap
This was the most exciting season of competing in timbersports I have ever experienced. Log rolling and boom running are really on the move and I am very happy to be the best! In the July heat of Orlando, FL at the ESPN Great Outdoor Games (GOG), I defeated Tina Bosworth, the 10-time World Log Rolling Champion/5 time Gold Medalist at the GOG. It became a thrilling foreshadow of the season just beginning. The win was also "The Call of the Day" on ESPN’s Sports Center that evening. In a hard fought final match, ending on the 5th fall, I earned the Silver Medal, once again with coverage on Sports Center. It became my 6th Great Outdoor Games Medal. The following weekend it was very rewarding to win the World Championships in Minneapolis, MN. I have always dreamed of becoming the World Champion and I knew I could do it with determination, hard work, and focus. The excitement was phenomenal! Two weeks later I had another chance to prove I was the world’s best log roller by winning the Lumberjack World Championships (LWC) in Hayward, WI. This was a very special and emotional win for me as that tournament has traditionally been the host of the World Championships. I had deep desire to win at Lumberjack Bowl and it was great to have my whole family and many friends on hand for the victory! This was my 12th podium finish at LWC. I was the only female to podium in both the log rolling (gold) and boom run (bronze) this year, an amazing feat in itself.
With 2 Gold's and 1 Silver in the Level 1 tournaments this season, I have secured the #1 Log Rolling World Ranking for the 2006 season. I am very proud of this accomplishment and look forward to continued success.
After four 3rd place finishes in the Boom Run this season, including the Bronze Medal at the Lumberjack World Championships, I was proud to take home the Silver Medal at the STIHL Series tournament in Lake Charles, LA. This event will be aired on ESPN2 this fall. It was thrilling to be in the finals, just missing the win by 0.2 seconds.
In the final event of the season, I traveled to Virginia Beach, VA Sept. 23-25th for the STIHL Timbersports Series Finals. This again is aired worldwide on ESPN2 in November and December. Earning another podium finish, I was proud to have the bronze medal around my neck. The competition was fierce and the races were very close. The crowds were incredible! This strong result insured a 4th place Boom Running World Ranking for 2006. I know I am one of the best boom runners in the world, and I love every opportunity to compete and prove it to myself. There are only hundredths of a second between the top competitors on any given day.
With my successful season, it also brought a lot of media attention. After earning the top overall combined ranking in both events, I have proven that my abilities run deep and I am a consistent performer at top levels. I had significant airtime on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and many local stations. Besides the millions who watch it on TV, each year I compete to a live audience of over 100,000. This season I also did 5 radio interviews and was featured in over 20 newspaper articles and internet postings.
I attribute my successful season to many things including focused training sessions, visualization, weight lifting, video analysis, and most importantly writing down my 2005 goals and keeping a daily training journal. I have prepared myself as much as possible knowing that I am giving it 110%. It is a good feeling, and I am always happy with the outcome. Another source of inspiration comes from my
15-month old cousin, Charlie, who is in the fight of his life in a stage 4-cancer battle. Knowing how hard he is fighting every day makes me take advantage of each opportunity in life even more. During the off-season, I am a 3rd grade teacher in Stillwater, MN. The kids are some of my biggest fans! I especially appreciate the support this season from my sponsors and family. The financial backing from STIHL, Idaho Chucks, and Oh Boy! Oberto are an important component to my success. Having a great deal of passion for log rolling and boom running, I truly enjoy training and competing every day!

THANK YOU 2005 Sponsors:
STIHL, Wood-Mizer, Oh Boy! Oberto Beef Jerky, Idaho Chucks, & Starfish Point