Chetwynd International Chainsaw Carving Championship celebrates 17th anniversary

CHETWYND, B.C. — The Chetwynd International Chainsaw Carving Championship kicked off last weekend and this year celebrated its 17th anniversary.

Last year’s second-place winner, Ryan Villiers from Edmonton, took home first-place in 2023 with a carving of a shark hitting a seal.

Chris Larsen, the president of the Chetwynd International Chainsaw Carving Championship Society, said 2023 was Villier’s third time in Chetwynd.

“[In 2019] he built a Spider-Man sculpture in town, which is still a show stopper,” Larsen said.

“People pull over and stop to see that one.”

In second place was Mike Jones from the U.K. with a carving of dogs hunting ducks.

Larsen said it was Jones’ first time in Chetwynd.

“It was a real hard sculpture to try and take any points away from,” Larsen said. 

“He had the biggest lof of the draws, and it was knot free and just clean, and it came out so beautiful by the time he put the finish to it.”

Brandon Kroon, from Australia, took third place with his sculpture of a helicopter.

Larsen said Kroon narrowly missed the podium last year, and this year, he put in the extra effort.

“[He] even carved the rope out of wood,” Larsen explained.

“It was just so proportionately perfect, and the propeller spins, the tail rotor spins. It’s an amazing piece of art.”

Last year’s third-place winner Takao Hayashi took home the People’s Choice award and the Carver’s Choice award.

“This year was the very first time he had ever carved all Northern British Columbia animals into a sculpture,” Larsen said.

For more information and pictures from this year’s championship, visit the Chetwynd International Chainsaw Carving Championship Facebook page.