Keep the axes swinging
Paul Sotin, now an eight-time Logger of the Year, drops his first wood cutting and moves to the second in the men's power saw portion of the Paul Bunyan Days logging competition at St. Maries City Park on Sunday. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Zack Sotin, 13, and dad Paul Sotin placed first in the Jr. and Sr. cross-cut competition at the Paul Bunyan Days logging competition at St. Maries City Park on Sunday. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Suzzane Sotin, seventh-time winner of Logette of the Year, works her way through the women's power saw competition at the Paul Bunyan Days logging competition at St. Maries City Park on Sunday. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Kyla Cox, 13, from Hayden competed for the first time in the teen cross-cut competition with partner Colton Schmit, 13, of Hayden at the Paul Bunyan Days logging competition at St. Maries City Park on Sunday. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Eric Steidle of Post Falls competes in the choker setting competition at the Paul Bunyan Days logging competition at St. Maries City Park on Sunday. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Tami Holdahl, a St. Maries native, has won Loggette of the Year for 17 years but now primarily volunteers for the Paul Bunyan Days logging competition. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Earl Holdersen of Holdersen Logging, the oldest competitor, won the the men's power saw contest with a time of 19.2 seconds, five seconds faster than the second place participant, at the Paul Bunyan Days logging competition at St. Maries City Park on Sunday. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Kerry Cox of Hayden competes in the men's ax throwing at the Paul Bunyan Days logging competition at St. Maries City Park on Sunday. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Scott Sotin, 15, of St. Maries competes in the teen cross-cut competition with partner Zander David, 16, or St. Maries at the Paul Bunyan Days logging competition at St. Maries City Park on Sunday. HANNAH NEFF/Press
James Morton of Coeur d'Alene competes in the men's choker setting contest at the Paul Bunyan Days logging competition at St. Maries City Park on Sunday. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Paul Sotin of St. Maries, eight-time champion and winner of this year's Logger of the Year, placed third in the men's choker setting contest at the Paul Bunyan Days logging competition at St. Maries City Park on Sunday. HANNAH NEFF/Press
ST. MARIES — Their last name might as well be Bunyan.
For Paul Sotin’s household, the logging competition is a family event.
The Sotin family has been competing in the Paul Bunyan Days logging competition since they came to St. Maries in 2006 and have helped on the committee for the past decade.
After hours of ax swinging, cross-cut sawing, choker setting and more, Paul and Suzzane Sotin once again received Logger and Loggette of the Year on Sunday at St. Maries City Park.
“It’s just too much fun,” said Suzzane Sotin, the win making her a seven-time champion. “It’s the highlight of our weekend.”
Suzzane Sotin said despite being a multi-time winner, each win is just as thrilling.
“It’s always exciting,” Suzzane Sotin said. “We don’t get as many women competitors as we do men but usually the women that are in it are pretty fierce.”
The couple’s sons, Scott, 15, and Zack, 13, are too young to compete for overall championships with the event’s age limit of 18 but participated in the teen cross-cut and junior and senior cross-cut with their dad.
Zack placed first in the teen cross-cut and first once again in the junior and senior cross-cut with 26.10 seconds. His brother Scott placed second in the Jr. and Sr. cross-cut.
“I like the community and all the people who come and do the events,” Paul Sotin said. “It’s a lot of the same people, so I get to see them again.”
Paul Sotin, who won Logger of the Year for the eighth time, said competing is fun and the cross-cut sawing competition is one of his favorites.
“It’s a big logging community,” Paul Sotin said. “The majority of the community is supported by timber dollars.”
Tami Holdahl, a St. Maries native, said the event, now in its 53rd year, celebrates the local logging industry and community.
“The logging events are important because it brings back the history of St. Maries,” Holdahl said. “This area has been known for logging for probably as long as it’s been here.”
After winning Loggette of the Year for 17 years, Holdahl said she called it quits and now volunteers her time to help out with the event because this is what she’s done her entire life.
“All the people competing against me were half my age,” Holdahl said with a chuckle. “I got old and said I’m done.”
Newcomer Kyla Cox, a 13-year old from Hayden, competed in the teen cross-cut for the first time and said she’ll probably be coming back next year.
“I thought it was fun,” Cox said. “But just for my first time, it was kind of hard.”
Donna Steidle, a competitor from Post Falls, came up with her husband Eric to compete for the third year.
“It’s a fun family event,” Steidle said. “Just getting everybody together and enjoying the outdoors.”
And since 1968 the chainsaws have still been running for Paul Bunyan Days, started by the Junior Chamber of Commerce with member Allen Townsend of St. Maries being the only nay vote.
“I looked at it and thought, ‘Holy Mackerel,’” Townsend said. “'That’s a big project.'”
Today, Townsend is one of only two original members still putting on the event.
“We didn’t want to work that hard, and now we’re working harder,” Townsend said. “It’s been a wonderful 50-some years.”
