Ed “Mooch” Smith climbed to the top of the spar pole at Loggers Playday Saturday evening, a watermelon resting at its base. Using his chainsaw and a couple of skillfully placed wedges, the 72-year old dropped a large section on the watermelon, with the crowd at Hoquiam’s Olympic Stadium cheering wildly.
Then he took it up a notch. Or two.
An old Volkswagen Beetle, painted like a watermelon, was delivered to the base of the spar tree. Again, Smith expertly dropped a section of the spar tree on the watermelon car, with a loud crash that brought a roar from the hundreds of people in the stands.
The south bleachers at Olympic Stadium were stacked to the rafters as emcee Don Bell introduced Monica Ewing, who sang the National Anthem. Bell then introduced the royal court: Princess Myka Wayman, Princess Sunshine Dick, Princess Emily Lash, Princess Allie Drolz and queens Karlie Krohn and Josie Emery.
Loggers Playday clown Paul McKenzie was there for the 52nd year in a row. He was unable to perform due to his current battle with cancer, but addressed the crowd from a golf cart.
“Driving down from Canada I saw the sign that says Welcome to Hoquiam, The Friendliest City, and realized it was missing something,” he said. “It was missing the words ‘In the Universe.’” In a version of a bit he repeats every year at Playday, he was taken onto the stadium turf and armed with a dummy shotgun, which he fired, triggering an explosion that brought a tree down.
This year’s event was in honor of past Loggers Playday chairmen who have recently passed on. Bell said he wanted to give them a Playday “moment of silence,” which was of course another loud explosion. “THAT’s how you do a moment of silence,” he said.
The competition was fierce, as usual. One competitor came a bit too quickly down his tree during the climbing competition and clearly injured his knee. He, of course, continued competing. As did a young man in the choker setting competition who pushed himself a little too hard at the end of the course, and fell forward onto the log obstacle and seemed to knock the wind out of himself. A log rolling exhibition by Jim Dodge and Jenny Owens was a hit, and the ladies on the Playday court got a crash course that ended with all of them soaked head to toe.
Complete results were not available Monday, but Rob Waibel took the overall title and Johnny Boggs took the local high points logger title. Waibel, a professional logging competitor who hails from West Linn, Ore., has now taken the overall title seven times outright and shared the title once with Brian Bartow in 2013 since his first win in 1992. Full results will be posted soon.
Earlier in the day, hundreds braved a soggy afternoon and took in the annual parade in downtown Hoquiam. Dozens of entries walked the route, with the loaded log trucks and the Hoquiam High School marching band among the crowd favorites.
Parade results:
Judges’ Choice — Barry Swanson Trucking
Grand Sweepstakes — Brumfield Construction
Exalterd Ruler’s Choice — Ocean Shores Pirates
Chairman’s Choice — Quigg Brothers
Pickell’s Pick of the Pack — Kardia Trucking Justin Katzor
Pickell’s Pride of the Parade — Industrial Hydraulics
