'Modern Marvels' at Paul Smith's College

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Staff Photo/Kim Smith Dedam
Staff Photo/Kim Smith Dedam

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March 6, 2008

'Modern Marvels' crew films Woodsmen's Team

By KIM SMITH DEDAM The Press Republican Thu Mar 06, 2008, 11:00 PM EST

PAUL SMITHS -- They've already had a 15-minute turn or two at fame.

But the Woodsmen's Team at Paul Smith's College took another whack at it Thursday, and a few big stumps splintered for the camera.

A film crew from The History Channel was on campus to capture footage for a modern-lumberjack segment of "Modern Marvels."

TOP TEAM

Paul Smith's College Woodmen's Team has the best collegiate ax men and women in the country, forestry professor Brett McLeod said.

"They currently hold all the records on the East Coast."

Holding all the records includes the fastest-recorded times for chopping wood, cross-cut sawing, stock-saw races and accuracy in ax throwing for traditional lumbermen's skills turned sport.

"Modern Marvels" is reporting on the evolution of logging equipment and technique from men working in the woods more than a century ago to the precision "racing" equipment of today, McLeod said.

SPEEDY SPLITTING

As the team relaxed in the Forestry Cabin between takes Thursday morning, they basked humbly in the attention.

"I haven't told my mother yet," grinned Ben Rubinfeld under a bright-red, knitted cap.

Was he ready for a 15-minute shot at fame?

"I've already had a few," the college senior from Bradford, Vt., quipped with a smile.

As cameras rolled, Rubinfeld pulled off the signature red cap and tore into a vertical chop. The shiny, razor-sharp ax sliced through a standing piece of 10-inch hardwood in less than 24 seconds like a hot knife dropped through butter.

The cameras rolled for about four hours altogether for what the students guess will be a 15-minute portion of the show.

About 10 senior members of the 30-person team were filmed for the segment.

special GEAR

After reducing a three-foot stump to splinters in barely 20 seconds, Curt Karboski, 20, who is from Parish, rolled back his Carhartt pant legs, revealing a protective layer of chain mail.

The cameras zoomed in.

"This one is from a fireplace screen," he said of the shin mail, "I made it myself."

Karboski held the ax blade close to the lens.

"Have you ever shaved with that?" film director Steve Durgin asked.

"I have," Karboski said.

The racing ax is a special piece of equipment, explains team coach Kevin Ransom, evolved from the early hand-pounded iron blades that felled the forests of North America.

Ransom, a graduate of SUNY Environmental Sciences and Forestry College, grew up in Saranac Lake.

"Curt (Karboski) qualified for the Steel Collegiate series," Ransom said of earlier fame.

Being filmed for national television did create a few jitters, he said.

"This is kind of like being in a professional meet. It's nerves. They're seeing a different aspect of the sport."

And lumbering sports have become hugely popular in recent years, he said, moving out of the woods into mainstream.

"There is an element of danger to it. But from an academic perspective, it's moving away from the bad old days, when logging was seen as contrary to good environmental policy," Ransom said. "This has made it out of the woods."

Old-time loggers had to fell trees in good time to get good money. But now, brawn gives way to method.

"It's just not some brute force. A lot of brains go into lumber sports; it takes a lot of good training."

LUMBERJILLS

Paul Smith's College also holds the No. 1 spot in the Northeast for Lumberjills, the women's team.

Megan Veley, 20; Jackie June, 19; and Maegan Dills, 20, talked about their saw-wielding prowess.

June owns the record for stock-saw racing, a chainsaw competition.

"It's a race in two cuts," she grins, "one down and up through, whoever does it fastest wins."

Her winning time: 8 seconds.

"I always thought woodsmen's competition was an interesting thing," Veley added. "It's a stress reliever."

The women don't begrudge the sport's title gender: woodsmen.

"It's what they were called historically. For us, it's great to be able to go in and show them we can do the same," Veley said.

"We have bigger shoes to fill."

The "Modern Marvel" show on "Axs" will air May 7.

kdedam@pressrepublican.com