ESPN TIMBERSPORTS

LEHI, Utah — Competitors at last year's opening round of the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Professional Series presented by Carhartt left Lehi, Utah, with one question looming large over the field: could anyone take down David Bolstad?

Two weeks later, in Columbus, Ga., they found out the answer was no. The lumberjack from New Zealand dominated the field to earn his fourth STIHL TIMBERSPORTS title, defeating countryman and closest challenger Jason Wynyard by a wide margin.

Not so this year, said Nathan Waterfield, now in his third year of competing on the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series.

"There's lot of new variables this year," he said. "On any given day everyone has beaten each other, so someone will rise up and put some pressure on Bolstad."

Waterfield pointed to the hot saw problems endured by Wynyard last year and the presence of new competitor Danny Staib, who took away points from potential challengers to Bolstad in the chopping events (Staib is not competing in 2009). Still, Waterfield acknowledged that Bolstad will be tough to beat.

"David is a really driven man," Waterfield said. "Last year he really improved his single buck sawing, and when a guy is good in all events … it makes it tough for the rest of us."

This year's Series also sees the return of the "King of the Lumberjacks," West Virginia's Mel Lentz, who will attempt to make a comeback in Utah after a leg injury sidelined him in 2008. Waterfield hopes his name will be added to the list of contenders.

"This year I did a lot of Olympic-style weight training along with swimming," he said. Waterfield also only recently returned from a lumberjack show in Sydney, Australia, where he honed his skills in front of what are largely considered to be the most hardcore lumberjack fans in the world.

But according to fellow chopper and sawyer Will Roberts, it will be a tough task for anyone to challenge Bolstad or Wynyard.

"Wynyard and Bolstad are clearly the top two guys," Roberts said. "They can be beaten in individual events, but they're so strong across the board that it makes it hard to get a leg up."

One area where the competition will almost undoubtedly be close is the boom run. The field, comprised of eight women and made up of several current and former champions, will start qualifying runs on Friday in order to seed them for the bracket-style format.

Taylor Duffy, last year's STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series boom run champion, says this time around it could be anyone's game.

"I think it's going to be a close one," says Duffy. "I don't think any one person is going to walk away with it."

Duffy's challengers include two recent moms, Jenny Atkinson and Tanya Fischer. Fischer took the 2008 season off, while Atkinson, who Duffy narrowly defeated in the finals last year, gave birth by C-section only eight weeks ago. Shana Martin, a favorite to win last year's event before being disqualified in the semifinals, also returns to the logs, as does 20-year old up and comer Alyse Schroeder.

"Alyse has these long legs that just skip across the logs," says Duffy, who trains with Schroeder almost daily outside of their hometown of Hayward, Wis., and lists her as one to watch. "There are a lot of unknown quantities this year, so it's really a tough call."

As for the speed climbers, reigning STIHL TIMBERSPORTS champion Brian Bartow returns, but will face a tough field with rivals Derek Knutson and Cassidy Scheer also in the mix. Veteran Guy German, who is still competing at the age of 55, also rejoins the field.

"If I put together a good out, I can be in the top four," says German. "The first climb we do (for seeding) is the most important. If I'm seeded fourth or fifth, then I'll be competing against the fourth or fifth seed and I'll have a shot at beating them."

The first round of the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS 2009 Series from Lehi, Utah will get under way Friday, June 5 at 10 a.m. with the qualifying rounds of boom run and speed climb. Check ESPNOutdoors.com and STIHLTIMBERSPORTS.com for coverage.