Young axeman has eyes on national title

Bolstad is to New Zealand woodchopping a bit like Barrett is to NZ rugby – but instead of three brothers, Bolstad spans three generations.

And as fond as the latest of those generations is of his surname, for 18-year-old Morgan Bolstad it’s a nickname that’s really inspiring him as he guns for his first national title this week.

“Dad was known as ‘The Professor’ and ‘The Postman’ in woodchopping circles,” smiles Bolstad.

“The Professor because of how accurate his technique was … and The Postman cause of how he always delivered.”  

His father David – and grandfather Sonny Bolstad before him – were both giants of the national and international axe men competitions.  

But for Morgan, the memory and legacy of his dad – who tragically died at the Waiuku axemen champs from a heart attack in 2011 with Morgan there aged just seven – is what provides his greatest motivation to achieve in the sport he loves.

“I actually won my very first ‘Boys Chop’ at a competition the following year as an eight-year-old.  

“Dad was always so helpful and generous with his time and knowledge for others in woodchopping during his time, and he was sought out by younger competitors for training sessions because of his reputation and nicknames.

“The cool thing is I’m competing alongside some of those same axe men now.

“They’re older than me but they remember what dad did for them and I think they look out for me and try and help me out a little bit because of that.”

This Friday, though, at the NZ Stihl Timbersport National Championships, Bolstad will be lining up alongside his peers in the hotly contested rookie’s division. He came second in the nationals last year so hopes to go one better – not least because the rewards are ‘quite worldly’ for a young builders’ apprentice from Taumarunui.

This winning national rookie earns a place in the NZ Team that heads off to the Stihl Timbersport World Trophy in Rotterdam in June and then again to the Stihl Timbersport World Championships in Stuttgart in October.

“They’re two pretty impressive carrots all right,” muses Bolstad.

But he also knows that the title of national rookie champ would be the greatest way to honour his dad – still with probably more than 20 competitive years left in the sport.  

From there, who knows what nicknames might follow for Morgan Bolstad.