For most families, a trip to the Royal Queensland Show means showbags, rides and a strawberry sundae.
For the Wagner family, it means axes, hardwood logs and the chance to compete in one of Australia’s oldest agricultural show traditions.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Three generations keeping Ekka woodchopping tradition alive
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When the Ekka opens in Brisbane on Saturday, August 8, three generations of the South Burnett family will step into the Woodchop Pavilion, continuing a family tradition in a sport that has been part of the show for well over a century.
This year’s show marks 150 years of bringing the country to the city, with woodchopping remaining one of its oldest and most enduring attractions.
A fixture of the show since the late 1890s, the competition has been kept alive by generations of axemen and women from across Australia.
From grandfather to grandson, the Wagner family is keeping one of Australia’s oldest sporting traditions alive, with 10-year-old Levi already carving out a future in woodchopping.
His goal is simple. He just wants to be “as good as my dad,” he told 7NEWS.
His father Bryan Wagner, 36, is one of Australia’s top axemen and currently ranked second in the world in tree-felling.
At this year’s Ekka, he’ll be chasing one of the few titles still missing from his resume.
“He’s won it 16 times and he won it again this year,” Wagner said.
“I think he’s about 47, so there’s hope for me yet.”
On the family’s farm near Proston, about four hours’ drive northwest of Brisbane, training is serious business
“Wood chopping is a sport that’s handed down virtually from generation to generation, so if one generation doesn’t take it up, the sport will eventually just fade away,” Wagner said.
Levi is training with a lighter axe while he develops the strength and technique needed to eventually wield the 3.5kg racing axe used by elite competitors.
The heavier axe carries more momentum, allowing experienced axemen to remove bigger chips and achieve the lightning-fast times seen in competition.
Standing block, tree-felling and underhand events require speed, precision and strength, with competitors aiming to slice through hardwood logs in as little as 25 to 30 seconds.
Craig Wagner, 66, introduced his son to the sport years ago and is now watching his grandson learn the same skills.
“It has been my time away. Everyone needs a break from work all the time and wood chopping was my break,” he said.
The Ekka’s woodchopping competition dates back more than a century and remains one of the Royal Queensland Show’s signature events, celebrating the state’s timber heritage and rural communities.
The competition takes place in the Woodchop Pavilion, where spectators gather to watch competitors race the clock in events including standing block, underhand chop and tree-felling.
For the Wagners, it’s as much about family time away from the farm as it is competition — and yes, there’ll be chips, just not the wood chips.
“The chips… the hot chips,” Levi joked.
When the Ekka opens, all three generations will step into the arena hoping to bring home a title while helping keep one of Australia’s oldest show traditions alive.
