Birling, or logrolling, is a sport in which two contestants spin a floating log rapidly with their feet. They stop it suddenly and reverse motion, trying to throw their opponent off balance and into the water. Falling off a log into the water counts as a fall. The first contestant to cause two out of three falls wins. Contestants begin on logs 15 inches (38 centimeters) in diameter. As the competition continues, progressively smaller logs are used. Competitors wear special calked (spiked) birling shoes.
Birling originated in the 1800’s in lumberjack camps in New England. The sport followed the westward development of the United States, becoming popular in forests around the Great Lakes and in the Pacific Northwest. Birling competitions still flourish in lumberjack shows in the United States and Canada.
