Ryan Villiers is this year’s winner — and People’s Choice — for Hope’s 2023 World Class Chainsaw Carving competition.
After four days of chainsaws, cedar shavings (and just a bit too much smoke from the ongoing wildfires), Hope’s Community in Bloom (HCiB) crowned the winners of the Pro-Carver class and Carver class divisions on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 20).
Fifteen contestants — the most the competition has ever seen — competed this year, some traveling from as far away as California. Each day, starting on Aug. 17 until Aug. 20, the carvers turned their logs into magnificent creations that delighted and inspired everyone in attendance. Starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m., the large crowds of people that gathered each day were able to see the contestants as they worked — taking photos and perusing the carvings that each carver had for sale.
In addition to the sounds of chainsaws, the smell of gasoline, and shavings flying abound, people were also able to shop at the Chamber Market in the Park and buy bannock, hotdogs, burgers, and poutine from the food trucks.
Those with little ones are also had the option on Saturday to attend two booths — the Kids’ Outdoor Learning Centre (from noon till 2 p.m.) and the Kids’ Birdhouse Painting (from 11:15 a.m. or until supplies ran out).
All events took place in Memorial Park. Judges for this year were Dr. Rob Forde, Mark Gore, and Peter Scherle.
Villiers, who is well known in Hope for his carvings of Sylvestor Stallone as Rambo, Brian Dennehy as Sheriff Will Teasle, the Grinch, and more recently the Cookie Monster for Boston Bar Elementary and Secondary School, is this year’s winner for the Pro-Carver class.
He said, just before this year’s competition, that he was looking forward to seeing the other carvers and being back in Hope.
“Hope has become my second home, so to speak. And I just love being here.”
Based out of Alberta, Villiers first began carving in 2017 and took it on full time the following year. A previous contestant of Hope’s 2021 chainsaw woodcarving competition, he’s had a busy past two years working on big commissions for franchise chain stores in the USA, participating in competitions, and being a contestant on the Discovery Channel television show A Cut Above.
This is his first time winning Hope’s competition — though, it’s not his first 2023 win. In fact, earlier this year, Villiers won the Chetwynd International Chainsaw Competition. And, last year, he placed fourth in the Kootenai Country Montana International Chainsaw competition and got carver’s choice.
For the Hope competition, Villiers’ winning entry was a beautiful carving of a mountain lion and her cub trying to catching a salmon.
Second place, for the pro class, went to Chris Foltz who earned the title with his carving of two Canadian geese taking flight.
Third place, for the pro class, went to newcomer Benji Waretini-Hemara with his carvings of two horses jumping over a fence.
In the Carver class, first place went to Tyler Welfing for his carving of an eagle in flight with salmon jumping in the river.
Second place went to Hannu Yliruusi for his carving of Rocky and Bullwinkle.
In addition to being a fan favourite, the mountain lion statue also holds the title of being the most expensive of the “large” carvings or main competition entry carvings.
During the event, attendees had the chance to bid on the entries for the speed carving competition (which took place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) as well as the finished larger competition pieces. During the auction for the large carvings, which took place on Sunday, Villiers piece was sold for $8,500 — making it the most expensive item bid on during the chainsaw event.
Other highlights of the large carving auction included Mark Colp’s piece, of two storks and otters, being sold for $6,500 and Waretini-Hemara’s piece, of two horses jumping a fence, being sold for $2,700.
The District of Hope also ended up keeping three of the large carving entries (with plans to place them permanently throughout Hope). The pieces kept were Foltz’s geese, Jacob Lucas’s sword in the stone with a crown of roses and thorns, and Levi Caya’s hollow eagle with a large globe inside it.
To view all the entries and more, visit the Hope World Class Chainsaw Carving Event Facebook page.
@KemoneMoodley
kemone.moodley@hopestandard.com
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