HAYWARD, Wisconsin.- Three new women’s world records have been set at the World Lumberjack Championships held in a small Wisconsin community, filled with sawing, chopping, log rolling, fast climbing and cheers of “Yo-Ho!”

This year, 66 men and 40 women attended the three-day competition in Hayward that ended Saturday. They represented 16 states and nine countries.

Competitors take their equipment seriously with custom-made chainsaws, carefully sharpened axes and one-piece saws that can cost more than $400 to sharpen.

Karolina Urbanová of the Czech Republic set world records in two events. She took first place in the women’s undercut, cutting 11 inches (27.9 centimeters) of white pine in 21.28 seconds. She also placed first in the women’s standing cut, cutting 9 inches (22.8 centimeters) of white pine in 19.38 seconds.

Hayward’s Meredith Ingbretson set a world record in the women’s Boom Run, running through the water and back over eight red cedar logs in 13.78 seconds.

While women have been competing since the inaugural competition in 1960, the events they participate in have expanded significantly, organizers said. They started out simply competing in log rolling and now participate in over 20 wood sporting events.

“When I started cutting, I was cutting with men,” said Nancy Zalewski, a competitor for 27 years who has trained others, including her partner Kate Witkowski.

The tradition of competition among lumberjacks began in the 1890s, according to the organization. The competition takes place at the Lumberjack Bowl on the shores of Lake Hayward. In the past, the area had been a pond for transporting logs down the Namekagon River.

The lumberjack theme is always present with kids in lumberjack socks, flannels and suspenders, and brands handing out inflatable axes and toy chainsaws. Outside of the competition arena, there are wood carving demonstrations, log rolling practice for kids, live music, food trucks and ax-themed events.

“I think their culture is really wonderful,” Witkowski said. “I don’t know of any other sport where athletes support each other like we do here because it’s such a specialized sport and because equipment is so hard to come by that we’re all trying to get better.”

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Schmidt is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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Associated Press reporter Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this story.