Competitors woke early Saturday morning to find the first Fairbanks snow of the school year had fallen. Undeterred, around fifty people gathered on Farm Field eager to participate in the Tenth annual Forest Sports Festival activities started at 10 a.m. Even though this competition had real prizes and titles to be won, all who participated encouraged one another— cheering on various teams, and competitors.

This showed newcomers that this festival is all about having fun; not about winning. Morning events were held on the UAF Experiment Farm Field, across from the Georgeson Botanical Gardens, followed by the afternoon events set at Ballaine Lake.

The Festival changed this year, from the past. The log roll course was shortened because it was too exhausting to complete a longer run. This year, there was more student participation now than ever before.

Events that took place at the UAF Experiment Farm Field, include axe throwing (men’s and women’s), log toss (men’s, women’s and Jack and Jill), log rolling (2-person team, men’s, women’s and Jack and Jill), 1-person bow saw (men’s and woman’s), and the 2-person crosscut saw(men’s, women’s and Jack and Jill). Events placed at Ballaine lake include fire building, and log burling.

This Festival is sponsored by the UAF School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences, the department of forest sciences, and the student resource management society.