Logan Scarborough of Polkton won the 2010 Stihl Timbersports national collegiate title in Salem, Ore., on Sunday, Aug. 29.

It was Scarborough's second straight trip to the national championship, in which he finished fifth last year. Popular in the Northeast and Northwest U.S., timbersports is the precise sawing and chopping of logs with various types of saws and axes. However, its popularity appears to be growing in the South. Scarborough, who graduated from N.C. State University in May with a forestry management degree, learned about the sport while in the forestry program at State and spent all summer practicing at the home of his parents, Don and Elaine Scarborough, in Polkton.

Although he handily beat his competitors for the national title, he remains humble. "It was fun," he said of the competition. "A lot of guys were just as good, if not better than me."

The sport is very focused on accuracy. In fact, Scarborough was disqualified from the regionals last year as a result of a small nick in one of the logs he was cutting. He was chosen as a wild card for the nationals.

For his trip to the nationals, Scarborough had one sponsor, Carpenter & Flake, attorneys in Wadesboro. "I tried to mention them on the ESPN interview, but I'm not sure it'll make it to TV," he said. "They helped me out a lot. They bought the single buck saw for me that I used."

With his collegiate championship, Scarborough qualifies for the Stihl Timbersports World Championship in St. Johan, Austria, Sept. 3-5. He will leave on Thursday. He also has a chance for a spot on the professional team.

Scarborough said the world championships will be much tougher than the nationals. For one, he will be competing against all ages at his skill level, not just other collegiate athletes.

"They do relays in Europe," he explained. "There will be 20 different countries competing in it. I'll be on an international team with guys from three other countries."

The Stihl Timbersports Collegiate Series championship is scheduled to run on ESPN-U at 5 p.m. on Sept. 10. The world championships will run on ESPN2, starting at 1 p.m. on Dec. 25.