Nate Hodges
Nate Hodges (born 1984) is an American professional lumberjack. He is the 2024 STIHL Timbersports Individual World Champion,[1] becoming the first American to win that global title. Hodges is also a two-time U.S. national Timbersports champion (2024 and 2025)[2] and has won numerous regional logging competitions, including fifteen titles at the Mid-Sierra Loggers Jamboree in his hometown of North Fork, California.[1] Early lifeHodges was born and raised in the mountain town of North Fork in Madera County, California.[1] He comes from a family of lumberjacks – his father Patrick, mother Cathey, brother Jerry, and sister Amanda have all competed in the North Fork Loggers Jamboree.[3] He received his first axe from his grandfather at age four.[4] At 18, Hodges entered his first Jamboree competition, competing in the axe throw. He tied for first and won in a tiebreaker throw-off, which he described as the moment he became "hooked" on the sport.[4] By 2019, he had claimed eleven “Top Logger” all-around titles at the Jamboree,[4] and as of 2024 he held at least 15 local championships.[1] CareerHodges entered the STIHL Timbersports national circuit in 2019. That July, he finished as runner-up at the U.S. Pro Championship in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, just one point behind Cassidy Scheer.[3] The same year, he qualified for Team USA at the World Championships in Prague.[5] In 2022, Hodges helped Team USA win the silver medal at the Team World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.[6] He was again part of the U.S. squad that claimed silver in 2024 in Toulouse, France.[7] Hodges won his first U.S. Championship in July 2024,[8] which qualified him for the Individual World Championship later that year. In Toulouse, he set three personal-best times and defeated rivals Jack Jordan (New Zealand) and Ben Cumberland (Canada) to claim the 2024 Individual World Championship.[1] In July 2025, Hodges defended his U.S. title, becoming back-to-back national champion.[2] At the same event, he set a new world record in the Hot Saw discipline with a time of 4.28 seconds.[2] He will represent the United States at the 2025 Individual World Championship in Milan, Italy.[2] Achievements
Media appearancesIn November 2024, Hodges was profiled on ABC30's Good Sports segment after his world championship win.[1] He was also interviewed by NPR affiliate KVPR on The Central Valley Daily podcast.[9] Personal lifeHodges lives in Cascadel Woods, near North Fork, California, with his wife and three daughters.[4] He has worked as a general contractor, building more than 50 houses in the Madera County region.[4] In 2019, he opened Yosemite Axe Throwing, a family-friendly axe-throwing venue in Oakhurst, California.[10] References
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