The forestry sector has been shaken by the untimely death of Jason Wynyard (14 November 1973 – 4 October 2023). A New Zealand champion woodchopper from Kawakawa, Jason won over 200 world titles in the sport.
In May this year, it was announced that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 Burkitt lymphoma, and after undergoing aggressive treatment he was advised by doctors on 18 August that he had only weeks to live. He died on 4 October 2023, at the age of 49.
He won the individual world championship nine times and holds the world record for Single Buck (with assistant) with a time of 9.39 in 2007.
In addition, he won the Stihl Timbersports Series no less than 14 times.
In the 2017 New Year Honours, Jason was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the sport of wood chopping.
He was the father of two sons.
Read more about Jason in the November 2023 edition of NZ Logger magazine.
