Escalante Days is here and so are the chain saw competition results

Douglas Raglan competing in the small chainsaw competition Saturday afternoon as part of the Escalante Days festivities.
Saturday afternoon’s competition embodies spirit of community characterizing the annual Dolores celebration

Escalante Days kicked off Friday in Dolores.

Dolores’ 45th annual Founders Day event began this weekend with a kids bike parade, rodeo and ice cream eating contest.

The chain saw competition, however, is one of the most anticipated events of the annual celebration.

Divided into two categories, small chain saws and big chain saws, expert sawyers put their skills to the test amid an eager crowd and beating sun.

It commenced Saturday at 11 a.m. in Flanders Park.

When Doug Raglan first torched the log during the small chain saw competition, wooden chips immediately started blasting in a flurry — and so did enthusiastic cheers from the incredulous crowd.

His time was 7.36 seconds.

The winners in the small saws division were:

  • 1st: Doug Raglan
  • 2nd: Douglas Raglan
  • 3rd: Bill Raglan

The big chain saw competition followed next, and it soon became evident that Bill Raglan was claiming first place.

“He’s cut a couple logs in his day, I can tell you that,” the announcer said.

Raglan replied, “A couple hundred thousand.”

He completed the challenge in 8 seconds even.

“I can’t even get off my couch in 8 seconds flat,” the announcer joked.

The winners in the big saws competition were:

  • 1st: Bill Raglan
  • 2nd: Jake Raglan
  • 3rd: Danny Randall

“Everybody did good,” Bill Raglan told The Journal.

He’s turning 90 this year.

He was proud to have generations of his family demonstrate their chainsaw skills with such success, he said.

“All of the Raglans did good,” he emphasized with a laugh.

Saturday’s festivities also included a parade, a watermelon-eating contest, an arm-wrestling competition, a 5K run and street dance party.

Bill Raglan poses with the two medals he won in Saturday's chain saw competition.