CELEBRATION, Fla. — One learns quickly at the Great Outdoor Games that if you want to be good at timber sports you need to be from Hayward, Wis. If you want to be great, you need the last name of Scheer. Over 32 years, Fred Scheer has built a dynasty in the timber sports, racking up wins, coaching his children and becoming involved in the Hayward Log Rolling School. The 2005 games, though, will be his last.

"Each year I plan on retiring, but when I show up to the competition and feel the adrenaline, I can't help but compete," he said. This year Scheer will participate in the men's Log Roll. His stellar career has seen a spot reserved for him on the medals podium 26 times.

	Fred Scheer

Since he first competed at age 15, Scheer has seen many changes in the sport. "When I started, the log roll would take five minutes. Now it's over incredibly quickly," he said. The faster pace puts less emphasis on finesse and more emphasis on quickness and strength.

This sage of the log noted that the Great Outdoor Games has had an immeasurable effect on timber sports. "First, the prize money is a great incentive. Second, the coverage brings out a higher-class athlete. Boom running has improved quite a bit since the Games started."

Scheer's training has also been affected by the Great Outdoor Games. "I've trained harder in the last five years than in the ten prior to that," he noted.

Timber events may end for Scheer after this weekend, but that's not to say he hasn't found a new sport to dominate. The fit 47-year-old is now involved in in-line skating marathons and Nordic skiing.

The Games will be aired on ESPN and ABC Sports July 13-17, 2005. Click here for the broadcast schedule.

This article on the Great Outdoor Games 2005 Web site is brought to you by the editors of Field & Stream and Outdoor Life. For more information, visit www.fieldandstream.com and www.outdoorlife.com.