The eight Hot Saw competitors stood atop the stage looking like Navy SEALS clad in orange safety pants. Outfits aside, these men harnessed 80 horsepower of chainsaw and put three seven-inch cuts through massive logs in just a few seconds. When the sawdust settled, Harry Burnsworth took the gold and set a new Great Outdoor Games record.

The chainsaws used in this competition are a far cry from the one sitting in your garage. The $1200 machines consist of a tricked-out snowmobile engine with ½-inch chains. These chains haven't been made for years, so competitors have to scrounge around to find them.

	Harry Burnsworth toppled Hot Saw's legend, Matt Bush, to take Games gold.

In the semifinals, Burnsworth faced Mike Sullivan, a two-time Games champion. Burnsworth got a good jump and moved his saw through the wood as quickly as a knife through a syrup-laden pancake. His time in the semis was 5.94 seconds, the new Games record. When asked how he managed to perform so well, Burnsworth said, "I was quick to the wood."

Sullivan had a good start but dropped behind Burnsworth after stuttering on his second cut.

The second round of the semis was a rematch of last year's championship between Matt Bush and Dave Jewett. Bush had a smooth run and defeated Jewett with a reasonable time of 6.94 seconds. Afterwards, though, he wasn't happy with his performance. "Not much went right with my saw. In the final I'll have to go full out," he said.

Burnsworth, already the new record holder, had to feel good going into the final, despite having to face Bush, one of the sport's legends. With the engines fine-tuned, the men placed their hands on the logs in the ready position. On the starting beep they ripped the pull chords, which fired up the engines, letting loose a fury of noise as loud as the last lap of the Indy 500.

Both Bush and Burnsworth had a quick first cut before stumbling on the upward, second cut. Bush paused, though, while Burnsworth was able to power through onto his third cut. Judges closely inspected Burnsworth's cuts, almost ruling one ineligible before awarding him the gold medal. It is his first gold since the inaugural Great Outdoor Games in 2000.

When Bush was asked why he paused before the third cut he said, "The plate came off on my saw, so hot exhaust was blowing directly onto my hand." Bush's equipment malfunction gave Burnsworth just the edge he needed to take the gold.

Final standings

1. Harry Burnsworth, Mill Run, Pa.
2. Matt Bush, Croghan, N.Y.
3. Mike Sullivan, Winstead, Conn.
4. Dave Jewett, Pittsford, N.Y.
5. Jason Wynyard, Massey, Auckland, New Zealand
6. Rick Halvorson, Alma Center, Wis.
7. Dion Lane, Massey, Auckland, New Zealand
8. Arden Cogar Jr., West Hamlin, W. Va.

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.