VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Strength was on display in full force on Friday as the Firefighter Challenge and Stihl Timbersports crossed paths at Mt. Trashmore.
As for firefighters, many people know they wear many hats.
"We are elite athletes, we're teammates, we're community service members," pointed out Lorna Trent, Virginia Beach Fire Department's Assistant Chief. "We have daily stresses, but we also have really great support systems."
This weekend, their skills are being put to the test. The Southeast Regional Firefighter Challenge Regional Championship has brought competitors from a handful of states to Virginia Beach.
"It involves a tower, hose hoist, you come down, hit a Keiser sled, drag a charged hose line and a 175 lbs. dummy 100 [feet] backwards," explained Alabama firefighter Jake Lanier of the challenge.
"People don't get to see that," Trent added. "They don't get to see the strength and the athleticism, what's required to do the job, whereas this, we can really engage and come together so everybody can see what we can do."
The firefighters are not the only ones competing at the park. Another group is putting on a show just a short stroll away.
"We're going to chop and saw ourselves into complete physical submission," said Arden Cogar Jr.
Cogar is in town competing in the Stihl Timbersports U.S. Champions Trophy, a one-man relay of sawing and chopping wood that puts participants to the test. 12 of the nation's top lumberjacks have taken center stage to see who can punish some wood better than the rest.
"The physical limitations are going to be pushed, the axes are going to be swinging, the saws are going to be singing, the cross-cut saws are going to be just cascading throughout this wonderful landscape that we're in," Cogar said of the competition.
Both the firefighters and lumberjacks are pushing their physical limits. There will only be one winner, but the experience is rewarding for all involved.
"It's a brotherhood with all your firemen," said Lanier. It's fun to compete and it also keeps you in shape and motivated."
"There is nothing more rewarding than hitting something that can't hit you back," added Cogar. "Anything that makes you sweat and you can actually see the fruits of your labor, let's talk about that because that's extremely important."
Those on the stage who are competing hope that the crowd will take it all in and walk away with appreciation and enjoyment for their work.
"We just hope they get motivated and kind of opens their eyes to how hard our job can be," Lanier noted.
"It's exciting," Cogar pointed out. "It's fast and we're just a group of guys that's out here having fun and sweating for your entertainment."
Proceeds from the Firefighter Challenge benefit the Virginia Beach Fire Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on community risk reduction, community education, firefighter health and wellness and preserving the fire department history.
Action resumes on Saturday at 9 a.m.
