The Most Unique Competition You’ve Never Seen In Montana

Over the weekend I made a trip up to Libby, Montana, for “Clash of the Carvers.” If you’ve never heard of it, let me paint the picture. Once a year, the quiet streets of this little mountain town transform into a buzzing frenzy of chainsaws, flying sawdust, and pure creativity. Carvers from around the world pack their bags, traveling all the way to this map-dot town to compete for the championship title.

As a carver myself, I was beyond excited to make the trip. It’s not every day you get to hang out with friends in the carving community, learn new techniques, and stand in awe of what these artists can create in just a handful of hours. But you don’t have to be a carver to get hooked. Hundreds of spectators lined the sidewalks, cameras in hand, amazement written all over their faces as the action unfolded.

The competition runs over four days and is broken into two big parts. First, the main masterpiece: carvers have 24 total hours (spread across the event) to complete their show-stopping creation, which is judged on Sunday. Then there’s a crowd favorite... the “Quick Carve.” Every day, each competitor has one hour to whip up a piece. So the sawdust was flying nonstop from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This event is put on by the Kootenai Country Montana Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to boosting tourism in Lincoln County. By the end, the winners were crowned: 1st place went to Lkhagvdor “George” from Mongolia, 2nd to Sam Bowsher from Scotland, and 3rd to Ryan Villers from Canada, who also snagged the People’s Choice Award.

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Chainsaw glitter in the air, jaw-dropping art on the stage, this is one Montana event you need on your bucket list.