Australian woodchoppers are pretty much the best in the world at woodchopping. Many believe that’s because of the kind of wood Australians have traditionally used — native hardwood. But bushfires and changes to logging laws have meant that wood has become hard to source. And for the first time in the sport’s long history, its main ingredient is being forced to change. …From those humble roots, woodchopping has grown into an international sport with big prize money and rules, including the wearing of chain mail socks and leg-guards for novices and shoes for all. …But the devastating bushfires in the summer of 2019 and 2020 burned through New South Wales hardwood forests. …This year, the Australian Axemen’s Association came to a deal with the ACT Parks and Conservation Service to use Laricio Pine from a plantation in Kowen Forest as a trial.