Jock learnt to swing an axe cutting firewood as a young man in the days before chainsaws. Heaving an axe through wood for hours at a stretch built huge strength and stamina that Jock channelled in many directions. The competitions are held in bull-fighting rings, and all the men in the town turn out. No women are allowed. But woodchopping is only one part of the competition.
Bookmakers take bets at varying odds all through the event.
It seems the Basques thrive in extremes. In New Zealand, the butcher's block is where two axemen stand on opposite sides of an 80cm log and cut their way to the middle. Jock says it takes about nine minutes and leaves competitors ragged and drained for days. Instead of an 80cm piece of poplar or pine the Basques use a 2m piece of hardwood that can take up to nine hours to cut through. The axemen drink huge amounts of water as they chop and an ambulance stands by.