Jessica Berg-Collman (left) rolling to victory at the Namekagon River Roll-Off.
Confidence, concentration and competitiveness are the three c’s that help define a competitive logroller. Those traits plus quick feet and an abundance of balance round out the picture. That is the picture of Jessica Berg-Collman and her younger teammates. And Jessica, who heads up the group, not only happens to have a lot of talent, but she’s a great kid whose dedication and determination are starting to pay off.
Jessica Berg-Collman celebrated her 13th birthday in style—she won first place in her age group at the Namekagon River Roll-Off held in Hayward, Wisconsin on July 19. This is her first win, and should help her confidence going into the log-rolling world championships held July 24 at the same venue in Hayward.
“Jessica is my training partner when I’m up north,” said eight-time logrolling world champion Jenny Atkinson, adding, “Jessica is a hard worker. She’s very dedicated to her sport and has a good future as a logroller.”
Above: Wellesley Howard- Larsen (left) competed against teammate Taryn Hanson at the Namekagon River Roll-Off. It was the first time these youngsters competed in a logrolling tournament and both girls had a great time in Hayward, Wis.
Berg-Collman was ranked sixth in the world last year in her age group.
Joining Jessica in Hayward were Taryn Hanson, Wellesley Howard- Larsen, Essa Jacobsen, Lucy Shaw, and Jenny, who is making a strong comeback following surgery, radiation and chemo treatments for cancer.
Lucy and Wellesley each won two matches and lost two matches in the 7-10 age group. Taryn and Essa each competed well but lost two close matches. Thiswas the first time these kids competed in a logrolling contest. Atkinson won her first match and lost her second contest, but competed well against the younger pros.
Julie Berg-Collman, Jessica’s mother, trains the team when Jenny is in Stillwater, MN. While the team doesn’t have a year-round training schedule, they practice often, either at Jenny’s house near Clearwater Lake, the Grand Marais public pool or at the Berg-Collman residence. Julie recently built a logrolling pool for Jessica and the other kids to use as a practice facility during the summer.
Left: Julie Collman gives her daughter a big hug after Jessica won first place in her age group. Jessica’s win was all the sweeter because it came on her birthday. Jessica is one of the top young logrollers in the country.
The next big meet for most of the team is at the Fisherman’s Picnic in Grand Marais. Both Jenny and her husband Niel set up lumberjack events as well as logrolling and put on a great show. If you can, come and watch and cheer on the competitors. All events are fast-paced and the logrolling is filled with thrill, spills and laughter.
Leave a Reply