Jenny Atkinson (in pink top) just resumed competing as a professional log roller after battling cancer. Here Jenny is competing at the Namekagon River Roll-Off held two week ago in Hayward, Wisconsin. She lost to this young lady but won her first match. Atkinson is an eight-time world champion and coaches the Cook County North Shore Rollers.
“Mommy, Mommy, I beat Jenny! I beat a world champ!” This exclamation is heard again and again. Proud words from grinning, dripping, wet little urchins who have been taking log rolling lessons from Jenny Atkinson, an eight-time log rolling and boom running world champion who hails from Stillwater, MN, but makes her summer home near Clearwater Lake, 20 miles up the Gunflint Trail.
And Jenny doesn’t seem to mind “losing” to her little protégés.
“Way to go, girl. You did a great job,” Atkinson says while high-fiving this delighted child.
Twenty-eight years ago Atkinson was a little girl watching a log rolling contest in Stillwater. “I was captivated by it. It captured something in me. I realized that I wanted to try this sport,” said Atkinson.
The next year, at age 10, Atkinson took lessons. “I wasn’t very good at first. I wasn’t a natural or anything like that. But I practiced a lot. You quickly realize that the learning curve is really steep. That it takes a lot of work to get good.”
Berendt (Bear) is getting his first licks in at ice cream. He might not be ready to log roll yet, but he’s ready for an ice cream eating contest. The little rascal almost ate his weight in ice cream (all flavors seemed equal) at the Namekagon River Roll-Off.
Three years later, (1987) at age 13, Atkinson was ranked number one in the world for her age group. In 1989 she turned semi-pro and won her division. The next year Atkinson entered the elite division and since then she has been on the podium for most competitions she has entered.
So is there a strategy used in log rolling?
“We use a lot of tricks. We splash water in the face of our opponent with either foot. We bob the log up and down, trying to sink our opponent’s feet under water. When their feet are under water you try to make a move and knock them off the log. Thisis a great trick, except it can backfire. We also change our cadence—going faster or slower—and reverse the spin on the log. Then there’s stopping and starting. Actually, there are lots of little things you can do to get someone out of rhythm and off of the log.”
When Atkinson isn’t competing in log rolling she’s entered in boom running races. The logs are wet and slippery and have just enough bounce to keep someone afloat for a half-second until they bound across to the next log.
“Boom running takes balance, strength, concentration and agility,” Atkinson said.
When asked which she prefers, she answered, “I love them both. On any given day it’s 51% to 49% for one or the other. Boom running is a timed event. Log rolling is action packed. You have to learn to read your opponent. I guess if I had to pick one to do for the rest of my life, I would pick log rolling. It’s safer and you can do it until you are old. It is relatively injury free. Men and women in their 70s do it, so there is longevity to the sport.”
When the weather doesn’t permit use of her outdoor training facility, or when she can’t use an indoor pool, Atkinson stays in shape by hiking, biking, snowshoeing, running, weight lifting and stretching.
Jenny’ husband Neil has been a big supporter. For the Fisherman’s Picnic he sets up demonstrations for chain saw, wood splitting and ax throwing events. He also sets up the pool used for the log rolling.
Another supporter of Jenny’s is Berendt (Bear), the Atkinson’s 16-month old son.
“I was diagnosed with breast cancer when Bear was eight months old. I was shocked by the diagnosis because I never felt healthier.”
She discovered the cancer during self-examination. Four days after Christmas last year she began radiation and chemotherapy. She also underwent surgery and has been on the comeback for the last few months. Her fitness level has aided her recovery.
“The doctors told me that my physical fitness was a big help in dealing with recovering from the effects of the treatments and dealing with the cancer. Women need to know that. The more fit that they are, the better they will be able to deal with something like this.”
Bear was also a big help.
“He was an absolute delight every day. His sweet demeanor made my day. When I lost my hair I took him with when I tried out wigs. It didn’t bother him at all. When I lost my eyelashes and eyebrows I was just mommy to him. When the treatments were hard he was always the bright spot in my day. He was always totally accepting and loving.”
As for Neil, “He never had any doubt that it would turn out okay. He was my rock,” said Atkinson.
Jenny will be wearing pink when she competes at the Fisherman’s Picnic log rolling contest. As a cancer survivor she is happy to “bring awareness to the public” about the dangers of cancer and the importance of self-examinations.
As for competing again, Atkinson is thrilled to be back with the field of pros. “I always go in thinking of making the podium (top three finish), but if I don’t end up on the podium I have to admit it feels great to be back out there with the other girls. I plan on doing this as long as I enjoy it. When will I quit? I don’t know. Not for a while, anyway. Not for awhile.”
For now Jenny Atkinson is too busy having fun passing her legacy on to boys and girls of Cook County. She is well known throughout the log rolling/boom running community and has helped many competitors and friends along her way. In talking with other pros they give her a unanimous thumbs-up and wish her the best. Well…their best unless they’re competing against her. They too are trying to make the podium, and Jenny brings out the best in them, just like she does with the community and her log rolling kids.
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