More than a century after the first woodchop was held at Sydney's Royal Easter Show, the latest event will branch out for women.
Two competitors will for the first time be crowned the world champions of woodchopping and sawing, each taking home the same $6,500 prize.
While woodchopping has its roots as a male-dominated sport, the 2024 contest will involve more women than ever before as they make up one-fifth of those stepping up on the lawn.
At 51, Queenslander Kris Brown is considered a veteran of the sport and says the women's world championship event has been a long time coming.
"It's so exciting to see in 25 years of the sport, to finally see women have world-title events here at the Sydney show," she said.
"For women to have a world title (competition), I'm jumping out of my skin."
Regarded as the Wimbledon of woodchopping, the Sydney event is not for the faint-hearted as competitors have to cut through hard wood.
People from all over the world will pick up the axe, including competitors from Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Spain and Italy.
"A lot of axewomen from overseas come to Sydney because it's always been regarded as the toughest, toughest event," Brown said.
The first official women's woodchopping was held at the show in 2003, although women have competed alongside their male teammates since 1990.
Royal Agricultural Society woodchopping committee chair Gary Reid said the decision to hold a women's world championship was obvious.
"We made the decision as the committee about 18 months ago ... the women have been growing in the number of entrants for years," he said.
Competitors as young as 12 will vie for prizes at the annual woodchopping show-down.
"I have competed against women who are 70-years-old and I compete against juniors," Brown said.
The Sydney Royal Woodchopping and Sawing Competition runs from March 22 to April 1.
