Outdoor challenge comes to town

When I was growing up, one of my favorite TV shows was ABC's "Wide World of Sports." And one of my favorite episodes covered the world championship lumberjack competition.

In today's world of high-adrenaline extreme sports, the lumberjack competition has been pushed to the nether reaches of the broadcast world, but I still can picture the wilderness-hardened athletes swinging their axes while standing on wooden planks wedged into the sides of upright logs or racing to the tops of tall poles and down again. And high-performance chain saws cut through 20-inch logs like a hot knife passing through melted butter.

I had no plans to become a lumberjack, but I liked competitions that tested one's skills and abilities. Come to think of it, I still do.

By our nature, human beings are competitive, and that holds true for outdoorsmen as much as it does for those who participate in any other sport. When was the last time you went fishing with a friend and didn't have some type of contest for the first fish, the most fish or the biggest fish?

Likewise, in those big buck contests: Everyone throws a couple of bucks in a hat and the one who bags the biggest buck gets the pot.

In either case, the winner is viewed as the top outdoorsman for that day or season. But that is small potatoes when compared with what the folks at Field & Stream magazine are up to.

Four years ago the magazine created its Total Outdoorsman Challenge, a competition in which competitors pit their outdoor skills against one another in an effort to determine who is the nation's top outdoorsman.

This year Field & Stream is bringing the competition to Las Vegas, where the Bass Pro Shop is hosting a regional qualifying event Saturday.

"In the past, this competition was invitation only," said Anthony Licata, deputy editor of Field & Stream. "This year anybody can get in."

Contestants at the Las Vegas qualifying event will compete in fly-casting, archery, air-rifle and bait-casting events. The contest will be videotaped for inclusion in three one-hour shows on Versus, which will air later this year.

The winner of the Las Vegas qualifier will earn a berth in the national championship in Springfield, Mo., in late August. There, they will compete against 15 other finalists. The national champion outdoorsman will win $25,000 in cash and prizes.

"We're looking for the ironman (or ironwoman) of the outdoors, and we know they're out there," Licata said. "The Total Outdoorsman is someone who can hunt, camp, fish and survive anywhere."

Some have likened the challenge to ''American Idol'' for hunters and anglers, but I think it will be more akin to the lumberjack championships that held my attention years ago. Weird hair styles and a pretty smile won't be enough to keep competitors in the hunt.

If you are feeling your oats and want to test your outdoor mettle against other sportsmen and sportswomen, this is your opportunity.

All you have to do is show up and register to compete. No charge is required to enter. Space is limited to 40 competitors and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications are available at the Bass Pro Shop or online at www.fieldandstream.com.

Another outdoor option for this weekend is the "On the Water Boat Show" at the Las Vegas Boat Harbor on Lake Mead, an event marking the 50th anniversary of the marina.

This event will be different from standard boat shows because visitors will have the opportunity to take a test ride and look at boats in a marine environment. The show begins today and runs through Sunday. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

More information is available at www.boatinglakemead.com.

Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife and an award-winning freelance writer. His "In the Outdoors" column is published Thursday. He can be reached at doug@takinitoutside.com.