B.C. log rolling world champion Jube Wickheim dies at 91

A world-class lumberjack sportsman from B.C. has died, his family says. 

Jubiel Wickheim, better known as Jube, passed away on Feb. 17 at the age of 91. The Vancouver Island man was a 10-time world champion in the sport of log rolling, and an avid outdoorsman. 

Jube grew up in Sooke, B.C., about 26 kilometres west of Victoria. There, he went to school until about Grade 8 — not unusual for those times — and eventually began his career in forestry. 

Log rolling, also known as birling, is a sparring sport where two competitors, each on one end of a log floating on a body of water, try to stay on the log as it rolls. They use all kinds of techniques to try to get the other person to fall.

According to a document outlining the history of logging sports in B.C., written by Jube himself, logging sports, including birling, began in small logging towns as a friendly rivalry on weekends. It soon grew into regional competitions, he said, and in the late 40s and 50s, log rollers from B.C. started travelling south to compete.

Working in forestry and having an abundance of logs to roll on, it was a natural hobby for Jube. He started competing in logging sports in 1950.

Fred Wickheim said his dad expected log rolling to be just that, a hobby, but eventually it became part of his job. 

"It was a full-time gig for [a] certain part of the year, like basically through April, May through to September, October. I don't think the intent was ever to be a job; it just sort of grew and next thing you know, that's what it turned into."

Jube and his brother, Ardy Wickheim, became known for their skills as log rollers. The pair started travelling the world, visiting places such as Sweden, South America and Japan. Fred said his dad even did a show for the opening of Disneyland Paris in 1992.

Jube won the world championship for log rolling 10 times between 1956 and 1969. 

"[Dad] told me about the first trips we did when him and his brother drove out in the old truck that they had, and driving down to the U.S., and it was a culture shock really for them [to] come from a small town — Sooke. It was interesting," he said.

According to the Sept. 19, 1964, issue of the Toronto Star Weekly, Wickheim's longest roll was two hours and 40 minutes, at Oregon's Albany Timber Carnival eight years prior. 

Fred said it lasted so long because it was on a lake, rather than the usual pond-size body of water, which meant there were no breaks to push the log back out into the water as it approached the shoreline. 

When asked what made his dad stand out as a birler, Fred said "his mental toughness."

"If you look at him from a technical point of view, he was awkward as could be all over the log, but he would wear you down till he got you where he wanted you."

After his time as a champion birler, Jude went on to produce and emcee logger sports exhibitions, hoping to share his love of the sport with others. 

Fred said his dad didn't speak much about his accomplishments; it was his passion for log rolling he keyed in on instead, talking about the history and the opportunities for travel he was given as a result of his involvement in the sport. 

"It was the opportunity to take [the sport] around the world and show people that would never get a chance to see something like this," Fred said of his dad's real passion. 

"We used to spend a lot of time talking to the crowds afterwards and the people that have never seen anything like it. It was quite unique."

LISTEN | Fred Wickheim remembers his dad, Jube:

On The Island6:06Jube Wickheim, Sooke, B.C.'s master birler, has died

Gregor Craigie spoke with Fred Wickheim, son of the iconic log roller from Sooke, Jube Wickheim, who has recently passed away.