(Photo by Olivia Schmidt/KFSK)
Petersburg’s waterfront came alive with splashy competition as part of the community’s Fourth of July festivities. Participants engaged in traditional games inspired by the town’s history of fishing and forestry, making waves in more ways than one.
In Petersburg’s North Harbor, the stage was set for a day of intense competition and community spirit. As a crowd watched from an elevated dock, a smaller group gathered on the Skiff float below. Some participants were shrugging on lifejackets, while others were tying bandanas over their eyes. The two-person teams were preparing for the blind rowboat race, where a blindfolded teammate rows through a course based on the instructions of their sighted partner. However, the main event of the day was the logrolling competition.
Susan Erickson, the event announcer, introduced the competition: “The first one to fall in, lose their balance, they’re eliminated. Single elimination here. The men will roll first.”
Susan’s company, P-W Insurance Agency, also sponsors the event.
“My family, we’ve been involved in the logging events since I came here in ’81,” Susan said. “Years ago, the chamber reached out financially, and we always sponsored the log rolling. Now, we run the Harbor Games, which include the Herring Toss, the Blind Rowboat Race, and the log rolling.”
The Ericksons are a logrolling dynasty. Susan herself is a logrolling champion. Her husband Jeff was the male titleholder for years until their sons, Skipper and Britton, took over. Britton, a three-year defending titleholder, recounted his introduction to the sport: “By watching the adults on the log roll when you’re 5, 6, 7 years old. My parents were always the ones doing it. They were always winning it. People would ask my dad, ‘Are you going to get wet?’ And he’d say, ‘Nope, I’m not getting wet.'”
This year, Britton faced a familiar challenger: his brother Skipper, returning to the competition after five years.
“He is adamant that he is better at the log roll than I, and we’ll just have to see,” Britton said. “He was like, ‘Oh, like everyone knows I have the best balance in the family.’ And I’m like, yeah, whatever, dude.”
The rules were simple: two participants compete to stay atop a floating, rolling log as long as possible. The winner advances to the next round. Despite only getting on the log once a year, the Ericksons have found ways to stay on top.
“We’re always climbing around in the basement and at our warehouse just doing stuff,” Britton explained. “And we got these large cable spools that we’d roll on in the parade sometimes that a lot of people attribute to like our practicing. My parents always said the biggest way to set yourself up for success as a log roller is to spend as little time as possible at the beer garden.”
Susan added that the use of socks may be a game changer. Britton wears socks, but believes one’s success on the log ultimately comes down to balance. Susan agreed.
“My kids have great balance, and they’re taking over for their parents,” Susan said. “Jeff and I are both retired. As a parent, you’re proud of your kid for having this very odd skill set of being able to stay on a log.”
Britton, for his part, has tried to keep his success from going to his head.
“Every year there’s at least half a dozen people in town who could probably beat me at the log roll, but everyone’s too afraid of falling off the log and getting wet — but honestly, it’s fun.”
On competition day, odds were looking good for the Erickson brothers. In the lead-up to the roll off, the duo showed their teamwork by competing in and winning the blind rowboat race under the name, “Ice Road Truckers.” As soon as heats for the log roll were announced, it was clear that their reputations preceded them.
“Oh good, I’m going against an Erickson,” one competitor said, sarcastically.
As the rounds progressed, Skipper and Britton steadily whittled away the competition. Finally, the outcome almost everyone had been hoping for: the brothers would go head-to-head for the title.
The crowd watched with bated breath as the announcer set the stage: “This is the championship roll here. Both are returning champions. Skipper Erickson in blue. Britton Erickson in red. This is brotherly love and brotherly rivalry.”
Despite some impressive log work, the roll the afternoon had been building to was over in moments. With a resounding splash, Britton hit the water only seconds before Skipper. He revealed his winning strategy to KFSK.
“Keeping an eye on his feet, see what he’s trying to do and get just a little bit ahead of him. I knew once we got the log rolling, it was just going to be whoever could stay on top, whoever could run the fastest.”
Skipper won $50 for his effort, but for him, it wasn’t about the money.
“I’m really happy that I got to finally roll off against my brother for the championship,” Skipper said. “We’d been wanting to do that for a while—basically all our lives.”
Skipper hopes to return next year to defend his newly reclaimed crown. If he can’t, another Erickson heir is waiting in the waves.
As a note of disclosure, Britton Erickson is a volunteer at KFSK.
