2018 was an incredible, memorable year for Coulee Region Logrolling. Not only did the year include several major highlights for pro and amateur competitors from the area, but the sport has grown throughout the Coulee Region and many new rollers were introduced to the sport! Keep reading for Coulee Region’s best of 2018.
PRO LOGROLLING
In 2018, seven La Crosse County natives competed in the pro ranks.
Connor Birdsong and Livi Pappadopoulos each made it to the finals at the World Championships, resulting with a men’s runner-up for Birdsong and a women’s world title for Pappadopoulos. Also at the World Championships, Kody Koblitz and Emily Christopherson competed in the semi-finals, and after falling just short of making it to the finals, made their way through their tough back brackets to each finish in fourth place. Shane Burns placed eighth, Garrick Birdsong tied for ninth, and Katie Rick tied for seventh.
Other major pro highlights of the 2018 Pro Season for Coulee Region rollers included the U.S. Open, where Connor Birdsong, Kody Koblitz, Livi Pappadopoulos, and Emily Christopherson each made the top four, and the deep-fielded Minnesota State Championships where Connor Birdsong, Livi Pappadopoulos, and Katie Rick again cracked the final four. Heading into the 2019 season, all Coulee Region pros will be ranked in the top 15 national rankings.
AMATEUR LOGROLLING
What a year it was for amateur rollers from the Coulee Region! In 2018, the team of youth competitors grew more than ever; goals were crushed, competitions were packed with Coulee Region representatives, and many friendships were built. Congratulations to the following athletes who placed in this year’s Super Series:
Juliana Dunn, 5th place in U7 Coed
Aini Anderson, 1st place in U10 Girls
Kaarina Dunn, 4th place in U10 Girls
Eli Neve, 2nd place in U10 Boys
Caleb Priem, 3rd place in U10 Boys
Grace Berg, 2nd place in U13 Girls
Ella Wedul, 7th place in U13 Girls
Larsen Birdsong, 6th place in U17 Boys
Konnor Merchak, 2nd place in Adult Sport
Interested in joining the competitive logrolling scene? We would love to roll with you! Learn more about logrolling tournaments here.
EVENTS
As logrolling continued to grow and expand during 2018, so did many of the Coulee Region’s events!
The 11th Annual Three Rivers Roleo pro tournament on July 14 attracted top talent from all over the United States again this year. Alongside the picturesque Black River in Onalaska, Wisconsin, an enthusiastic crowd of logrolling fans gathered to witness America’s best compete in their prime shape of the season and enjoy a beautiful July day. The Three Rivers Roleo also hosted an amateur competition, which brought several youth rollers into town. The pro tournament was broadcast on Fox Sports.
The 17th annual La Crosse Open was hosted at the North side Pool as an amateur and level 3 pro tournament on July 7. The tournament included hundreds of fun and exciting matches, and once again proved to be one of the best amateur/pro combo tournaments of the year. Congratulations to all who competed this year.
For the first time this year, the Holmen Summer Splash tournament for beginners welcomed brand new rollers from both in and outside of the Coulee Region! On August 11, beginner level logrollers from Minnesota and Wisconsin competed in a Split Round Robin at the Holmen Area Aquatic Center. It was certainly inspiring to see such a big group of beginners, many of which have continued to roll this fall and winter. Thank you to everyone who joined us and good luck in your future competitions!
Coulee Region Logrolling held its indoor tournaments, the Rusty Ankle (May 6) and the River Rat Roll (October 28) at the La Crosse Area Family YMCA. This year’s River Rat Roll had a record-breaking turnout with 48 competitors – that’s a whole lot of logrolling matches! It was great to see rollers from programs all over the Midwest joining together for some indoor logrolling during the busy school year; we hope to see you again next year at both tournaments!
Several Try Logrolling events were held throughout the Coulee Region this year. Keep up with Coulee Region Logrolling on Facebook and Instagram to find out when you can give the sport a spin.
CLASSES
In 2018, there were more opportunities to take logrolling classes in the Coulee Region than ever before! This year’s programs included;
Year-round Indoor Logrolling (La Crosse Area Family YMCA)
La Crosse Logrolling (Erickson Pool)
Holmen Logrolling (Holmen Area Aquatic Center)
Onalaska Waterfront Program (Great River Landing)
Sparta Logrolling (Sparta Aquatic Center)
La Crescent Logrolling (La Crescent Aquatic Center)
Winona Logrolling (Winona Aquatic Center)
Each program offers classes for beginner-level logrollers of all ages! To get started on finding the perfect program for you to join in 2019, visit the “Programs” page.
QUICK LINKS
Click here to catch Coulee Region rollers in the media this year.
Click here to see pro and amateur tournament results from 2018.
Interested in becoming a logroller in 2019? Learn all about the sport here.
The 2019 official amateur tournament schedule has not yet been released, but click here to see the tentative list.
Click here to see a 2018 recap of the Coulee Region amateur team.
Coulee Region Logrolling 