First Time Competitors

Never competed before?
Are you interested in competing in a tournament but are not sure where to start? Coulee Region Logrolling is happy to help! Here is what you need to know if you are planning on competing in your first tournament.

1. Tournaments are fun, especially for beginners.

At every USLRA sanctioned tournament, rollers will have the opportunity to roll during warm-ups, compete in multiple matches, and earn a medal or trophy. Tournaments are a great way to get to know other logrollers from the Coulee Region and meet new rollers from other places.

2. Signing up is easy.

There are four amateur tournaments each year in the Coulee Region (May, June, July, and October). There are also multiple amateur tournaments held throughout other parts of the Midwest each year! You can choose whether you would like to compete in the area, travel to tournaments farther away, or both! There is no limit on the amount of tournaments you wish to compete in, so don’t worry if you prefer to only compete in one tournament. To sign up for a tournament, visit uslogrolling.com and view the tournaments page. All United States Logrolling Association (USLRA) sanctioned tournaments are listed. To sign up for a tournament, click on the entry form under a tournament name. If there is no entry form, that means that registration for that specific event is not available yet and will come out once the date of the tournament comes closer.

3. Divisions

At amateur tournaments, rollers are put into a division based on their age and gender. Here are the USLRA official amateur-level divisions:

• U7 coed (All amateur rollers ages seven or under)
• U10 girls (Girls ages 8-10)
• U10 boys (Boys ages 8-10)
• U13 girls (Girls ages 11-13)
• U13 boys (Boys ages 11-13)
• U17 girls (Girls ages 14-17)
• U17 boys (Boys ages 14-17)
• Adult Sport (Amateur rollers ages 16+)

Amateur divisions allow athletes to compete against other rollers at the same age, size, and ability. The roller competes in their age group the whole year, as their age is based on how old they were on January first.

4. Tournament Procedures

Tournaments are not complicated and the procedure is easy follow!

At the beginning of an amateur tournament, all competitors have 30 minutes to an hour to warm up. Warm ups are when rollers can practice on any log they choose by themselves or with a friend. They can roll as many times a they want but must take turns with other rollers who want to roll on their log. Judges will hold log for rollers who are not comfortable getting on the log themselves. At the end of warm ups, judges will have a short meeting with the competitors and begin the tournament. Tournaments will either run with a round robin format, which is when every competitor competes against every competitor in their division, or a double elimination bracket. At most tournaments, two to three divisions compete at a time (on separate sides of the pool/dock). Speed Rolling, if offered at the tournament, is available throughout the entire tournament. At the end of the tournament, an awards ceremony will be held and the top three competitors in each division will receive an award.

6. Matches

Amateur matches consist of three-out-of-five falls, which means that a roller must beat their opponent three times in order to win the match. There are five different sizes of logs used in competitions with time limit. The rollers stay on the first log for one minute, the second log for two minutes, and so on. The final log is unlimited time. In between falls in the match, time is paused. When the rollers get back on the log, time starts again. There are thirty seconds between each fall.

7. What is Speed Rolling?

Speed Rolling is an amateur-only event held at many USLRA sanctioned indoor tournaments. In Speed Rolling, competitors roll on as fast as they can for 30 seconds. A judge will count the amount of times the log spins and that will be the roller’s final score. Competitors do not have to speed roll and can do it up to two times. Competitors can Speed Roll at any time during the tournament. Ask your instructor or tournament director for more details on Speed Rolling.

8. Super Series

At every amateur tournament, all athletes have the opportunity to earn Super Series Points. Throughout each year, amateurs earn points for every tournament they compete in. At the last amateur tournament of the year, the top three super series winners receive a trophy.

9. What should I bring to the tournament?

Unless stated otherwise by the tournament director, Nothing is required to bring to an amateur tournament. However, it is highly recommended that competitors bring a water bottle, towel, a clean change of clothes, and logrolling shoes (if you wear them).

10. Carpooling and Directions

Interested in traveling to far-away tournaments? Great! Here are some locations of amateur tournaments around the Midwest and how to get there.

Madison, Wi

Take I-90 East towards Tomah. Once you reach Tomah, head Southeast on I-90 through Mauston and Lake Delton. You should reach Madison in under two and a half hours after your departure from La Crosse.

Oconomowoc, Wi

Take I-90 towards Madison. Once you reach Madison, take 94 East and continue for about an hour. You should reach Oconomowoc in under three hours after your departure from La Crosse.

Hudson, Wi

Take Highway 53 towards Galesville. Once you reach Galesville, drive north towards Eau Claire. Once you hit Eau Claire, continue driving northwest on 94 for about an hour until you hit Hudson along the St. Croix River. The entire trip should take less than two and a half hours.

Hayward, Wi

Take Highway 53 towards Galesville. Once you reach Galesville, drive north towards Eau Claire. Once you hit Eau Claire, take 53 north until you reach Trego. Take highway 63 northeast until you reach Hayward. The entire trip should take about three to three and a half hours.

Grand Marais, Mn

Take Highway 53 towards Galesville. Once you reach Galesville, drive north towards Eau Claire. Once you hit Eau Claire, take 53 north until you reach Duluth. When you get to Duluth, take highway 61 northeast until you reach Grand Marais. The whole trip should take around six hours.

Mackinaw City, Mi

Take I-90 East until you reach Tomah. Once you reach Tomah, take highway 21 East until you reach Oshkosh. Once you hit Oshkosh, take highway 41 northeast to Menominee, Michigan. Continue driving northeast on highway 41 until you reach highway 2 in Gladstone, Michigan. Take Highway 2 East, still along Lake Michigan, until you hit St Ignace, Michigan. Drive over the Makinaw Bridge. Once you get over the bridge, you will have reached Mackinaw! The entire trip should take about eight hours.

Signed up for a tournament but don’t have a ride? Shoot Coulee Region an email (lacrosselogrolling@gmail.com) or contact us through social media. We can find another area roller going to the same tournament that you can carpool with.