Carving out time for the Edmonton Boat and Sportsmen's Show
'I just hope to inspire young kids and other women to pick up a chainsaw'
Marina Cole picks up her chainsaw and gets to work.
She is not cutting logs, but transforming them into art.
Cole is among the varied cast of interesting characters appearing at the Edmonton Boat and Sportsmen's Show this weekend.
Long a wood carver, she had never used a chainsaw until last year's show, where she met the demonstration chainsaw carver and decided to give it a try.
"I had to gather my nerve in order to use it," Cole said. "It's been awesome. I love it and I wouldn't turn back."
A year later, she has returned to demonstrate her own work. Surrounded by her latest creations, she will be carving all day, but said she's happy to take breaks to talk to bystanders.
"I just hope to inspire young kids and other women to pick up a chainsaw and to try their hand at carving," Cole said.
The show at the Edmonton Expo Centre this weekend is the biggest in Western Canada, with 40,000 expected to attend.
The doors opened Thursday as onlookers and shoppers filled the halls to check out outdoor gear — from boats, trailers, quads and campers, to fishing and hunting gear.
"The energy in the building is just awesome," said Claudio Ongaro, spokesperson for the show.
"There are over 250 exhibitors at the show, so lots to see, lots of people to talk to. They are all so passionate about the industry."
The show will also host outdoor demonstrations and discussions, including a round table on the latest in Bigfoot research, a catch-and-release trout pond for kids, and birds of prey for petting.
"We've got birds on our arms all day long," said Colin Weir with the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre.
While the crowds give the handlers an aura of celebrity, the job is not always glamorous, he said.
"A lot of times we are on our hands and knees cleaning up bird poop. But it is a really fun experience to be here."
