“Saw-dust terrific!”
It’s a phrase I never thought I’d hear, and it’s a phrase I don’t think I will hear again. But boy am I glad I did.
It was the first words that came out of Floridian Lee LeCaptain’s mouth as I sat down with him to chat about The Paul Bunyan Lumberjack show which he’s proudly owned and performed in for the past three decades.
From the moment Lee opened his mouth, I realised that it is almost impossible to match an American’s enthusiasm. I have never seen anyone light up quite like Lee LeCaptain when I turned on the mic. His eyes widened, his chest puffed out and he belted out answers as only a true entertainer can.
However, LeCaptain is no stranger to the spotlight. In the past he was a junior figure skating champion, a log rolling champion and even a professional songwriter. (Do yourself a favour and check out his song The Whiskey Blues).
That wealth of experience shines through in The Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show. A show that includes log rolling, axe throwing, crosscut sawing, chainsaw racing, log run and even canoe jousting. Yes, you read that right. Canoe jousting. Its exactly what you think it is, and it’s just as awesome as you’d imagine.
While I was in awe of the talent of the lumberjack team, what truly carried this show was LeCaptain’s stage presence. Watching this white-bearded American work the crowd was a joy and chatting with him afterward was even better.
Check out my interview with him below, as well as some of the highlights from the show:
