HORIZONTAL HARD HIT: The object of this contest is to chop a log into two (2) pieces from two (2) sides WHILE STANDING ON THE LOG in the least number of hits possible. There will be a three (3) minute time limit for men and a five (5) minute time limit for women. Cradles and nails for securing logs will be provided by the host school. It is the contestant's responsibility to secure the log to the cradle. The contestant is allowed to mark the cut he or she wants to make on the log and to cut footholds in the log. The contestant will be stopped and disqualified if a). The contestant cuts into their foothold at any time, b). The log falls out of the cradle or becomes loose in the cradle, c). The contestant scoops three times. The winner is decided by the least number of hits needed to completely sever the log within the allotted time. In case of a tie with the number of hits, the shortest elapsed time determines the winner. A hit occurs when the wood is touched with the axe. A contestant is not allowed to use his or her hands, feet or the axe to pull, pry or remove a chip from the log without the consent of the judge. If a contestant does so, each occurrence results in an added hit to their score. A contestant is disqualified if the contestant intentionally uses his or her weight to help sever the log. If a contestant falls off the log while chopping, he or she is not disqualified, but time will continue to run. Slabbing of the log results in disqualification unless proper precautions (i.e. Stabbing nails or rubber bands) were taken and approved by the judge.