Company Management
Bill is currently the Producer and Host of the STIHL Timbersports Series in Canada which airs across Canada on TSN and has been involved with lumberjack sports
at the amateur and professional levels as a competitor, coach, manager,
organizer, and entertainer since 1982.
From 1985 to 1995 he annually coordinated what has grown to be
the largest intercollegiate lumberjack competition in the world.
Bill's education and work experience include business administration,
public relations, forestry, outdoor recreation, as well as career
and education counseling. Bill is currently the producer and host
of Lumberjacks Challenge television series which airs across Canada
and the United States on TSN and OLN.
For more information on Lumberjack Sports, visit STIHL Timbersports Canada, the Canadian
Intercollegiate Lumberjacking Association site, Canadian
Logger Sports Association, North
American Lumberjack Guide, or the United
States Axemen's Association site.
The History
Bill Deba developed a strong interest in lumberjack sports in 1982,
while attending Sir Sandford Fleming College in Lindsay, Ontario.
He joined the varsity Woodsmen team and competed at intercollegiate
competitions across Canada. After spending three years as a team
member, Bill became the coach of the Woodsmen team. He coached and
managed the team for eight years--the team name changed to Timbersports
in 1989. Bill resigned as coach in 1993.
The idea of entertaining audiences with lumberjack sports began
in 1986 at the Lindsay Central Exhibition. The local radio station
requested the Woodsmen team to put on a demonstration of their skills.
In the years that followed, Bill frequently received calls from
communities across Ontario requesting lumberjack entertainment.
During this period, the demonstrations evolved into half hour and
one hour long shows. The evolution occurred by adding scripts, music,
audience participation, costumes and a master of ceremonies (Bill
Deba).
On July 1, 1987 the team performed for the City of Oshawa Canada
Day Celebration. This was the first remuneration the team had received
for demonstrating their unique skills. All proceeds were contributed
to the varsity program.
In 1988, Bill attended the Toronto Sportsman Show and watched the
Scheer's Lumberjack Show of Champions from Hayward, Wisconsin. It
was at this time that the idea of the Lumberjack Company was conceived.
For the next six years, as the number of calls requesting lumberjack
entertainment increased, the show was continually refined. Bill
continued to book shows involving team members and alumni, keeping
alive the vision of a profitable lumberjack entertainment company.
By the beginning of 1992, Bill obtained sponsorship from Husqvarna
Forest & Garden for the Fleming Timbersports Team. Husqvarna
provided clothing items, chain saws and monetary remuneration for
the Fleming Timbersports varsity program operating costs. In the
Fall of the same year, the team performed at their first week long
venue at Husqvarna exhibit at the International Ploughing Match
in Lindsay, Ontario. In December, Bill and members of the team received
national television coverage by appearing on the Dini Petty Show
demonstrating their lumberjack skills.
During 1993, the Fleming Timbersports team and alumni performed
at many venues, the largest being the Silvilog Forestry Exhibition
in Barrie, Ontario. Later that year, the sponsor of the Fleming
Timbersports Team became Stihl
Ltd. The deal included clothing items, chain saws and monetary
support for the varsity program. In return, the sponsor received
excellent exposure during the International Ploughing Match in Pembroke,
Ontario and on The Great Outdoorsman show airing across Canada on
TSN and other major networks.
At the conclusion of the International Ploughing Match in 1994,
Bill decided it was time to pursue, part-time, his dream of a lumberjack
entertainment company. The first full year of operation for The
Lumberjack Company was 1995. During that year a total of 10 venues
were obtained, all in the province of Ontario. To date, The Lumberjack
Company continues to thrive as a part-time business for Bill and
his family.
Bill is also the Producer and Host of the "STIHL Timbersports Series It is a series of Canadian based lumberjack competitions that air weekly on TSN in Canada.
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