A 50-YEAR-OLD woodchopping record has been smashed at Latrobe’s Henley on Mersey and a young Victorian axeman went home $54,000 richer.

The record had been held by Devonport’s Clayton Stewart who took 13.7 seconds to cleave a 30cm log at the same carnival in 1965.

His son, Launceston businessman Errol Stewart, put up a $50,000 prize for anyone who could beat the record and axemen came from around the world to have a go.

media_camera Glen Gillam with sponsor Errol Stewart whose father Clayton Stewart formerly held the record.

Hundreds of spectators crammed into the Bells Parade arena to watch the action.

The first axeman to beat the record in the elimination heats was Brayden Meyer, 19, of Victoria, who cleaved his log in 12.54 seconds and looked set to take the prize.

But then Glen Gillam, from Traralgon, snatched victory with a 12.25 seconds chop in his heat and then 12.12 seconds in the next to claim the big prize.

Gillam said he had entered knowing he had a shot at creating a new world record.

“I can’t see why we couldn’t break through the 12-second or even the 11-second barrier in years to come,” he said before he collected his cheque.

“It really comes down to sheer size, brute force and ignorance.”

The final of the Clayton Stewart standing 30cm went to Jason Wynyard, of New Zealand.