Woman encourages log rolling to go international

Epinal, France to host first log rolling program.

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — What started off as a dream is now a reality for one woman who is bringing log rolling back into the spotlight.

About nine years ago, Judy Hoeschler with Key Log Rolling, wanted to grow the sport of log rolling, not only nationally but internationally as well.  

She is part of a program called Sister City project which encourages the exchange of cultures and ideas with another place or country.

Hoeschler went to France, explained the sport of log rolling and now Epinal, France will be starting the first European log rolling program.

The only problem is that it’s hard to ship the wooden logs overseas. To work around that, Hoeschler and her husband decided to create a synthetic log with the help of college students.

“She hired engineering students at Winona state, they came up with the calculations, they created the prototypes and then we found the manufacture in Winona at Winona Canoe,” said Judy Hoeschler, founder of Key Log Rolling.

The log is 60 pounds itself, with a polyethylene inner core and all you have to do is add water to give it the density of a real piece of wood.

A representative from Epinal, France got a look at the log on Saturday and is excited for the sport.

“That’s the whole objective of the city sisters program, is to get to know one another in two different places, exchange cultures, exchange ideas and get involved in different projects,” said Jacques Grasser.

The synthetic portable Key Log will be shipped to France in mid-October.