The inaugural Oamaru chainsaw-carving contest was organised by Oamaru Chainsaw and Mowers, which was so pleased with the event it may be held again next year.
The contest raised just under $3000 for St John and the North Otago SPCA from an auction of the wood carvings after judging was completed at 2.30pm.
Carvers started at 9am and had to be finished by judging time.
The top prize, an Echo chainsaw, was won by Dugal Armour, for his floral creation Breathing New Life Into Old Wood.
Second was Hugh Prebble with his canoe and third Matt King, who created a triceratops dinosaur.
Shop owner Dary Haydarieh said most of the carvers had not tackled wood before, but were used to carving Oamaru stone.
''We are pretty happy with the response and, if we repeat again next year, I'm sure we will get a lot more carvers,'' he said.
