The 24-year-old won the rookie — under-25 — grade at the national series woodchopping championships at the Rural Games in Palmerston North on Saturday.
It earned him qualification for May’s World Championships in Europe — dependent on the Covid-19 situation.
The championships would potentially be held in Austria, although that had not been finalised.
That follows the first world title of his career, which he won in the underhand discipline in Rotorua in January.
The just completed series required more versatility, though.
Alongside underhand chopping, competitors had to do a standing block chop, stock saw and single buck.
They received points for their placings in each category.
Pako, a truck-driver who is from Cromwell but now lives in Dunedin, said he enjoyed chopping.
However, the sawing side of the competition would be a big work-on in the coming months.
"My chopping side of it was good, I was chopping really well," he said.
"I set some pretty good times and made myself clear of the field in that regard.
"I know my chopping’s on par and I can hold my own.
"But with the two sawing events I’m not as experienced in them, so there’s going to be a lot of work going on in the next two months."
He said New Zealand and Australia were the two dominant countries on the world stage, particularly when it came to chopping.
However, the rest of the world was catching up and he said Europeans and Americans were very good with sawing.
While he has been to several world championships in other disciplines, Pako has never been to the Series event.
Up until this year "something had always gone wrong" in those world events.
He had achieved a second-place in Christchurch two years ago.
Now he had a taste of a world title, it was something he wanted more of.
"Finally this year I’ve put everything together. I’ve gone back to basics with training, just focusing on chopping my blocks properly.
"Slowly but surely, it’s all falling into place. But it’s only one world title, I’ve got to stay consistent and stay humble and keep training hard.
"Hopefully, there will be more to come in the future."
