FRYEBURG – Legends don’t go down easy.

Especially when that legend is woodsman David Geer.

Leo Lessard, Lyndonville, Vt., just finished scoring a 24 in the ax throwing contest at Woodsmen’s Field Day on Monday at the Fryeburg Fair.

He put the ax into the bull’s-eye four times and had one four-point toss. The score tied the record he set in 2002 Master’s Ax Throwing division, for those 55 and older, and was one short of his 1982 performance in being the first in the 36-year competition at Fryeburg to have five tosses in the bull’s-eye.

The 25-point record has since been tied by six other people, including Geer in 1994.

Geer, 78, was sitting on the sidelines. He did not want to wait in line to throw the ax.

Geer said his knees were bothering him and he didn’t want to stand too long.

He got up. Threw for 24 points and then sat down.

There would be another throw when all of the 120-plus contestants finished throwing. Geer said he started in woodsmen events in 1947, when he was 22. Since then he was won 44 World Title events in competitions in Oregon, Wisconsin, Australia and Spain.

He said he has been on numerous sports shows, The Johnny Carson Show and even on the game show “What’s My line.”

He was the best all-around lumberjack in the world in 1973 and won his last World Championship event in Oregon about six years ago.

He has had to slow down. He has melanoma, a form of skin cancer, and prostate cancer. He had two angioplasties about 16 years ago.

“My doctor said no chopping,” Geer said. “I do it anyway. My only big thrill in life is winning these things. I retired in 1975, but I miss all this stuff so much.”

Nobody else scored 24 points, so Lessard and Geer had to throw five more times each for first place.

Lessard’s five throws totaled 21 point and Geer matched him.

A second throw was necessary.

Lessard scored another 21 points.

Woodsman Gilles Molleur from Vermont, said that 30 years ago nobody could beat Geer in the ax throw.

“They would put a cigarette on the target and he would cut it right in the middle,” Molleur said.

Geer started with a bull’s-eye and a judge raised his hand in the air to acknowledge that, as did the crowd with cheering.

He then threw another, and another and then two more.

The crowd gave him a loud ovation. Officials and woodsmen came over to shake his hand.

His 25 points set a record in the master’s division and gave him the blue ribbon.

Officials gave him one more throw to see if he could get six, to establish a higher record.

Geer didn’t miss by much.

He came back and sat on the sidelines.

“That’s mind boggling. I’m all stressed out,” he said. “Boy! If my doctor could see me now.”

He relaxed for a moment and then said the No. 1 thing on his mind was coming back next year.

“That depends on the cancer,” he said. “I know if it gets into my bones I’m done.”

jsmedley@sunjournal.com

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