When I reveal that I’m the daughter of a 7-time world champion log roller, most people automatically assume it’s my dad who’s the log roller. But it’s my mom — log rolling is in fact a sport with a strong female presence but that’s an entirely different blog altogether.
My dad, Jay Hoeschler, is a champion in his own right. He’s a champion of my mom, Judy; of my siblings and me; and of our varied pursuits. And he’s a champion of the growth and development of the sport of log rolling, despite that fact that didn't get rolling until we started our company in 2011.
I’ve always been impressed that my dad is as invested in log rolling as he is, since it wasn’t “his sport.” He was an accomplished skier, sailor and tennis player when he met my mom in 1972. But for decades, he willingly hauled and stored our 500 pound cedar logs so we could practice; he served as president of the governing body of the sport; and he funded the start up of Key Log Rolling. But by far, his most significant contribution was our invention of the Key Log Training Fins.
You see, I was so young when I learned to log roll that I don’t remember learning. But my dad learned to log roll as an adult so he inherently knows the challenges. He realized that for Key Log Rolling to be fun for all ages, we needed to make it easier for adults to learn. In other words, we needed to slow the log down!
We tested our first Training Fin prototype on a cold October day in northern Wisconsin. Dad was working on the dock in his heavy waders when stepped up to give the Key Log with the new fins a spin. We couldn’t believe how long he could stay on! I knew right then that we had figured it out. I stepped on with him and I honestly think it was the first time we had ever actually log rolled together.
At 66, my dad is now a significantly better log roller than he was as a young man. These days, he even competes more than my mom, the 7x world champion. He taught one of his friends to roll, providing a fun challenge and workout for both of them.
Whenever old log rolling photos and videos of my dad surface (there aren't many of them), he tends to take a bit of teasing from his wife and children - all of whom have world titles. He’s a great athlete, but it’s funny to see him with a strained grimace on his face, working so hard to stay on top.
So this Father’s Day, I’m honoring my dad with a log rolling highlight reel that he can be proud of; one that’s worthy of the champion he is.
We can now truly say that we are an entire family of log rollers, and we hope to inspire generations of families, laughing and rolling together. The future of the "log rolling dad" is now. Order a Key Log and get rolling with your family today!