Alex Stoddard, age 9, of Portland, Ore., for his question.

WHEN DID BIRLING ORIGINATE?

Birling is also known as logrolling. It originated in the 1840s in the lumber camps of Canada and the Northern United States.

Lumberjacks became so skilled at riding logs down the streams from the forest to the sawmills that they began to hold contests to find the most skillful.

Contestants stood on each end of a floating log, and each tried to spin it so rapidly with his feet, or reverse the action so quickly, that he could make his rival fall into the water.

Biding contests usually lasted only minutes or even seconds, but in 1900, two men in Ashland, Wis., set a record of three hours and 15 minutes. The logs were about 14 inches in diameter.

Birling competition still flourishes in Canada and at outdoor and resort shows throughout the United States.