Two long-time Squamish Days Loggers Sports supporters are being remembered during this year's 50th anniversary with the return of the truck rodeo, an event that hasn't been held at the festival for 13 years.
Husband and wife Paddy and Jackie Atkinson, who both passed away in the last two years, volunteered for Squamish Days for 30 years.
This year's truck rodeo will be held as a memorial to the couple.
"They started the truck rodeo," said long-time Squamish Days supporter and committee past president Evelyn Carson.
"Jackie was a member of the loggers sports committee for about 30 years and Paddy was a local truck driver.
"I'm glad they've made it a memorial and I'm amazed and thrilled they brought it back," said Carson.
When Bud Ramsey first got involved with Squamish Days in 1969, there was no truck rodeo.
"We had an extra day and I think it was Jackie who said we should have something for the ladies," said Ramsey. "That's when we decided to have a Powder Puff."
The rodeo began as a truck-driving event for the women called the Powder Puff.
Like the rodeos to follow, about 10 to 15 participants drove logging trucks around an obstacle course.
Later, the event evolved into a competition for truck drivers, and turned into the truck rodeo.
"We made a lot of history when we stared," said Bud Ramsey, who ran the rodeo for until the mid 1980s.
During the rodeo's hay-day, the winners would go onto to compete at the provincial level at the British Columbia Trucking Association's truck driving championships.
"So we got it up quite high in Squamish," said Ramsey.
The Atkinson's son and daughter - a former Timber Queen - have been invited back to Squamish Days for the memorial truck rodeo.
"They were huge to Squamish Days," said Carson of the Paddy and Jackie. "They were very important to the committee and the community."
Jackie, along with her work for Squamish Days that included being the committee's secretary, was also a well-loved secretary at Brackendale Elementary School for many years.
The truck rodeo - originally held at the log sort on Loggers Lane - will be held on Monday (August 6) in the parking lot of Wal-Mart.
The event, sponsored by Co-Van International Trucks, will see about 10 to 15 drivers maneuver a loaded logging truck through an obstacle course to compete for the first place trophy and prize money.
CRB Logging will provide the truck and Guardian Engraving has donated the trophies.
There will also be trophies for second and third placed drivers and all participants will also receive Squamish Days t-shirts.
