Susan Erickson and a team of volunteers have organized Petersburg’s Independence Day Harbor Games for years. Part of the annual event includes a highly anticipated logrolling competition, where two people stand on a floating log and try to roll off their opponent in the water.
For decades, the competition has been dominated by one local family: the Ericksons.
Erickson herself was a repeat logrolling champion until stepping off the log for good a few years ago. Now, she has decided it’s time to step away from running the annual Harbor Games as well.
“It’s time to turn it over to somebody else,” Erickson said.
The Erickson logrolling dynasty
Erickson didn’t start logrolling until she first came to Petersburg in 1981, and entered the annual Independence Day competition on a whim.
“I just kept doing it year after year after year,” she said.
Participating in the sport became a family tradition for the Ericksons, who have taken first place in the competition many times over the years. Erickson said her family’s latest winning streak has lasted for over a decade.
“I know for the last 12 years, without even thinking twice, an Erickson has won,” she said.
Erickson and her husband, Jeff, retired from their competitive logrolling careers in 2022. Her local business, Petersburg-Wrangell Insurance, became the sponsor for the Harbor Games that same year. Since then, she and her volunteers have been running the herring toss, the blindfolded rowboat race, and the logrolling competition.
But 2026 marks the last year that P-W Insurance will sponsor the games. Erickson said finding people to help out each Independence Day is hard, but the next group who volunteers to host the games will be in good hands.
“I just finished typing up very detailed notes about everything you need to successfully run the logrolling event,” she said. “It’ll be so easy for someone.”
Even though Erickson’s local business is stepping down from running the harbor games, she expects her family’s logrolling legacy will remain standing through her sons, Skipper and Britton.
Dockside competition
On Independence Day in Petersburg’s harbor, a crowd of people watched from a nearby pier as Erickson explained the logrolling rules to this year’s competitors.
“They gotta be steady for three seconds, and then they roll,” she announced from the dock.
Her son, Britton, was prepared for his turn in the final heat of the men’s logrolling bracket. He almost couldn’t compete this year due to injuring his collarbone a few months ago, but got cleared by his surgeon just in time to participate.
“Feel right as rain,” Britton said.
His opponent, Matt Pawuk, already accepted defeat before facing Britton on the log.
“We’re all competing for second place,” Pawuk said.
“No, this is for first place!” Sue Erickson told him.
“Yeah, but I’m gonna lose,” Pawuk replied.
In less than a minute, Britton rolled Pawuk off the log.
For the championship, Britton faced the winner of the women’s bracket, Dagny Barclay.
“I’m not as excited for this round,” Barclay said. “I think we all know who’s gonna win, but I’m here to give it a good old college try.”
Barclay rolled off the log in a matter of seconds.
For Britton, being a champion again was a “huge confidence boost.”
“It’s nice to come back from an injury and know that I’ve still got it,” he said.
2026 Harbor Game winners — courtesy of the Petersburg Pilot and Petersburg Parks and Recreation:
Herring Toss, 12 and under: boys, Jade Cahoon; girls, Maxine Deis.
Herring Toss, 13 and over: boys, Chris Raynham; girls, Jocelyn Savage.
Blind Row Boat Race: Team Wild Rose, Josef Quitslund and Caleb Morrow, coxswain.
Logrolling: Britton Erickson, followed by Dalton Small and Matt Pawuk; Dagny Barclay, followed by Maddy Parker and Killian Slaven.
Editor’s Note: Britton Erickson is a volunteer DJ at KFSK.
