Pro-carver Bob King captured the ECHO Cup for the third consecutive year at the ECHO Chain Saw Carving Series Championship held October 3-5, 2008 at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta(R). Mark Colp won the People's Choice category.

Eight world-class chain saw carvers from across the U.S. and Japan competed in the 4th ECHO sponsored Championship after placing in the top rankings of one of four qualifying events. They competed in New Mexico to raise money for the Make-A-Wish(R) Foundation of New Mexico and to win cash/prizes totaling more than $75,000.

The final sculptures were judged on Sunday, October 5th and then auctioned with all proceeds benefiting the Make a Wish(R) Foundation of New Mexico. The event raised $34,700. The organization grants "wishes" to children who have a life threatening medical condition. Eight wishes were identified for funding from proceeds at the Championship.

The carvers had 20 hours over three days to produce masterpiece sculptures based on their interpretation of the theme "Launching Dreams." The pieces were judged and ranked on how well the carver interpreted the theme, the difficulty of the design, and craftsmanship. Visit to view the beauty of the pieces and the unique style each carver chose to build a competitive advantage.

First Place: Bob King of Edgewood, WA with his piece "Innocent Dreams"

Second Place: Terry Ahola of Grands Pass, OR with his piece "Make a Wish"

Third Place: Dayton Scoggins of Heidelberg, MS with his piece

"Soaring Dreams"

Fourth Place: Hiromu Kurita of Ichihara City, Chiba, Japan with his piece

"Future in the Sky"

Fifth Place: Zoe Boni of Ridgway, PA with her piece "Dream Launcher"

Sixth Place: Mark Herrington of Wilkeson, WA with his piece

"Sacred Calling"

Seventh Place: Jeff Samudosky of Columbia, CT with his piece

"Sweet Dreams"

Eighth Place: Mark Colp of Lakeport, CA with his piece "Sky Dreamer"

The Fiesta is a perfect visual venue for the Championship. With more than 600 participating balloons, the Balloon Fiesta is the largest ballooning event in the world, the most photographed event on earth and the largest annual international event held in the U.S. Visit for more details.

Major co-sponsors of this year's ECHO Championship included Bosch Power Tools and Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA.

ECHO Incorporated is a leading manufacturer of professional-grade, high-performance hand-held outdoor power equipment for commercial and residential use. Developed to meet the reliability, durability and efficiency demands of commercial and residential customers in the arborist, industrial, landscaping and residential markets, ECHO products have led the industry with a proven standard of performance for more than 30 years. ECHO also markets chippers and chipper/shredders under the ECHO Bear Cat name. For more information, please visit the company's web site at .

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 271,000 associates generated sales of 46.3 billion euros (over $63 billion) in fiscal 2007. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in roughly 50 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3 billion euros for research and development, and applies for over 3,000 patents worldwide. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as "Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering."

In North America, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket products, industrial automation and mobile products, power tools and accessories, security technology, thermo-technology, packaging equipment and household appliances. Bosch employs approximately 25,000 associates in more than 70 locations throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with reported sales of $9.5 billion in fiscal 2007. For more information on the company, visit .

Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., (YMUS), a leader in the motorsports market, makes the toughest, most capable and versatile ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles. The company's ever-expanding product offerings also include motorcycles, outboard motors, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, boats, outdoor power equipment, race kart engines, accessories, apparel and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of more than 4,000 dealers in the United States. Visit