Blackfoot teen representing Gem State in World Skills cabinet making competition
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BLACKFOOT — It’s not a sport in the conventional sense, but for one Blackfoot teenager building cabinets is just as competitive.
Ethan Harrison’s passion is in the shop surrounded by sawdust, drawers, hinges and even more sawdust.
“I just loved the opportunity to take something and build something new,” Ethan says.
Recently Ethan qualified to be the United States representative for the World Skills cabinetmaking competition. The 2019 competition will take place in Kazan, Russia.
Ethan’s mother, Karla Harrison says that competitive cabinetmaking is more than just slapping wooden planks together. Competitors are expected to meet the industry standard. The 18-year-old describes competitive cabinet making as fine woodworking that takes precision. It isn’t just what people see at home in their kitchens. What Ethan makes for competitions is similar to an end table, a nightstand, or any other kind of wooden structure with specific cabinet characteristics.
“(It’s a) singular standing cabinet-like structure that’s got typically four sides, doors, and a drawer,” Ethan says.
Ethan took his first shop course during his sophomore year of high school. He says his high school shop teacher Peter Golinvueax trained him to be a winner in his craft.
“He’s a really amazing instructor and works really great with the youth in our community,” Karla says. “The way that he supports the kids and encourages them to be their best is life changing.”
Ethan competed and placed both gold and silver in state and national Skills USA competitions last year. This year he went directly from the state championship to the world qualifier. Unlike nationals with 60 competitors, during the world qualifier in Louisville, Kentucky in June he only faced-off with one other person. He and his fellow competitor were chosen to go head-to-head out of other cabinet makers with recent national titles.
“His name was Hunter Thompson. He’s from North Carolina and he is about to graduate college,” Ethan says. “This is his fourth year and I’d only been once.”
Cabinet coaches added aspects to the competition to make it more difficult than a national meet and gave them 10 hours to finish.
“The things that he added to the competition were a hand-cut, dovetail drawer which comprised cutting tails and pins that lock together,” Ethan says. “Every other day I cut a new hand-cut dovetail to practice. I was just trying to drill it so that it was muscle memory by the time I got there.”
That practice is what put him over the edge to be the first world cabinet representative from Idaho.
“I scored a 59 out of 60 on my drawer which made the difference I think, because our cabinets were almost identical in quality and in (the) completion,” Ethan says. “Knowing now, seeing the competition, if I hadn’t been willing to practice the dovetails I wouldn’t have won.”
Karla is Ethan’s main supporter and says he looks forward to the world meet in Russia. She thanks local community members, and mentor Peter Golinvaux for supporting her hardworking son.
“He’s determined to win. I know that he will work as hard as he can on each of the skills that his coach encourages him to. He will develop them to the best of his ability and find a way to find the tools that he needs,” Karla says. “He will be ready to compete in a year.”
The World Skills competition will take place from August 19 to 23 next year. Twenty-one representatives between the ages of 18 and 21 will be competing for the U.S. in various categories. The skills competition includes events like mechanical engineering, bricklaying, polymechanics and automation, restaurant services, and more.
“Encourage your students to get involved in Skills USA, make it an opportunity for them because it will make them more than they can be otherwise. It will give them opportunities … that you didn’t imagine for your students to have,” Karla says.