PORTLAND, Ore. — In celebration of their 10th season as a Major League Soccer team, the Portland Timbers once again opened their gates to fans so they can take professional portraits holding the iconic Timbers axe. This is the third time they have done so for fans, the first time being in their inaugural MLS season in 2011 and again in 2015.
It’s a time-honored tradition that's uniquely Portland and continues to bring fans back. To learn more about the stories behind the portraits — and how fandom can be about so much more than just soccer — MLSsoccer.com spoke to four Timbers fans whose pictures hold a special place in their heart.
Michael Devoe
Michael Devoe knows firsthand that it takes an army to raise a child. In 2011 he waited in line for an axe portrait, a single dad with his young son making his best grumpy face in his dad’s arms, when the Timbers Army came to his aid helping calm little Oliver down.
Now Oliver’s all grown up and a full-fledged Timbers fanatic. When the Devoes returned for portraits this year, they found themselves doing just what the Army had done for them.
“We’ve been part of this for 10 years together now so it’s kind of our turn,” Michael said. “We were in the stairwell and there was a kid that was having a hard time and my son just went down and started playing with him and that for me was really cool because it was putting forward what we had received when we were in line the first time and coming full circle for us.”
Josh Biethan
For 15 years, Josh and Ashley Biethan have been devout Timbers fans. When they took their first axe portrait in 2011, a pregnant Ashley donned an axe as she struck her fiercest pose. Josh is convinced their unborn child was singing and dancing in the womb with them as he and Ashley chanted in the stands at Timbers games that year.
Fast forward to 2020 and it’s their son Jonah who now wields the axe. Carrying on the tradition of Timbers fandom, Josh looks back at the photo from 2011 and is reminded of how his family has grown.
“The best part though is seeing the side by side from 2011 to 2020 and seeing my son in the picture with us,” Josh said. “And he’s become quite the Timbers fan over the years, which makes me even more happy.”
Julie McMorine
Soccer helped Julie McMorine find the love of her life. When a mutual friend set her up with her now-fiancé Drew, their first date was watching a 2014 World Cup match. In August that same year, their first gathering with both their children was the All-Star Game against Bayern Munich.
After taking photos as separate families in 2015, McMorine’s “Brady Bunch'' moment came this year when their families combined to take photos. With McMorine’s ring on display and her fiancé wearing his genuine Clive Charles jersey (his older sister was given the jersey by Charles at a post-match party in 1980), the picture shows their deep connection with both Portland and each other.
“We love them,” McMorine said. “As lifelong Timbers fans it’s like a community pride thing...makes us feel even a stronger connection to Portland. We love soccer, of course, and the passage of time is amazing to see.”
David Xochihua Jr.
When Kimberly Thomas tragically died in September 2018, David Xochihua Jr. didn’t know what to do. He had suddenly lost his wife and was left to raise his two sons, Gabriel and Levi, by himself.
But in reality, he was never alone. The Timbers Army was there, letting Xochihua know that he had their support. While their 2020 axe portrait is missing an important person, it serves as a reminder of how a second family stepped up to help.
“When things went south, they were there for me,” Xochihua said. “And they’ve been loving on me and supporting me for the last year and a half and I don’t know if I would have had as easy as a time without that love and support. There’s always people who are going to be there to help lift me up in low moments and I would do the exact same thing for them.”
