An excavator competition in New Zealand saw operators perform an array of challenges with their machine, including dunking basketballs, painting and pouring beverages
Twelve excavator operators from New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay and East Coast have completed a series of unusual challenges from their cabs at the recent Civil Contractors New Zealand (CCNZ) CablePrice Hawke’s Bay and East Coast Regional Excavator Operator Competition in order to be named the region’s top operator.
Held at Hawke’s Bay Showgrounds in October, the operators were required to use their excavators to perform a variety of challenges including painting, stacking rocks, dunking basketballs, pouring beverages and picking up an egg and placing it on top of a road cone.
There was also a golf-inspired challenge, which required operators to get a ball into an upturned apple bin by striking it with their 13-tonne machines.
As well as providing a fun day out, competition organising committee chair Mike Rogers says the competition aims to raise awareness of the skill involved in excavator operation, while inspiring others to consider joining the civil construction industry.
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“It’s organised chaos but we got a good crowd, a great spectacle, and it all went smoothly – a really fun day out,” he says.
More serious theory-based tests were also included, requiring operators to demonstrate health and safety and first aid knowledge, proper use of personal protective equipment, hazard identification, and startup and shutdown protocols.
Tanya Claxton, Shaun Truman and Connor Edwards finished with the highest scores on the day and will now have to wait until an awards ceremony next month to find out who earned top spot. The winner will then go on to represent the region at the national final in Feilding next year.
“It was a stunning day up here, and I think operators had one of the smoothest runs we’ve ever seen,” Rogers says.
“We’ve found our top three and one of the other highlights was Sean Bainbridge, in his early 20s and on his first outing on the competition.
“He was first on the course, didn’t get phased at all, and was one of only two to complete the egg on cone challenge.”
This year’s competition was sponsored by CablePrice, Hirepool, Attach2 Equipment, Connexis, Firstgas, Humes Pipeline Systems, Pro Arbore, Steelgal NZ, Galbraith Earthmovers, HI-VIz, AMC, and Fulton Hogan.
Winners of the 11 different regional excavator operator competitions across New Zealand will qualify for the national finals, which will be held in Feilding in March 2025, during the Central Districts Field Days.