Mike Bowe after winning the 2022 Waikato regional finals. Photo / Supplied
Te Awamutu local Mike Bowe will have his, and his excavator’s, mettle tested in Feilding later this week when he shows off his skills in a 13-tonne digger to represent Waikato at the CCNZ CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition.
Mike is one of 13 champions from around New Zealand whose excavator skills will be pushed to the limit over a series of epic and enthralling challenges.
Some of the challenges will test ‘real-world’ skills such as traversing a trench and digging around pipelines, whilst other more unique tasks may include slam dunking a basketball into a two-storey concrete pipe using an excavator’s bucket, and a slalom course.
He isn’t taking the road to nationals lightly.
“I know how much work goes into the nationals, it’s a lot of work and a lot of preparation to build up the skills for the competition,” says Mike.
“That’s mental preparation too – every time I jump in the digger between now and nationals, I’m thinking about how I can improve, make things better and faster and be prepared the best way I can be. I want to be there and take out the title.”
Manfeild Park will host the heavy metal showdown, which will take place on March 17/18 during the Central Districts Field Days.
Mike qualified for the event after his success in the Waikato regional competition in December.
The Bowe Brothers Excavating Ltd owner-operator is a four-time Waikato champion who enjoys the challenge of working on projects both big and small.
CCNZ chief executive Alan Pollard says the CCNZ CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition was about celebrating the exceptional skill of New Zealand’s top excavator operators and inspiring the next generation to get behind the controls.
“The more unusual tests of skill always bring the spectators but the competition also has a more serious side, with plenty of more traditional tasks such as trenching, operating around underground services, and tests of operator’s health and safety knowledge.”
One of the most challenging elements of the competition is the Z Energy One-day Job Challenge, which tests all aspects of an operator’s skillset and involves site planning and layout, as well as execution, for a task such as constructing a house foundation.
New Zealand’s national excavator operator competition was founded in the mid-1990s by CCNZ Manawatu Branch as the brainchild of local contractors Graeme Blackley and Grant Smith.
Alan says it was “one of the most unique spectacles New Zealand has to offer”.
“The operators at our national finals are the elite, the ‘SAS’, if you like, of our excavator operating community.”
He urged people to turn out in force to show their support for the competitors; many of whom have been involved in the response to Cyclone Gabrielle.
“Excavator operators play a critical role in nearly all of our country’s biggest projects. Not only do they transform the terrain for roading and water projects, but they also build stopbanks to defend against flooding and assist with the clean-up when the worst weather hits.”
He says there was more demand than ever for civil construction workers and there had never been a better time for job seekers to enter the industry and make a real difference to communities in need.
An EPIC Careers Hub will be at the Central Districts Field Days from March 16-18, situated next to the excavator operator competition course.
The careers hub will feature a VR excavator, truck driving and traffic control experiences, a Connexis digital simulator, an excavator experience, floor talks from infrastructure construction workers and opportunities to meet and be hired by civil infrastructure construction companies.
Finalists: CCNZ CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition 2023
Defending Champion: Troy Calteaux, Andrew Haulage 2011 Ltd
Defending champion Troy Calteaux from Andrew Haulage 2011 Ltd in Otago will be aiming for his third national title at the event. The Milton local said he was looking forward to giving a fourth title his best shot on the day.
“You turn up and you don’t know what they’ve got in for you – it’s a mental challenge and you’re in a pressure cooker the whole time. The unknown is the biggest challenge.”
Northland: Stephen George, Steven George Contracting Ltd
Steven George, from Kamo, is an owner-operator with his own company, Steven George Contracting Ltd. He has operated and been around excavators for many years and says growing up on a farm has set him up to be a successful operator. This year will be his first time at the finals and he plans to “take it as it comes”.
Auckland: Jarrod Hoskins, Fulton Hogan
Pōkeno local Jarrod Hoskins won the Auckland regional event and will be making his first appearance at the nationals.
“It’s a new experience for me because I know there’s a couple of different activities so it’ll be cool to get my head around it,” he said.
Bay of Plenty: Marni Kemp, Central Demolition
Marni Kemp qualified for the nationals with a win in the Bay of Plenty regional competition in December 2022. He said was feeling “pretty good” about his chances and was looking forward to testing his skills against the country’s best.
Waikato: Mike Bowe, Bowe Brothers Excavating
Mike Bowe is a four-time Waikato champion and an owner-operator with an eye for detail.
“I know how much work goes into the nationals, it’s a lot of work and a lot of preparation to build up the skills for the competition,” he said. “Every time I jump in the digger between now and nationals, I’m thinking about how I can improve, make things better and faster and be prepared the best way I can be. I want to be there and take out the title.”
Hawke’s Bay East Coast: Dan Mepham, Gair Contracting
Known by his colleagues as the ‘dirt whisperer’, Taradale local Dan Mepham will be competing in the national finals for the fourth time. He won the One-Day Job Challenge at the 2018 event and hopes to take home similar honours this year.
“Every year I want to do better and this time around I want to be top three on the podium,” he said.
Taranaki: Shaun Curtis, I & D George Contracting
Egmont village local Shaun Curtis qualified for the event after his success in the Taranaki regional competition. He has worked in the industry for 15 years and has significant experience on major projects as well as working around critical infrastructure of national and regional importance, including oil and gas pipelines.
“I’m excited about being involved,” Curtis said. “There’s going to be some good competition and I haven’t even been to the field days before so it will all be new.”
Manawatū-Whanganui: Jim Beamsley, ARC Asbestos Removal and Demolition Ltd
Jim Beamsley’s win in the Manawatū-Whanganui regional competition earlier this month (March 2023) sees him competing in the nationals for the third time, having won the Manawatū-Whanganui regional competition earlier this month (March 2023). The Bunnythorpe local began operating excavators in 2015, having carved out a 10-year career in civil works concrete placement, before putting his skills to work in the demolition field.
“I’m going to go in with a lot of really good energy and give it my best. Hopefully it will be third time lucky – I just want to win it once. Surely this is my year.”
Wellington-Wairarapa: Corey Olson, E Carson & Sons
Corey Olson, from Featherson, will be making his first appearance at the national finals. He has been operating excavators for 13 years and works for E Carson & Sons – the same company as former Wellington-Wairarapa champion Myles Carson.
“Nationals should be good fun, I’ve never done anything like it before. I’m really looking forward to it,” Olson said.
Nelson: Simon Wenham, Wenham Contracting
Simon Wenham qualified for the national finals after his success in the Nelson regional competition in November 2022. He works for his own company, Wenham Contracting, providing advanced excavation and earth-moving services to businesses in the region.
He said he was looking forward to meeting the country’s top-of-the-line digger drivers – “it’ll be a lot of fun”.
Otago: Kaleb Hollands, Hollands Excavators
Kaleb Hollands will be the youngest participant in this year’s national finals, at 19 years of age. His win continued a family tradition, with both his father Andrew, and uncle Carl, having been victorious in previous competitions. The Mosgiel local has clearly come a long way from playing on diggers in his backyard when he was 5 years old.
“I’ll just give it my best - it’s all about the sort of attitude you wake up with on the day,” he said.
Southland: Brendon Ferguson, Fulton Hogan
Invercargill’s Brendon Ferguson is making his third appearance at the nationals. With more than 20 years of experience in an excavator, he is hoping to secure one of the top spots.
“I know what to expect so I’m not walking into the unknown,” he said. “I’m good at what I do, and hopefully I’ll do a wee bit better this time.”
What a journey for The Shear Space at Fieldays.