Four-time champion dominates at National Excavator Competition
Otago’s Troy Calteaux has emerged as NZ’s top digger driver at the Civil Contractors NZ CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition
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Troy Calteaux doing the tea pouring challenge as part of the CCNZ CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition
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The Milton local and Andrew Haulage 2011 Ltd employee became the first person to win the competition four times and the first to win three titles in a row.
He took the title over Waikato champion Michael Brown of Fulton Hogan, while last year’s runner-up Steven George of Northland finished in third place.
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Troy Calteaux of Milton (centre) won a historic fourth title at the Civil Contractors New Zealand CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition. He’s pictured here with runner-up Michael Brown (right) and third-place finisher Steven George (left).
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Troy says the win felt great — all the more so because of the nerves of competing for his fourth title in what he knew would be a very close competition.
"This year has been an awesome one. The competitors have been wicked — a mean group," he says. This year’s event marked the 30th anniversary of the excavator-skills clash and featured a serious upgrade to the usual tests of on-the-job skills and crowd-pleasing activities.
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Two scoops or 20? Runner-up Michael Brown of Fulton Hogan nails the ice cream challenge.
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Competitors amazed fans in new challenges, including scooping ice cream into a cone without damaging it using a newly designed scoop attachment.
Runner-up Michael Brown of Fulton Hogan put in an impressive showing on the ice cream challenge in his first shot at nationals. A classic ‘dark horse’ competitor, Michael flew under the radar to lead the pack at the end of day one of the two-day competition.
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon tests the Connect Challenge
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"I did not expect this at all. Thanks to my wife Megan, to the sponsors, all the guys out on the course, to the competitors, they’re a good bunch. And a real special thank you to my father… for giving me a love of machines," he says.
Invercargill local Brad Fallow of SouthRoads won the Geoff Duff Memorial Trophy. The award, which recognises the person demonstrating the best scores across the truck-loading challenges featured in the competition, commemorates Geoff Duff of Carterton — a former nationals judge and a highly-skilled truck driver.
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