The CCNZ CablePrice Waikato Bay of Plenty Regional Excavator Operator Competition was a highlight of National Fieldays at Mystery Creek once again, with talented excavator operators from across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions battling it out on 3 December for the regional title and their opportunity to represent their regions and complete for the national title.

This year's competition saw a changing of the guard, with veteran operator and defending regional champion Craig Crowley standing aside and moving on to judge the competition on the course and this year’s Bay of Plenty regional title going to Rotorua-based Marni Kemp of Central Demolition.

Kemp saw off a serious challenge from runner-up Lloyd Jenks and third-placed Logan Jensen, both of JME Contractors (the company that took out this year’s team challenge), with the awards presented at an evening function at the Bay Ocean Sports club on 8 December. 

“To win the regional competition was really cool. It was the first time I’ve won anything like this. The winner was named right at the end of the presentations, so there was a lot of suspense. I had no idea I was going to win it, so it was a bit of a surprise.”

Kemp started operating an excavator for Downer around ten years ago, installing broadband cables across the Manawatu, then moving on to work in road maintenance for Higgins and drainage and subdivision projects for Goodrick Contractors in Rotorua before finding ‘his happy place’ working for Central Demolition.

He says his wide variety of roles and recent experience working in demolition has prepared him well for competition, so he is coming in with some confidence now he knows the ropes.

“When you’re working in demo, you have to be very careful to avoid damage. I’d say you have to be very gentle sometimes and take it easy”.

Kemp says he has been fielding messages from well-wishers, including former Central Demolition worker and ex-Manawatu Regional Champion Jim Beamsley, wishing him well and hoping to ‘see him in this year’s finals’.

This year’s Waikato competition also took place on 3 December as part of the same event. Owner-operator Mike Bowe from Waikato-based Bowe Brothers Excavating Ltd was victorious in his regional competition for the fifth time. He said despite some ‘curveballs’ and changes to the course, he was able to use his knowledge and experience to navigate the challenges and take out the title once more, finishing nearly ten points ahead of his nearest rival.

“It went alright, apart from some little errors,” said Bowe. “There’s always something that can be better. But I was consistent throughout the course, and that’s the important thing, it’s what I was aiming for.”

Bowe was the runner-up in the 2021 National Excavator Operator Competition, and 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.

“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. So it’s a lot of work. But I want to be there, to get that last point I missed out on the last time and take out the title.”

Bowe was presented with his regional title at the CCNZ Waikato Branch End of Year Shindig on 8 December at The Roaming Giant pub in Claudelands, with Gary Wharton of Earth Prep taking out second place and Michael Brown of Fulton Hogan coming in third.

While attendance at the Fieldays in general was lower than pre-pandemic, this year’s CCNZ CablePrice Regional Excavator Operator Competition was by all accounts a big success. 

As well as competition challenges ranging from the traditional slam-dunk where an excavator operator ‘dunks’ a basketball into a concrete water tower and the ‘barman’ challenge where the operator pours a bottle of beer into a glass. 

The event 'mini dig’ also saw members of the public having a go digging for balls in the water trough, with the little ones aiming to get a ball in the bucket, then let the water out while keeping the ball in, while older ones were challenged to see how many balls they could gather and keep in the bucket while getting all the water out. 

There was another big win in the event’s EPIC Careers Hub, complete with a job board and information on career pathways in infrastructure construction. The careers team consisted of workforce development staff from Fulton Hogan, HEB Construction and Schick Civil Construction, who worked the crowd chatting about industry with school leavers and adult career seekers. 

These staff also worked a larger ‘have a go machine’ so people who weren’t used to operating an excavator could start to see the machines as a tool they could use themselves if they were to join the workforce, and take on information they could use on the job if they were to start working in civil construction. A dozen adults each day were identified to be looking to join the industry, so the careers hub was considered a success all around, and CCNZ will look to build on this for the 2023 regional event.

Photos from the competition are available on the CCNZ CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competitions Facebook page>>

Thanks to our amazing sponsors

Naming rights & platinum sponsor: CablePrice
Gold sponsors: Attach2, Connexis, First Gas, Hirepool, Humes and Z Energy
Silver sponsors: Milwaukee

Meet the champions

Mike Bowe, Owner Operator, Bowe Brothers - Waikato Regional Champion

Marni Kemp, Excavator Operator, Central Demolition - Bay of Plenty Regional Champion