Expert excavator operator Corey Olson of Featherston took out his second regional excavator operator competition in a row on Saturday, and will go on to represent the region at the national finals at Central Districts Field Days later this month for the third time.
The Sierra Delta Civil team member won the Civil Contractors New Zealand CablePrice Wellington Wairarapa Regional Excavator Operator Competition, to follow up on his 2025 and 2023 regional titles, coming out on top against a talented field of competitors at Upper Hutt’s Brewtown.
“Yeah, I’m pretty stoked”, Olson commented after the prizegiving ceremony, watched on by sons Axel and Connor who were there to cheer him on from the course sidelines throughout the day.
“I’m looking forward to nationals. It’s my third time this year, and I think I’ll be a bit more prepared… I’m looking forward to getting up there and getting amongst it again, and seeing the other champs from across the country in action. It’s usually a pretty good course!”
Olson proved his mettle at the event, brushing off a wasp sting during the earlier Tudor Distributors Barrel Filling Competition, and narrowly facing down 2024 Champion Bronson Jones of Bryce O’Sullivan Contracting, who was this year’s runner-up.
Although Jones was hot on Olson’s heels in the title run, misfortune struck on the event’s bucket pour challenge, which sees competitors transfer water between 20-litre pails using the teeth of their excavator buckets to pick up the pails by their wire handles. Unfortunately for Jones, the pail’s handle detached as he seemed set for the perfect pour.
Last year’s runner-up, Jamie Nicholas of Construction Contracts Limited, took third, putting in a strong performance in the ‘thread the needle’ challenge, where competitors navigate an electrified wire using a hoop attached to the ‘wrist’ of the excavator’s boom.
It was competition organiser Daniel Renshaw’s birthday, and he was also a winner with his Daniel Renshaw Drainage team fighting off the other construction crews to take out the coveted Silver Shovel in the barrel filling contest, where three-person teams strive head-to-head to fill 40-gallon drums with aggregate using hand shovels for the first time since 2019.
The veteran barrel filler, now 48 years of age, won the competition alongside teammates Mitch Hayes and Joe Fa’aololo, who took home prize packs from Tudor Distributors, and no small amount of ‘street cred’.
CCNZ Wellington Wairarapa Branch Chair David Philipson congratulated Olson, Renshaw, and all the event’s competitors on a great day out, and for showcasing the civil construction industry’s hands-on skills to the public on a beautiful February day.
“It’s been a great day out. I think we must have had a few hundred watching from the sidelines. The mini dig was going all day, and it’s just awesome watching these guys show their stuff out there on the course. We’ll all be cheering Corey on as he heads to nationals.”
Olson will now return to Central Districts Field Days in Feilding, competing from 20-21 March to strive for the national title for the third time against eleven other regional champions from across the country.
The event also raised money for charity, with gold-coin donations provided in exchange for instruction on a mini-digger raising money for The Child Cancer Foundation’s work supporting children suffering from cancer.
The CCNZ CablePrice Wellington Wairarapa Regional Excavator Operator Competition was made possible by the support of national sponsors CablePrice, Attach2, Connexis, Firstgas, Hirepool, Humes, Caltex Lubricants, beforeUDig, Civil Trades, Doug the Digger and Contractor Magazine.
Regional sponsors included Brewtown, Bryce O’Sullivan Contractors, Construction Contracts Limited, Daniel Renshaw Drainage, E Carson and Sons, Fusion Innovations, Goodman Contractors, Juno Civil, Mico, Milwaukee, Sierra Delta Civil, TRIG Instruments, Tudor Distributors and Whiting Financial.
Winners: CCNZ CablePrice Wellington Wairarapa Regional Excavator Operator Competition
- First: Corey Olson, Sierra Delta Civil
- Second: Bronson Jones, Bryce O’Sullivan Contracting
- Third: Jamie Nicholas, Construction Contracts Limited
Competition organiser Daniel Renshaw (left) presents Corey Olson with his prize pack and trophy.
Crowds flocked to the event to watch the Tudor Distributors Barrel Filling Competition.