Most excavator operators would look at you sideways if you asked them to slice up a pizza, play a super-sized board game and pour a cup of tea using their digger. 

But that’s not the case for Whangarei’s Steven George, who flawlessly performed those three tasks, and many more, on his way to a second straight victory at the Civil Contractors New Zealand CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition on Friday and Saturday.

The Steven George Contracting owner-operator won the competition in 2025 and he wove his heavy metal magic again this year to outclass 11 other regional champions at this year’s national final, held at Central Districts Field Days in Feilding.

He narrowly held off runner-up Marcus Ingram from Napier to clinch the victory, while third place finisher Ryan Prankerd, from Taranaki, mounted the podium in third place. 

George said it was “bloody good” to win, especially when considering the number of new competitors and challenges out on the competition course this year.

"I came into this weekend not knowing what to expect. There were a bunch of new faces, as well as guys who have done it a few times before.”

This year’s event marked the competition’s 32nd anniversary. It showcased outrageous fine motor skills as the country’s premier operators made their diggers dance to skilfully slam-dunk basketballs, paint pictures and serve ice cream to the crowd.

More conventional skills were also thoroughly tested, including bulk trenching, digging carefully around underground services, truck loading, and health and safety knowledge.

Marton operator Dean Cave took out coveted top spot in the Connexis One-day Job Challenge, which tested operators on their ability to plan and execute a complex task from start to finish, after impressing the panel of judges with his meticulous approach. 

The Humes MVP award was presented to Prankerd for his sterling display of spirit and camaraderie throughout the event when interacting with his fellow contestants, as well as the general public and judges and supporters at the event. 

Another coveted award presented during the competition was The Geoff Duff Memorial Trophy, which recognises the person achieving the best scores across the truck-loading challenges. The trophy, which commemorates a former national excavator operator competition judge, was awarded to Golden Bay operator Daniel Bruning of Takaka.

Civil Contractors New Zealand Chief Executive Alan Pollard congratulated all the competitors for their outstanding displays of skill, and Steven George on his victory.

Pollard said this year’s competition carried extra significance considering the essential work excavator operators had played in disaster-response efforts across the Upper North Island in January. 

“The competitors at this year’s event represent the very best of an industry that is more important to New Zealand than ever. 

“These people are role models, who not only highlight the expertise and professionalism in our industry, but also inspire others to take up the tools and join the pool of talent required to build the infrastructure that will support the future of New Zealand.”

This year marked a special milestone for Alistair McIntyre, who celebrated his 20th appearance at the national finals. For two decades, he and his partner Barbara Busst have run the beloved Doug the Digger children’s mini-dig experience, inspiring countless young Kiwis to consider careers in civil construction. Donations collected at this year’s mini dig will be given to charity Camp Quality, which provides holidays for children living with cancer.

CablePrice was the Platinum Sponsor for this year’s national excavator competition finals and has been a longstanding supporter of the industry and the competition – it also provided and serviced the state-of-the-art Hitachi excavators competitors operated during the event.

The other major competition sponsors were Attach2, beforeUdig, Caltex Lubricants, Civil Trades, Connexis, Contractor Magazine, Doug the Digger, First Gas, Hirepool and Humes.

The 2026 winners were:

• Champion: Steven George, Steven George Contracting, Northland
• Runner-up: Marcus Ingram, Galbraith Earthmovers, Hawke’s Bay East Coast
• Third Place: Ryan Prankerd, King Road Contracting, Taranaki
• Connexis One-day Job Challenge: Dean Cave, McIntyre Construction, Manawatū Whanganui
• Humes MVP Award: Ryan Prankerd, King Road Contracting, Taranaki
• Geoff Duff Memorial Trophy: Daniel Bruning, Diggs Ltd, Nelson Marlborough

Winner Steven George (centre) with runner up Marcus Ingram (right) and third place finisher Ryan Prankerd (left).

Steven George slicing up a pizza with his excavator. The unique challenge made its debut at this year’s competition.

Steven George slam dunking a basketball at the Civil Contractors New Zealand CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition.

Competitors in action at the 2026 national excavator operation competition final.

Check out some of the action from the Civil Contractors CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition 2026.