Heavy metal action is thrilling crowds at Mystery Creek today as elite Waikato and Bay of Plenty excavator operators battle for regional titles and a place at next year’s CCNZ CablePrice National Excavator Operator Competition grand final.

Fieldays is hosting 26 contenders across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regional excavator operator competitions from 11-13 June, captivating hundreds in attendance by pushing their excavators to their limits to tackle radical challenges of precision.

Competition lead judge James Lux said operators had been putting their fine motor skills to the test by painting a sign, delicately lifting an egg into a cup without cracking it and hoisting a log over and under a wire without making contact – all using their excavators.

He said the competition course had been tweaked from last year’s event and now featured a tricky log traverse challenge, to keep the competitors on their toes.

“You put all this planning into a new course and the operators just pick it up and run with it in different ways to complete the tasks – it’s amazing.”

The first day of the event introduced a new Battle of the Bosses challenge category for company owners, managers and supervisors, testing their excavator skills were still up to scratch, with executive-level bragging rights up for grabs. Sam Collins of Collins and Sons made his family business proud after emerging as the inaugural Battle of the Bosses champion.

Bay of Plenty competitor Troy Webber said the toughest task he faced was balancing a stack of six tyres on an I-beam with his excavator bucket. 

“The competition was a good little challenge – I used some skills you don’t use every day. I did OK last time, but it was very different with first-time jitters and wet weather, compared to having a better idea of what to expect and being used to the crowd watching you.”

It was the Tauranga local’s second time competing at the regional competition, this time as part of a crew of three of CB Civil’s top excavator operators, and while he failed to place last year, he said he was more optimistic about his chances this time round. 

“It was a great event for everyone with kids running around who will hopefully one day get in a digger and develop a career themselves. It’s a good showcase for our industry.” 

Webber and other competitors will have to keep their fingers crossed until the results are finalised and revealed at regional competition prize-giving ceremonies for Waikato operators on 18 June and for Bay of Plenty operators on 25 June.

Once confirmed, the Waikato and Bay of Plenty champions will join winners from 10 other regional excavator operator competitions across New Zealand at the national finals, which will be held in Feilding in March 2027, during the Central Districts Field Days.

Lux said the regional competitions play an important role in highlighting the skills involved in civil infrastructure.

“The regional competition showcases the incredible abilities excavator operators have, and this is why some of the little kids watching want to get into our industry. We're trying to educate people about the quality roles that exist and attract people to join us.”

To offer people a safe introduction to excavator-operating, a ‘Have a Go’ dig for adults and a mini dig for children ran alongside the competition course at Fieldays. 

Lux said he wanted to thank the sponsors of this year’s CCNZ CablePrice Waikato and Bay of Plenty regional excavator operator competitions. 

National competition sponsors were CablePrice, Hirepool, Attach2, Connexis, Firstgas, Humes, beforeUdig, Civil Trades, Doug the Digger and Contractor Magazine. 

Regional sponsors included Connell Contractors, Winstone Aggregates, King Drilling, Brian Perry Civil, Fulton Hogan, Franklin Smith Trades, Waikato Post Ramming, AON Insurance, Success Group, HEB Construction and James Lux Developments.