CATERPILLAR operators from all over NSW descended on the Hunter last week for their chance to represent the state in Japan next month.
WesTrac's state headquarters in Tomago hosted the NSW finals of the Caterpillar Global Operator Challenge.
The event saw 12 operators, with a refined skillset in handling hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of earthmoving equipment, compete to see who was the quickest, most agile and most accurate.
This was the first year Caterpillar opened the event up to the world. Craig Atkins, who has worked at InfraBuild Recycling in Hexham for 26 years, said he had seen the competition held in Las Vegas and mentioned to his boss "it would be good to go in something like that".
"This year I was on holidays and he rang me and said 'I've just entered you in the Cat challenge.'," Mr Atkins said.
Along with the other competitors, Mr Atkins took part in three timed events on the day. The final event, which he described as "something different", saw competitors lift golf balls off a tee - on top of an oil filter - with wire prongs attached to the front of mini-excavator bucket.
They had to place the first three balls back on to adjacent tees and place the final three balls into mini-golf holes.
Time penalties were incurred for touching barriers or dropping balls. Mr Atkins got all three balls in the holes but dropped two of the others.
"The first one the old eyes weren't real good on the adjustment. Once I got there I wasn't too bad," he said.
"I was a bit disappointed when I clipped one of the barriers. But at the end of the day its rough out there and you have to take all the variables into consideration.
"On the third one the finger only just clipped the golf tee but it was enough to shake it off."
The other events were trench digging in a larger excavator, where competitors were judged on the depth and level of their trench, and filling the back of a large haul truck with a 30 tonne Cat 980 loader.
"They had to navigate quickly through a tight course and we had bollards set up that represent obstacles you might find on a construction site," WesTrac NSW general manager of customer solutions Mathew Farrell said.
"At the end they have to take it back and park it up closest to the bollard.
"They are judge on the accuracy of their load weight, time, and on the amount of bollards they hit."
Mr Farrell said those competing were the best from around the state who had won the regional competitions.
"It's been excellent. We've had a good turnout and plenty of support from our customers who have brought supporters along," he said.
"Some are operators working for larger companies and some are actually the owners of small or medium size construction companies.
"They all own Caterpillar equipment and are in a mix of industry from recycling to infrastructure."
Mr Atkins said he was best suited to the loader event because he "drives one all day at work".
While there were no gold balls involved, Mr Atkins said he had been been picking up bollards with a loader and sitting them on witches hats to hone his skills.
"How do you prepare for something like this? You don't really know what challenges are in front so you just have to take it as it comes," Mr Atkins said on Thursday.
"I grew up on a farm so that has helped a lot in the operational side of skills.
"I used to sit on my dad's knee when he was at work every Saturday driving a loader. I was probably about four then and I'm 46 tomorrow."
The day was taken out by 24-year-old Goulbourn earthmover Jack Divall, who will go on to represent NSW next month in the Asia-Pacific competition in Japan. The winner of that goes on to Las Vegas next year to compete on the world stage.
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