Back on board for fourth win
HE has not been on a digger for six months but it did not matter for Milton man Troy Calteaux — he is still the best in the land.
Mr Calteaux, 38, has once again emerged as New Zealand’s ultimate digger driver at the Civil Contractors New Zealand National Excavator Operator Competition, becoming the first person to win the title for the fourth time.
He took the title over Waikato champion Michael Brown while last year’s runnerup Steven George, of Northland, took third.
Mr Calteaux’s win follows titles in 2018, 2021 and 2022.
He said the win felt great — all the more so because of the nerves of competing for his fourth title in what he knew would be a very close competition.
‘‘It was hard, I felt I was under more pressure than before. I was pretty nervous — a different sort of nerves.
‘‘I knew what I had to do but I just had to get it done,’’ he said.
He said the competition was full of sharp operators.
The Andrew Haulage 2011 Ltd worker had not been on a digger for work for six months, busy supervising other workers and assessing jobs.
‘‘But once you jump back on board, it is muscle memory really.
‘‘You know what to do and it all comes back. I tried not to think too much about it.’’
Part of the challenge was playing a giant game of Connect Four with the digger used to put the discs into the slots.
The traditional Slam Dunk was converted to a marble run by the competitors, who had to plan and dig a course of trenches raised above ground for the ball to follow after it exited the concrete tower.
‘‘It was an awesome course, the best I have ever been on.’’
He said he would be back next year.
Celebrations went long on Saturday night as Mr Calteaux soaked up the win.
Invercargill man Brad Fallow, of SouthRoads, won the Geoff Duff Memorial Trophy, which recognises the best scores across the truckloading challenges featured in the competition.