As already reported the final of Liebherr's crane operator challenge - Game of Cranes - was held in Ehingen, Germany, at the end of November, with Scott White of the UK named as the overall winner.
Scott White preparing to lift and place the container load of free standing objects
Following our announcement of the winners last week, we bring you a little more detail of the individual tests and how the five winners reacted.
The five are: Leonardo Navarro of WWN Guindastes, Brazil, Nick Jackman of Mountain Crane in the USA, Kirk Smith of Titan Cranes in New Zealand, Scott White of City Lifting in the UK and Joey Fisher of Johnson & Young Cranes in Australia.
Joey Fisher slinging loads
Over two days, participants were tested in a wide range of crane operation subjects, including load and capacity calculations, rigging assessments, crane configuration, load handling and transportation. Plus, of course, a number of demanding lifting exercises.
. The practical tasks involved:
- Attaching/rigging a range of loads on an indoor crane.
- Manoeuvring a container containing free standing posts and a pyramid of cups through an obstacle course.
- Calculating wind loads on a steel plate and then lifting it over an obstacle.
- Pouring a bottle of beer into a glass using two hooks, one to tilt the glass and one to tilt the bottle, using remote controls.
- Guiding a five tonne load through an S-shaped course with multi-function operation, lift, luffing and slewing.
- Completing a ‘hot wire’ test, using a two hook set up to move a ring along an elevated pipe/tube without touching the pipe with the ring.
Leonardo Navarro pouring a bottle of beer into a glass
Scott White of City Lifting, UK, achieved the highest total score with 898 points. Speaking after winning, he said: “It was a fantastic competition and great fun – I’m over the moon that I did it! The S-course was the biggest challenge, and the hot wire was the best station. I definitely hope to be able to return to defend the title in 2027.
Second place was awarded to Joey Fisher of Johnson and Young Cranes, Australia, who scored 861 points. He said: “It was incredible, just amazing! I was here with my wife Nicole and, to be honest, I was pretty nervous – there were so many people watching.”
Nick Jackman (R) watches as a member of the judging jury checks if the complex spreader beam is correctly attached/rigged
Kirk Smith of Titan Cranes, New Zealand, the winner of the Africa/Middle East and Asia semi-final, semi final took third place with 811 points. He said: “It was a very challenging competition – and a great experience! The sportsmanship of my fellow competitors was incredible, but I still had a few sleepless nights.”
Winner Scott White (L) with Christoph Kleiner of Liebherr
Fourth place went to Nick, Jackman of Mountain Crane Service, USA, with 756 points. Jackman said: “It was a great competition – very well thought out and perfectly organised. Today is not only the final of the Game of Cranes, but also Thanksgiving – and the Liebherr plant in Ehingen is the best place to celebrate.”
The winners (L-R): Nick Jackman, Joey Fisher, Scott White, Kirk Smith and Leonardo Navarro
Fifth place was secured by Leonardo Navarro of WWN Guindastes, Brazil, with 690 points. He added, “Each stage of this competition required a lot of knowledge and skill. In addition to the professional organisation, which included a factory tour and the opportunity to operate a 3,000 tonne LR 13000 was perfect, I also enjoyed the exchange with the other crane operators.”
Liebherr received around 200 applications from mobile crane operators around the world. The next Game of Cranes is scheduled for 2027.
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