At the end of November, the international final of the Game of Cranes took place at the Liebherr plant in Ehingen, Germany. The five best mobile crane operators from North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Africa/Middle East/Asia regions competed against each other, performing five practical and theoretical tasks.

Over two days, they had to calculate load capacities and rigging conditions, configure cranes and transport loads. The crane operators rotated from one stage to the next: in the training centre, they had to correctly attach various loads such as concrete buckets and blocks to an indoor crane, while outside they had to manoeuvre a container – inside which pylons and a pyramid of cups had been erected – around an obstacle.

“At the next stages, the finalists calculated the wind load on a steel plate and lifted it over an obstacle using a single hook before pouring a bottle precisely into a beer glass using two hooks,” shared Michaela Gogeißl, sales manager customer training.

The last two stages also required precision and concentration. The finalists had to pick up a 5-t load and guide it through an S-shaped course with simultaneous movements – lifting, luffing, turning – without bumping into the obstacles. “Last but not least, the ‘hot wire’ awaited our professionals. They had to guide a slewing ring over a pipe construction using two hooks without touching it,” added Ms Gogeißl.

‘World Crane Champion’

The title of ‘World Crane Champion’ goes to Scott White from City Lifting in Great Britain, winning the competition with 898 points. “It was a fantastic competition and great fun – I’m over the moon that I did it! The S-course was the biggest challenge, the hot wire was the best station,” said Mr White. He has already been invited to defend his title in 2027.

The other placings:

• Second place: Joey Fisher (Johnson and Young Cranes, Australia) – 861 points, region: Australia.

• Third place: Kirk Smith (Titan Cranes, New Zealand) – 811 points, region: Africa/Middle East/Asia.

• Fourth place: Nick Jackman (Mountain Crane Service, USA) – 756 points, region: North America.

• Fifth place: Leonardo Navarro (WWN Guindastes, Brazil) – 690 points, region: South America.

Liebherr received around 200 applications from mobile crane operators from all over the world to take part in the Game of Cranes. “The performances we saw in the final were impressive. All participants demonstrated how demanding and professional crane operation is today,” said Christoph Behmüller, head of training and development at Liebherr in Ehingen.