HARDROCK GAMES

The Enduring Appeal of Mine-Drilling Contests

- BY STEVE VOYNICK

Far right: Using a precision depth gauge, a contest judge measures the depth of hand-drilling holes to an accuracy of 1/32nd of an inch.

Drilling holes into solid rock would not be fun for most people. But hardrock miners do exactly that for weekend recreation. Why? To gain prestige, win big cash prizes, celebrate mining's history, measure their skills against those of their peers, and put on colorful shows for tourists who visit mining-town summer festivals across the West.

Working-skill competitions are an honored tradition among several professions: Cowboys have their rodeos, farmers their tractor pulls, loggers their chainsaw competitions and miners their drilling contests. Seventeen drilling contests are staged annually in eight western states giving the non-mining public a chance to observe modern and traditional underground mining skills in action and learn about the remarkable physical effort that made frontier-era mining possible.

1. This jackleg competitor will drill through four feet of granite in about one minute.

2. At the start of jackleg competition, a miner hauls the 130-pound drill and its telescoping leg to the drilling rock.

3. This jackleg competitor is attempting to collar a hole within a small designated area.

4. The heavy hammers leave no room for error.

5. To complete the hand-mucking event, miners must push the loaded ore car to a dump point.

HAMMERS & HAND STEELS