Heavy Metal Rodeo is the premier heavy equipment exhibition and operator skill showcase in the US. Our foremost goal is always safety. Utilizing fully-duplex headsets for the participants and judges/instructors to speak in real-time, without the distraction of hand signals or walkies; any communication is done safety and quickly. We can also utilize kill-switches allowing the judges the ability to ‘kill’ equipment on-site as a last resort. Finally, we have designed each course with spectators in mind so they can fully enjoy the experience and competition safely away from any equipment.
We bring together the very best operators in the country to compete head-to-head in a variety of skill-based challenges to crown the Ultimate Champion. What sets us apart is that we run the equipment in tandem so there will be operators competing side-by-side. So not only are they competing against the course but also their partner - adding an entirely new level of challenge. Our Rodeos are also mobile! Not only can we can host them on-site at our locations but we can bring Heavy Metal Rodeo to you! Our trained professional staff, support materials, and partnerships within the industry allows us to travel to most locations with Heavy Metal Rodeo - Pop Up.
Challenge.
Compete.
Conquer.
The Excavator
World’s Strongest Tire Flip
- Flex your hydraulic muscles! This tire is HEAVY.
Heavy Metal Basketball
- Three basketballs need to make it into our NBA regulation trash barrel.
Walk the Plank
- Yarr! Move yer pail with yer bucket across a beam. Don’t fall off!
Leaning Tower of Rubber
- It may lean… but it needs to still stand!
The Rake
- Show us your raking skill without losing your mind!
These challenges are meant to test your speed, skill, and depth perception in the excavator. Can you ‘stick’ the landing?
The Bulldozer
Show us your control and expertise in a bulldozer!
Tire Waltz
It takes two to tango. In this case, a 20-ton ‘dozer and a 1-ton tractor tire. Can you dance your way through the barrels without touching them?
Tennis Ball Swerve
Knock 3 tennis balls off 3 cones using only your blade and hitch. They all must fall!
Reverse Slalom
Serpentine between barrels is hard enough but let’s make it harder by going backwards!
Dozer Limbo How low can you go? Manipulate the blade as you dip and slip through a series of checkpoints.
The Sprint Push it.. push it real good! Take that tire back to the house in a dead sprint
THE WHEEL LOADER
Tuning Forks
Pick up a steel pipe and lift it carefully without touching the forks on either side. Oh…. then put it back where you found it… You’ll need steady hands for this one!
Tennis Ball Swerve
Knock those tennis balls off with the pole from the Tuning Forks. Don’t drop the pole!
Sidewinder Slalom
Drive through our barrel course as fast as you can forward and then in reverse. Sounds easy, right? Wait… who put those barrels so close together!!!
Load and Carry
Put your skills to use. Grab the biggest load of dirt you can and drop it on target. Piece of cake, right?
Tires Stack
Our tires need to be stacked like flapjacks. Better be fast!
It’s articulated: that just means we made the course tighter and harder. Buckle up!
THE MINI EXCAVATOR
Size matters…. luckily we have a thumb.
Bowling Ball Maze Use the bucket to maneuver a bowling ball through a maze of cones.
Tennis Ball Touchdown
3 tennis balls on 3 cones. They must fall to secure the win!
Tire Tower
Stack em and Rack em!
Bucket Brigade
Pick up a full bucket of water on a pole and bring it back home! Don’t spill a drop!
Operation: Basketball
Remember playing this game as a kid? Same concept. You pick up a bowling ball and manipulate the controls to place it’s home. Don’t touch the sides!
Rules:
Participants MUST be professional operators with excellent equipment control and provide proof of experience. Safety is the top priority. Heavy Metal Rodeo reserves the right to stop and remove participants that cannot safely complete the challenges at any time.
Participants can compete on any or all of the 4 pieces of equipment.
Completing all 4 types of equipment allows the participant to be scored in the Overall Champion bracket.
Each piece of equipment has 5 unique challenges. Your score is the total time to complete all 5 challenges.
Time starts at first movement and ends at the point of the last challenge completion.
The top 10 scores for each piece of equipment will be tracked.
The Overall Competition is based on the TOTAL score for all 4 pieces of equipment.
Each challenge has specific objectives and penalties for any infraction. Your referee will go over the course with you prior to your start. ANY infraction results in an additional 30 seconds being added to your total time plus any additional time to reset the obstacle, if needed.
You MUST complete each challenge in the designated order.
Participants are allowed 1 practice rotation for up to 10 minutes per piece of equipment. Participants must announce their intent to train prior to getting in the equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
+ What is Heavy Metal Rodeo?
Heavy Metal Rodeo is an equipment skill competition for professionals. We take the best operators and put them head-to-head to see who will win under pressure!
+ Can I can come watch?
Our QUALIFIER ROUNDS are for our operator participants only and booked by reservation around their busy schedules. But we are open to the public for our FINAL ROUNDS. We encourage you to come out to watch and cheer on these skilled operators! Check out our newsletter for dates, times, and locations. If you still have questions, feel free to contact us.
+ Who can compete?
Heavy Metal Rodeo participants need to be experienced heavy equipment operators. We open the field to seasoned operators that are proficient on the specific type of equipment they are planning to compete on.
+ How much does it cost?
Heavy Metal Rodeo is FREE to participants to compete AND the general public to watch! We want to challenge and recognize the best of the best in the industry.
+ What do I win for participating?
You win bragging rights! We'll list the top 10 scores for each piece of equipment and overall champion on our website. Additional prizes to be announced closer to the event.
+ When and where is it?
Check out our newsletter or Facebook Forum for dates and locations.
+ How does the competition work?
Participants can compete on any of the pieces of equipment. They may all also chose to compete on all 4 pieces to become the Overall Champion.