Jennifer Livingston, Nederland. Local man, Emmit Hoyl, hailing from Rollinsville, wins World Champion for the eighth time in Single Jack Rock Drilling, or Hand Steeling. For the uninitiated, the world of mining competitions may require some explanation. It’s described as a work sport, comparable to timber and lumber jack sports. Emmit explains the event as “essentially a reenactment of old ways of drilling holes into rock to blow it up to extract gold or other ore.” Harken back to the 1800’s and early 1900’s and hear the ear splitting sound of a big hammer on steel, see the calloused hands deftly turning the chisel after each thunderous strike to driving a hole into stone. 

Mining competitions have a rich history in Colorado. Hoyl describes purses that were 1 1/5 times the annual miners salary, it was “big money, and a big deal.” “Nederland’s competition was two days worth of drilling and the streets were packed.” Mining companies would sponsor their best men and side wagers were wild. Per Hoyl, Colorado and Nevada were consistent rivals then. 

Hoyl also competes Double Jack Drilling with Jessy Pattridge of Ward, wherein they take turns holding the chisel as “shaker” in blind faith that the hammer man doesn’t miss. They say they have an “unrecognized” State record of 27 3/4 inches, made in Leadville, just not the State Mining Championship in Creed. 

Pattridge, a successful competitor in his own right, often wins All Around awards, which include Single Jack, Mucking, Spike Driving and Single Man Jackleg competitions. Emmit says mucking makes you “go anaerobic immediately,” it’s basically shoveling 3/4 ton of ore faster than should be humanly possible. Pattridge says that the All Around purses are often the best money of the competition, and plenty of bets are placed on him. Neither of them do it for the money though. 

For them, competition is about camaraderie and friendship. The fathers of Pattridge and Hoyl went to Boulder High together and were reportedly “mostly trouble.” They both got their start in the Nederland Miners Days, which had kid’s events. The men reminisce about training and competing with friends Jermiah and Luke Ranegar. Hoyl states because of their family “we sorta had the inside scoop on the whole thing.” In 2005 there was a big purse and it was Hoyl’s first professional competition. Pattridge went for Mucking and Spike Driving in 2008. 

The men continue to compete and win in Colorado towns including Ouray, Leadville, Victor, Idaho Springs, and Silverton. They also travel to Nevada, Arizona and Idaho for competitions. Both men have drilled over 14 inch Single Jack and there’s only a few men that have accomplished that. 

The World Championship uses a perfect cube of Sierra Nevada Granite, this year shipped to Carson City, Nevada, to standardize rock hardness for the competitors. Pattridge describes trying to keep his nerves together as he waits through the long hot day for his turn at the rock. Hoyl, who makes his own chisels, has been vying over the years with Tom Donovan from Reno. Hoyl guesses Donovan is in his 50’s and states he’s a “manimal” who’s won the Championship 13 times. Other local champions include Mike Smith winning in 1972 and 1975, and Tom Williams winning in 1977, both men were from Nederland. 

Nederland’s Miners Days may be coming back. With support from the Caribou Mine, and Hoyl as president of the Nederland Area Historical Society, Nederland Area residents have an opportunity to help bring back the fun and historical significance of the Nederland Area Miners Days, and to share the tradition with up and coming youth. 

(Originally published in the November 21, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)