Single Jack
The world championship is held in Carson City during the annual Nevada Day celebration. Contestants must have placed 1st in any regional contest in order to qualify for the championship. A perfect cube of Sierra White Granite quarried from the Coldspring quarry in Raymond, CA is used to ensure consistency in hardness and composition. Hammers are weighed to ensure they do not exceed 4.5 lbs. shafted. And the longest steel is measured to ensure it is not less than .750" in diameter at the chisel tip. No alloy steels or carbide inserts are allowed, though alloy steels are more frequently becoming the only option for chisel fabrication. There is a limit of 12 drill steels per competitor. Contestants are given ten minutes to drill the deepest hole possible.
Year | Champion | From | Depth |
---|---|---|---|
1972 | Mike Smith | Nederland, CO — *Held in Denver CO | |
1975 | Mike Smith | Nederland, CO | 10.06” WR |
1976 | Fred Andreasen | Carson City, NV | 10.38” WR |
1977 | Tom Williams | Nederland, CO | 10.06” |
1978 | Fred Andreasen | Carson City, NV | 10.75” WR |
1979 | Fred Andreasen | Carson City, NV | 10.94” WR |
1980 | Dick Bauer | Fillmore, UT | 11.31” WR |
1981 | Dick Bauer | Fillmore, UT | 13.88” WR |
1982 | Fred Andreasen | Carson City, NV | 13.75” |
1983 | Tom Payne | Creede, CO | 13.59” |
1984 | Fred Andreasen | Carson City, NV | 13.48” |
1985 | Fred Andreasen | Carson City, NV | 13.33” |
1986 | Randy McClure | Creede, CO | 13.93” WR |
1987 | Fred Andreasen | Carson City, NV | 13.33” |
1988 | Randy McClure | Creede, CO | 14.38” WR |
1989 | Randy McClure | Creede, CO | 13.22” |
1990 | Randy McClure | Creede, CO | 14.09” |
1991 | Tom Donovan | Reno, NV | 11.90” |
1992 | Scott Havens | Congress, AZ | 14.88” WR |
1993 | Scott Havens | Congress, AZ | 16.34” WR |
1994 | Scott Havens | Elko, NV | 16.09” |
1995 | Scott Havens | Elko, NV | 16.12” |
1996 | Scott Havens | Elko, NV | 16.00” |
1997 | Tom Donovan | Reno, NV | 15.56” |
1998 | Skip Leedy | Reno, NV | 13.47” |
1999 | Tom Donovan | Reno, NV | 14.47” |
2000 | Tom Donovan | Reno, NV | 13.63” |
2001 | Skip Leedy | Reno, NV | 12.87” |
2002 | Skip Leedy | Reno, NV | 12.41” |
2003 | Skip Leedy | Reno, NV | 14.59” |
2004 | Skip Leedy | Reno, NV | 13.87” |
2005 | Tom Donovan | Reno, NV | 13.91” |
2006 | Tom Donovan | Reno, NV | 14.34” |
2007 | Tom Donovan | Reno, NV | 13.41” |
2008 | Emmit Hoyl | Rollinsville, CO | 13.63” |
2009 | Emmit Hoyl | Rollinsville, CO | 13.64” |
2010 | Emmit Hoyl | Rollinsville, CO | 14.59” |
2011 | Tom Donovan | Reno, NV | 13.00" |
2012 | Emmit Hoyl | Rollinsville, CO | 14.375" |
2013 | Tom Donovan | Reno, NV | 14.25" |
2014 | Tom Donovan | Reno, NV | 13.88" |
2015 | Emmit Hoyl | Rollinsville, CO | 13.88" |
2016 | Tom Donovan | Reno, NV | 14.22" |
2017 | Emmit Hoyl | Rollinsville, CO | 15.53" |
2018 | Tom Donovan | Reno, NV | 14.12" |