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"