Ocean Ford master technician Andy Christensen won the Ford National Dealer Technician Skills Competition held in Melbourne in October, earning $4995 in prize money for his national win, and advanced to compete on the world stage at the Ford IMG Technician Champions Trophy in Thailand earlier this month.

Mr Christensen, who has been a mechanic for nearly 20 years, and with Ocean Ford Whakatāne for almost a decade, won the New Zealand national title after excelling in a rigorous two-stage competition process.

The national event in Melbourne – run in conjunction with the Australian competition – tested technicians through theoretical and practical challenges.

His victory sent him and Ocean Ford Whakatāne boss Stephen Hermansen to Bangkok in the second week of November for the global Ford IMG competition, where Mr Christensen competed against top technicians from around the world including technicians from Africa, India, the Middle East and Asia.

“The competition in Thailand consisted of two main components,” Mr Christensen said.

“There was an off-vehicle section that tested general knowledge of the workshop manuals, measurements, and electrical circuits. Then there was the on-vehicle section where a Ranger Wild Trak had several faults deliberately built into it. We were given three hours to diagnose and repair all of them.”

Although competitors were told to expect five faults, seven were present – with some hidden issues that appeared only after other problems were fixed. “Those were the tricky ones,” he said.

Mr Christensen qualified for the Melbourne event through a demanding 100-question theory test completed under strict time pressure. Only the top three technicians in New Zealand progressed to the in-person competition.

When the winners were announced in Melbourne, Mr Christensen was excited he’d made it to the next step.  “Once they called second place, I realised – well, I guess I won,” he said.

The travel proved to be a challenge, not long after returning from the Melbourne competition, Mr Christensen was off to Thailand for the international leg of the competition.

“We left Auckland at 1am and arrived in Thailand the same day the competition orientation began, it was a very busy trip.”

While he did not place in the top three internationally, Mr Christensen said the experience was invaluable.

“It was a great experience, and everyone who made it that far received a cash prize, US$1000.”

Mr Christensen and Mr Hermansen also received a certificate of recognition directly from the Ford Ranger manufacturing factory in Thailand, celebrating their “good reporting of product quality issues by collecting photographic evidence before repairing, which helps assist Ford plants and product quality teams in utilising information to improve vehicle quality and production processes”.

Mr Christensen originally hails from the United States and moved to New Zealand 10 years ago. Although he didn’t initially plan on becoming a mechanic – first working at ski resorts – his career path changed when his father offered him a job at the family’s repair shop.

“He offered to pay me $5 more an hour, so I said ‘okay,’” he said.

Mr Christensen has since become one of Ocean Ford’s most highly qualified technicians. Keeping up with the rapid advancement in vehicle technology, he says, requires constant training.

“Every time a new model or refresh comes out, Ford runs courses on the updates. It’s ongoing training.”

The Ocean Ford Whakatāne team is “incredibly proud” of his achievements. Now back at the Commerce Street workshop he has returned to his day-to-day role again, continuing his work as one of the company’s Ocean Ford Whakatane’s top master technicians.