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In one minute and 34 seconds, Stian Flesjå mounted chains on two wheels during the final of the Norwegian Chain Championship. It was just enough to win the final.
On a daily basis, Stian Flesjå drives concrete elements for Finnøy Betong to customers all over Southern Norway. There can be many long trips with heavy loads from the base in Finnøy, forty kilometers north of Stavanger. But in the trucking community, Flesjå is perhaps best known for the speed and precision he puts in when the chain is being put on in the Kjetting-NM.
For the last three years, Flesjå has won the competition. This year, he narrowly beat Alf Otto Førde, a bus driver in Firda Billag. The latter has several years of experience as a truck driver.
The starting signal for the final has gone off and Stian Flesjå throws himself at the wheel with the chain in his fists.
Correct chain placement is crucial to getting a fast time.
After partial assembly on the right side, Flesjå runs further towards the chain that is ready on the left side.
A smiling winner after victory is secured.
In the final, Førde came in just two seconds behind, but it could have quickly ended in victory for the bus driver. Førde was unlucky and tripped and fell when he rushed out of the cab in the middle of the final round.
A winner was also named in a separate class for apprentices. Here it was Mats Tesdal, a former apprentice and now a regular employee at Bergen Bilhjelp, who came away with the victory.
– How do you become good at laying chains?
– Of course, you have to practice a little, but an important point is to put the chain on properly before you drive forward. There are many people who tend to miss a bit. They put it on a little crookedly, and then they struggle to get it in place afterwards, Tesdal tells Yrkestrafikk.
– It's better to spend a few more seconds getting it on correctly. If you're too fast and miss, it'll quickly become more difficult.
– Do you often have to put on chains as a car tow truck driver in Bergen?
– It varies. Some winters you can put chains on 20 times a day, while other winters it's almost nothing. This season it was only 3-4 times for me.
Tesdal received his trade certificate in March and will not be allowed to participate in the apprenticeship class until next year, but he has no plans to give up.
– I have to try my hand at the professional class too. I want to.
With a winning time of one minute and 29 seconds this year, young Tesdal will be a strong contender when he enters the professional class. Tesdal has won the apprentice class three times. In this year's final, he met Maria Ørnung Skjønhaug, an apprentice at Skjønhaug Transport.
Rules in Chain-NM
Before the start, the participants lay the chain on the ground next to the wheel. In the preliminary heats, semi-finals and bronze final, only one drive chain must be mounted. In the finals, two must be mounted.
Participants are not allowed to jump in and out of the truck. If the participant gets out or in the wrong way, there will be a penalty round. Participants must apply the parking brake when they get out of the truck. The door must be closed when the truck is moving and when the participant is out of the truck.
The chain should be mounted correctly with the spikes out and the bear lock on the outside. The chains are attached to the third link (or tighter) from the cross link on the inside and outside.
