The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) branch of Bobcat Equipment South Africa was instrumental in assisting the Pecanwood Oktoberfest Lifestyle Festival in the Midlands attempt a Guinness World Record attempt for the longest slip-and-slide on Saturday 20 October.

The 1.6-m-wide and 630-m-long trench needed for the slip-and-slide was dug out over a three-day period with the assistance of a Bobcat S175 skidsteer loader. Here the main challenge was to dig through the thick wattle-like ground cover, KZN GM Brian Rachman explains. “The project was simply to sculpt the trench for a plastic lining to be placed over it, in order for soapy water to be sluiced down its length to create the slip-and-slide.”

Rachman comments that Bobcat was approached by the organisers to render assistance for the community project. The KZN branch participates in at least two local community initiatives a year, including a recent clean-up operation at Bluff Beach near Durban.

“It is important for us to become involved with the communities in which we operate, as it not only generates brand awareness, but establishes us a company that cares and gives back.”

The attempt at the Guinness Word Record, staged in conjunction with One Degree Group, was the highlight of the Pecanwood Oktoberfest, which included top local artists, a 4x4 showdown event, and a 7 km or 14 km trail run combined with a full camping experience.

Rachman points out that the Bobcat S175 skidsteer loader was ideal for this unusual application, due to its industry-leading features such as a vertical-path lift-arm design boosting jobsite performance. This means that, due to the low profile of the lift arms, all-round visibility is ensured when loading, from the sides to the front and rear corners.

The Bobcat S175 skidsteer loader is a particularly versatile machine, thanks to a wide range of attachments, which means that the bucket can be changed effortlessly with a backhoe, pallet fork, landscape rake, sweeper, tiller, or grapple as needed. Attachment hook-up is facilitated by the Bob-Tach™ mounting system.

Safety features include the Bobcat Interlock Control System (BICS), which requires the operator to be seated in the skidsteer loader, with the seat bar in place and the engine running. Thereafter the hydraulic lift/tilt functions and traction drive system can only be engaged after the operator activates the specific button.