Top Canadian Apprentice Zach Agombar on His Experience at the Ideal National Championship

EIN Zach A Ideal 400

Jan 3, 2019

“I had an awesome time, it was a lot of fun,” said Zach Agombar, who competed his way to 8th place in the Apprentice division of the Ideal National Championship. In his second year at the competition, Agombar was Canada’s fastest apprentice and placed higher than any other Canadian, making it to the semi-finals. Paul Hannania and Lance Giesbrecht finished 41st and 42nd respectively as the fastest Canadians on the professional side.

Agombar is in the fifth year of his apprenticeship, and currently working for KVO Electric he has just one more term of school before he can become a fully licenced electrician.

Like most electricians that competed in the event, Zach came across a qualifier set up at his local supplier, which in his case was Electrozad London. “I gave it a try and got addicted,” he said, “once you try it, it’s pretty fun.”

“This year they changed the board completely, so it was nice to have something brand new.” He noted, adding this year the board was a little more technical, “you have to be quick and precise or else it won’t work.”Zach A 2

Many of the Canadians that made it down to Florida for Ideal’s National Championship last year were back again. Which added to the team aspect of the event. Everyone was supportive and cheered one another on.

“Even though you’re competing against one another, you wish each other luck and everyone’s cheering for one another,” said Zach, “When I made it to the second and third rounds, I even had Americans cheering for me.”

So, there is certainly a comradery that adds to the overall experience. Being professionals and skilled tradespeople, there is a level of respect that goes beyond the competition.

Held from November 7th to 9th in Orlando, Florida, and recently aired on ESPN 2, the Ideal National Championships gives electricians a chance to display their skills in a high-level competition. The event expanded internationally for the first time this year — over 55,000 electricians from 5 countries attempted to qualify for a chance to compete in the championship event. Last year’s event was the first to feature electricians from outside the United States. For 2019 they increased the number of Canadian qualifiers, and extended the competition to Mexico, Australia and China.

Zach noted that this year they had a Canadian judge, which was beneficial because there is difference in the Canadian and American standards. Where last year Canadians, like Zach, may have gotten docked for something that was acceptable and common practice in Canada. “Last year I wired it the Canadian way, so I got picked a part pretty good,” he said.

Although, he admitted, “I might have gotten to the final round if I didn’t screw up my four-point saddle bends.”

Like many of the returning electricians, Agombar said he benefited from his past experience. When it comes to nerves – with cameras and cheering crowds – as well as the work. This time around he made sure to have a high attention to detail, which ultimately paid off in his result.

Saddle bends aside, “I’m proud of how I did this year, I had a lot of fun competing.”

Related Articles


Latest Articles

  • IDEAL Canada Wraps up Eighth Season of Battle of the Schools

    IDEAL Canada Wraps up Eighth Season of Battle of the Schools

    This year, IDEAL Canada is celebrating 60 years of manufacturing in Canada. In the spirit of celebration, the company has given apprentices across the country another chance to show off their talents and celebrate their skills as burgeoning electricians with the Battle of the Schools. IDEAL awarded over $25,000 in cash in prizes to apprentices… Read More…

  • Ontario EV ChargeON Program Accepting Applications until January 31, 2024

    Ontario EV ChargeON Program Accepting Applications until January 31, 2024

    November 29, 2023 The province is accepting applications for the EV ChargeON program to build publicly accessible charging stations in communities with less than 170,000 people, as well as in any Indigenous community in Ontario. Eligible applicants include businesses, not-for-profit corporations, municipalities, Indigenous businesses, organizations and communities, and broader public sector organizations like hospitals and… Read More…

  • A Closer Look at ESA’s EV Charger Installation Blitz & EV Charger Considerations

    A Closer Look at ESA’s EV Charger Installation Blitz & EV Charger Considerations

    Earlier this year, the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) conducted an EV charger installation ‘blitz’ as part of their campaign to educate homeowners and consumers, in an effort to improve EV charger installation safety in Ontario. Read More…

  • I Have Two Questions for You

    I Have Two Questions for You

    November 24, 2023 By Keith Sones, Valard EVP Strategy & Business Development I have two questions for you. First, how many people do you think you’ll meet in your life? It’s not that hard to determine, quite frankly. Yes, it requires a lot of assumptions to represent the “average” person, but it is possible. Before… Read More…


Changing Scene

  • Delta Transformers Unveils Newly Redesigned Website

    Delta Transformers Unveils Newly Redesigned Website

    December 8, 2023 Delta Transformers is proud to announce the launch of its redesigned website, updated to deliver a superior user experience through a blend of aesthetics and functionality.  This redesign marks a significant step forward, offering users improved navigation, enhanced content, and intuitive features aimed at simplifying the customer journey.  Key highlights of Delta’s… Read More…

  • Electrical Safety Authority Recognizes Safety Excellence in Ontario

    Electrical Safety Authority Recognizes Safety Excellence in Ontario

    December 7, 2023 Yesterday, December 6th, the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) held its Annual Meeting and Ontario Electrical Safety Awards to celebrate leadership and electrical safety excellence. In addition to the awards, ESA’s Chair Christopher Hopper, and Chief Executive Officer, Josie Erzetic, highlighted ESA’s accomplishments from the previous year, and Patience Cathcart, Public Safety Officer provided key findings of… Read More…

  • ABB E-mobility Launches Terra AC Wallbox Solutions for Homes and Businesses in Canada

    ABB E-mobility Launches Terra AC Wallbox Solutions for Homes and Businesses in Canada

    December 6, 2023 ABB’s Terra AC Wallbox product family is now available through select ABB Installation Product electrical distribution partners across Canada. The solutions offer tailored, intelligent, and networked charging for business, home and a wide range of locations such as commercial or public facilities, workplaces, multifamily residences, and fleet parking lots. “The versatile e-mobility… Read More…

  • ECS contributes to UBC Solar’s “Brightside” Race Car Project

    ECS contributes to UBC Solar’s “Brightside” Race Car Project

    December 6, 2023 Electrical Wire Donation Powers Innovation and Education in Sustainable Engineering Electrical Cable Supply (ECS) is delighted to announce its recent contribution to UBC Solar – a student engineering design team at the University of British Columbia (UBC). In support of cutting-edge education and sustainable innovation, ECS has donated a diverse array of… Read More…