Each profession has a competition that brings out the best of the best. Hockey has the Stanley Cup. Soccer has the World Cup. Baseball has the World Series. Football has the Super Bowl.
In the electric industry, the lineman equivalent is the annual International Lineman's Rodeo.
That’s why we are so proud of our journeymen who represented SDG&E at the 35th Annual International Lineman’s Rodeo in Kansas City, MO, last month.
Out of 220 teams in the electric industry from across America and Canada, the journeyman team from our Northeast Construction and Operations Center in Escondido, consisting of Nick Smith, Chad Clovis and Myles Mendivil, placed 4th in the Investor-Owned Utilities (IOU) Division and 6th overall.
“Our focus is always on providing safe, reliable power to our customers,” said Monica Curry, electric construction manager at our Beach Cities District. “But getting kudos from peer professionals for the incredible work these teams do every day is something to celebrate. Congratulations to all for their effort to prepare for rodeo and compete safely.”
Excelling Despite Adverse Weather Conditions
Teams and apprentices competed in events involving climbing and performing typical lineman tasks from poles, using hot sticks (insulated sticks) or rubber gloves designed for working on energized high voltage electrical equipment while maintaining a safe working distance. They also competed in a hurt man rescue event. All are judged for safety, work practices, neatness and ability, equipment handling and timely completion of the event.
Adding to the challenge, the weather became the extra playmaker, or should we say, playbreaker. Rain fell for days prior to the competition, leaving the former hay field saturated. Even with dumping loads of mulch and wood chips, the teams slogged through trenches of mud all day to and from events. Despite these adverse conditions, there were no injuries to any of the SDG&E teams and apprentices during the competition, which is not surprising considering the value they place on performing their tasks safely.
“Safety and efficiency go hand in hand at this event, just like they do for SDG&E crews in the field,” said Curry.
More Information
According to the trade publication, T&D World, the 35th International Lineman’s Rodeo attracted nearly 1,000 competitors. For event highlights, check out these two T&D articles:
https://www.tdworld.com/electric-utility-operations/linemen-compete-super-bowl-rodeos