Staff Report
Call it the Olympics for linemen, the Super Bowl for linemen — or by its real name, a RODEO.
Burlington’s George Gripshover is getting ready for the big show, the 33rd Annual International Lineman’s Rodeo.
He and 14 other Midwest linemen have been practicing this week at the Indiana Regional Headquarters Training Facility. This is serious rodeo.
Gripshover, a first year Duke Energy lineman, is competing in his first-ever International Lineman’s Rodeo, a rigorous, physically challenging competition taking place next week in Kansas. The host utility is the Kansas City Power & Light and Westar Energy in Bonner Springs, Kansas.
The competition will be held at Overland Park Convention Center.
Gripshover works in the field on Duke Energy’s power grid — and he’s powering up himself for the competition often called the “Olympics for Linemen.”
About 100 utilities from around the U.S., Canada and Jamaica will take part in the challenge, which includes some pretty tough competitions. How would you like to speed climb a pole with an egg in your mouth — and have to survive with an unbroken egg.
The Lineman’s Rodeo attracts the best linemen from around the world to compete in events based on traditional lineman tasks and skills. The first Lineman’s Rodeo was held in September 1984, with twelve participating teams from Kansas and Missouri. The Rodeo has grown to over 200 teams and 250 apprentices.
The competition is part of a safety and training conference and exposition.
The 2016 Team and Apprentice Events include team events — huntsman rescue, pole climb, two mystery events — and apprentice events — a written test, huntsman rescue, pole climb and two mystery events.
Gripshover is a first year Duke Energy lineman who lives in Burlington and is competing in his first ever International Lineman’s Rodeo.
Competitions may include the rescue of an injured co-worker or a simulation of on-the-job duties.
Gripshover credits having two cousins who are linemen, with getting him interested in his job. He grew up in Maysville. Outside work he enjoys golfing, hunting and fishing.
Follow Duke Energy’s Sally Thelen’s live tweeting from the International Lineman’s Rodeo next week at: @de_SallyT on her twitter handle.
