Tipmont linemen enjoy strong showing at International Lineman Rodeo

Tipmont linemen enjoyed a strong showing at the 2025 International Lineman’s Rodeo, held October 15-18 in Overland Park, Kansas, where they competed against hundreds of teams from the United States and Canada.

This showcase of on-the-job skills and safe operations simulated such real-world scenarios as rescuing an injured lineman from atop an electric pole, line restoration and hardware installation / removal. As they would on poles inaccessible from Tipmont bucket trucks, linemen used harnesses around their waists and spiked gaffs strapped to their legs.

Bo Bouwkamp (working foreman), Christian Guimond (apprentice lineman) and Dusty Manns (journeyman lineman) made up Tipmont’s competing team, and apprentice lineman Dylan Gretencord also served as a judge in the competition.

Bouwkamp, Guimond and Manns competed in four total team events, including two mystery tasks unknown until the night before the event.

“This was probably our best year yet at the international level,” Manns said. “We were smooth and clean. We had some good runs and great weather, and it was great competition.”

In the division that includes cooperative utilities, Tipmont’s team finished 22nd in the Egg Climb — a timed task in which linemen climb the pole with a basket carrying an egg, put the egg in their mouth when they get to the top, and then carefully climb down. Points are deducted if eggs are cracked before safely reaching flat ground. They also finished 35th in the Hurt Man Rescue event.

“We had a single mishap at the Hurt Man that gave us a deduction,” Bouwkamp said. “But that’s how the lineman rodeo goes. You win and lose by dumb luck sometimes. You only get to do it once with no mulligans.”

Tipmont’s team also fared well in the two mystery events — one simulating the change-out of a de-energized crossarm and another simulating the change-out of an energized suspension insulator bell. They respectively finished 21st and 8th in those events.

“Those are usually harder events, and it’s difficult to do those and not go over on time,” Bouwkamp said. “We were well underneath the time threshold on each, which shows that we came together well with a good plan.”

“As always: We’re grateful to Tipmont taking a chance on us to send us there,” Manns said. “We always do our best to represent Tipmont well and stand out, and we appreciate the support.”