Lineman’s Rodeo Dazzles at the Iowa State Fair

[Child 1] These guys are really, really fast and good.

(Music)

[Lineman 1] Yeah, it's tricky.

[Chaz] At the state fairgrounds. We're at Elwell Park. Someplace we didn't plan on being nine months ago.

[Man 1] Yes, it is cool. First time I think in Iowa that I know of that it's happened. So it is a cool event.

[Tyler] A lot of people don't know what we do. It’s turning the light switch on and off and sometimes you're a hero, sometimes you're a zero. It's a big thing. I guess.

[Tyler Rosonke, Alliant Energy, Elma] When you lose electricity, you can see the linemen come in the area again and get your power back on. Then everybody lights up and it’s a good deal.

[Chaz Allen, Executive Director, Iowa Utility Association] Well, these guys rebuilt the state in eight days after the derecho. I think they can put 29 poles in the ground in a couple hours to make this happen.

[Tyler] These are brand new poles. So that helps a lot. You know, in the field you can get some really nasty poles that, you know, gaffed up or broken at ground level kind of thing that you got to check all the time.

[Chaz] You got 12 teams of 3 and each team has a judge. We have MidAmerican, Alliant, ITC, Prairie Energy, locals 55. locals 109, locals 204. It's everybody. I mean it's — and anybody that's part of a journeyman or an apprentice can be a part of this.

There is short poles over there for some apprentices to do activities.

The hurt man rescue.

[Lineman 1] It's kind of stressful trying to get every step right in a timely fashion.

[Teen 1] Is the body weighted?

[Man 2] Yes, I think it's 200 pounds.

[Chaz] And then the egg climb?

[Man 3] Yeah. So basically they're going to climb up. Once they get to the top, they're going to put the egg in their mouth. Throw that bucket down. Hang the new bucket. Climb down with the egg in their mouth. And they can't break the egg. If they do, it's an infraction.

[Man 2] I'm assuming they're not boiled.

[Chaz] Then we have this where they—it's a two phase. They move that line there and that line over there. So they just flop them.

[Tyler] So as a climber, there's three man teams. Two guys are the climbers, one guy's the groundman that runs the hand line, sends stuff up, we send stuff down.

[Teen 1] So what are they covering for? So then they can touch it. The orange?

[Man 2] That's called gut. And if you cover it so that it insulates you from contact.

[Chaz] And then we have this one where it's a change out. They go up there and change that out when they're up in the air.

[Man 1] It’s very demanding on the body. Takes a lot more effort than you think to climb a pole and move, work around it and do the work.

[Child 1] There he goes, climbing the pole. That's really, really, really cool. He's real fast. That guy's real fast.

[Chaz] I think the competition between the utilities is fun. Bragging rights for a year. But then the other thing about this is, is to showcase to the kids what these guys do.

[Child 1] I'm gonna be what this guy does when I'm older.

[Tyler] I got two boys of my own, a six and four year old, that want to be linemen too, and just inspires me to, I mean, let them become a lineman one day, you know, if that's what they want to do.

[Chaz] People take for granted what they do. They're used to doing this in 100 degree weather and 30 below zero. This is an 80 degree day at state fair. This is, I mean, it's still hot, but you know, when they're not under the gun, get everybody's power back on. And I think the biggest thing that we talk about is these crews.

When they get sent to Florida, Louisiana, east coast, they're the last ones to leave because they're the best at what they do. And that's, I think Iowa should be proud of that.

[Tyler] It's a brotherhood. I mean, everybody supports each other. I mean, that's a huge thing. That's a lot of unions. That's what it's about, you know, be your brother's keeper and support the union.

[Chaz] If you're a municipal utility, if you're a rec utility, any of the restaurants, they're part of this. We want to grow this. So that includes all the Iowa utilities out there that they can come and compete in this. We want anybody that's a lineman to sign up for this next year and make it bigger.