Crane operator Bowyer retains rodeo crown
19 October 2015 by Daniel SearleCrane operator Kenneth Bowyer, of All Crane Rental of Florida, has retained his title at the Crane Operator & Rigger Skills Championship.
The event, also known as the national crane rodeo competition, was held on September 29 during the ICUEE show at Louisville, Kentucky, and represented the national finals of the competition after various regional events.
From the more than 100 entrants across the US, 14 competed in the final for the $10,000 prize. The contestants competed on an Altec AC45-127S 45t truck-mounted crane with a 127ft, five-section telescopic boom, manoeuvring the machine across an obstacle course.
"The course was more challenging this year," said Bowyer, a 20-year crane operator. "It required us to implement a lot more skill while working to have the best time without making a mistake that could disqualify you. I was really shooting to win a second time, as nobody has ever won it consecutively before."
