Ken Bowyer, a crane operator for ALL Crane Rental of Florida, based in Tampa, has been named champion of the 2014 National Crane Rodeo. The event was held during the ConExpo/CONAGG 2014 trade show in Las Vegas.
Bowyer said his favorite Stetson cowboy hat brought him the luck he needed during the event, even though he didn’t wear it while operating the Liebherr 1220-5.2 all-terrain crane because it impeded his vision.
“I wore it before the championship, but not inside the cab,” Bowyer told Modern Materials Handling. “I didn’t want anything impeding my vision, even if it did bring me luck. I’m very passionate about this industry. Crane operators have a lot of responsibility and professionalism. The rodeo competition is just one way of drawing attention to a growing field.”
In addition to an inscribed belt buckle that declares him the rodeo champion, Bowyer also was presented with a check for $2,000 and a miniature model of the crane he drove while winning the event.