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Gallery: GRU participates in Florida Lineman Competition

WUFT | By Rae Riiska
Published March 6, 2023 at 4:22 PM EST
Lineman: An apprentice stands on a high beam.
Cole Kite, an apprentice, competes in the H-Frame crossover event at the 2023 Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando, Fla. March 4, 2023. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)
Lineman Competition: GRU workers wearing hard hats gather near heavy equipment.
The GRU journeymen team speaks to judges at the 2023 Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando, Fla. March 4, 2023. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)

Lineman: A worker is suspended from the top of a telephone pole.
John Reger (left) and Aaron Neiss (right) compete in a journeyman competition at the 2023 Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando, Fla. March 4, 2023. Twenty-two journeyman teams competed, equaling 70 individual journeymen. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)

Brad Thomas, a retired GRU competitor, climbs an H-Frame for a group photo during the 2023 Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando, Fla., March 4, 2023. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)
Brad Thomas, a retired GRU competitor, climbs an H-Frame for a group photo during the 2023 Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando, Fla., March 4, 2023. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)

Lineman: A man reaches across a wire at the top of a telephone pole.
Ben Feely, an apprentice, drops a tool needed to complete his event during the 2023 Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando, Fla., March 4, 2023. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)

Steve Ramos (left), Paul Retherford (middle) and Victor Mendoza (right), raise an American flag at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando, Fla. March 4, 2023. The competition was hosted by the Orlando Utilities Commission. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)
Steve Ramos (left), Paul Retherford (middle) and Victor Mendoza (right), raise an American flag at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando, Fla. March 4, 2023. The competition was hosted by the Orlando Utilities Commission. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)

Lineman: GRU workers are silhouetted by sunlight as they work on a telephone pole.
John Reger, a journeymen team member, competes in the hurtman rescue event during the 2023 Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando, Fla. March 4, 2023. During the event journeymen need to ascend a telephone pole and rescue a dummy at the top. This event simulates lineman rescue in the field. (Rae Riiska/ WUFT News)

Linemen from all over the state of Florida compete in a mutual aid event during the 2023 Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando, Fla. March 4, 2023. The event allows lineman from different companies to work together in competition. It is meant to simulate natural disaster relief when multiple companies work together in the field. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)
Linemen from all over the state of Florida compete in a mutual aid event during the 2023 Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando, Fla. March 4, 2023. The event allows lineman from different companies to work together in competition. It is meant to simulate natural disaster relief when multiple companies work together in the field. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)

Lineman: Two linemen work on an orange beam in midair.
Members of Talquin Electric Cooperative compete in a journeyman competition at the 2023 Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando, Fla. March 4, 2023. About 10 teams competed in events throughout the day. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)

Steve Ramos assists in raising the American Flag during the 2023 Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando, Fla. March 2, 2023. The competition was hosted by the Orlando Utilities Commission and showcased competition between electric companies from all over Florida. (Rae Riiska / WUFT News)
Steve Ramos assists in raising the American Flag during the 2023 competition in Orlando, Fla. March 2, 2023. The competition was hosted by the Orlando Utilities Commission and showcased competition between electric companies from all over Florida. (Rae Riiska / WUFT News)

Lineman: Two workers wearing hardhats meet on the ground.
Trevor Owen (left) and Cole Kite (right) talk before their individual apprentice events at the 2023 Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando, Fla. March 4, 2023. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)

Lineman: Two workers are surrounded by wires near the top of a telephone pole.
Members of Clay Electric compete in a journeyman competition at the 2023 competition in Orlando, Fla. March 4, 2023. About 10 teams competed in events throughout the day. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)

Lineman: Two workers stand on a beam.
Two Gainesville Regional Utilities workers stand at the top of an H-Frame waiting to take a group photo during the 2023 Florida Lineman Competition in Orlando, Fla., March 4, 2023. The competition hosted nearly 150 individual competitors. (Rae Riiska/WUFT News)
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Human Interest GainesvilleOrlandoFloridaGRUwuft newsstateWUFTdisaster
Rae Riiska
Rae is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.
See stories by Rae Riiska