CAPE ELIZABETH (May 19, 2005): Two Cape Elizabeth Public Works drivers have won the Cumberland County Snowplow “Roadeo,” and will compete for the state championship June 2 in Skowhegan.
Jason Emery and Ron O’Brien won Cape’s first county championship, with the lowest combined score for their navigations of a snowplow truck and a wing – as much as 15 feet wide – through a closed course while avoiding fire hydrants, cones and parked vehicles.
The pair, who Emery said does “nothing” to train, doesn’t even drive plow trucks through the winter.
“We both plow on loaders,” O’Brien said. “What it boils down to is teamwork, just like our everyday jobs.” The pair are both seated in the cab of a plow truck, and take turns driving and being the spotter. “He watches the wing,” O’Brien said.
This is the pair’s fifth year competing, but their first as teammates. Last year, when both had low scores but on different teams, they decided to join up this year.
It paid off with the trophy. O’Brien also took second in the individual scoring, narrowly missing a personal win because “I clipped one of the vehicles.”