Welding Rodeo: Watch the Sparks Fly

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY AMY KEPFERLE

Welding Rodeo: Watch The Sparks Fly

LASSOS WON’T be a necessity when the horn blows at the Bellingham Technical College Friday morning, but they probably wouldn’t hurt. For those taking part in the 8th annual Welding Rodeo, the high-pitched sound will signal teams that it’s time to run for the gigantic scrap pile in front of them in order to snatch up the pieces they want before other competitors get there first.

Once they’ve culled supplies from the mountains of donated metal, the 10 amateur teams—which consist of four people each—will head to their individual booths to spend the day using their various welding talents to create sculptures focusing on the theme of “Space.” At the end of the afternoon, prizes will be awarded and the finished pieces will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Come Saturday morning, the process will be repeated by 10 teams of professional welders.

For an event that started out as a one-day affair with five teams and a shoestring budget of about $400, the Welding Rodeo has morphed into a popular happening that has put Bellingham Technical College and its welding program on the map. These days, teams from near and far make their way to the BTC campus every May to participate, and members of the public show up in droves to both watch the pieces come together and bid on the finished works of art.

“I think they like to be around the sparks and the grinding and all the excitement,” says Jere Donnelly, a longtime welding instructor who has spearheaded the spring event along with colleague Don Anderson since its inception. She says they started the rodeo for a number of reasons: They wanted to bring attention to the two-year program, recruit those who might be interested in signing up and raise funds for scholarships for welding apprentices.

“If we didn’t have the students, we wouldn’t be able to pull it off,” Donnelly says. “They’re working to complete a goal, and I like to see them taking pride in what they’re doing.”

Another benefit to putting on the rodeo, Donnelly says, is allowing those who may be moving into careers in pipe welding and aluminum boat welding—among other things—to explore the artistic nature of their profession.

“We like to have fun with the metal,” Donnelly notes, “but, realistically, they have to make a living. There isn’t any money in art in this neck of the woods.” To help bring their visions together, teams are able to pick out four pieces in advance from the scrap pile that will be in their booth the day of the festivities.

Since the Welding Rodeo made its debut eight years ago, the program it supports has grown by leaps and bounds. About 150 students are currently enrolled, and the building that now houses them is quadruple the size of its predecessor (and is still bursting at the welded seams).

“The college has seen a lot of value in the event, so they have really been supporting us,” Donnelly says. “It’s made our lives a lot less stressful.”