Every year, the night before the competition on the Rodeo grounds, the International Lineman’s Rodeo Association hosts the annual BBQ and Trade Night.

Linemen and their families pack duffel bags full of T-shirts, caps, coins, sunglasses, pint glasses, jewelry and more and bring them to the Overland Park Convention Center. They then display their items on long tables, and the trading begins.

While each shirt design is different, they all have one thing in common: they celebrate the grit, passion, determination and culture of the line trade. They also pay homage to their service territories with backdrops of mountains, the beach, deserts and forests.

In addition, they have inspirational messages splashed across the back of their shirts, along with state flags, their team names and icons representing their regions.

For more coverage of the Rodeo, visit tdworld.com/international-linemans-rodeo, where we will be posting photo galleries, videos, stories and more. You can also stay tuned to the Line Life Podcast at linelife.podbean.com.

Thanks for coming to this year’s Rodeo, and we look forward to seeing you next year in Kansas City.