Horsepower stars in this 'rhodeo'
Posted 8:52 a.m.

PROVIDENCE – Heavy-equipment operator Anthony Cipriano Jr. is ready to put his snowplow skills to the test today in the annual Providence Snow Plow Rhodeo.

He’s hoping to correct mistakes he made last year, like nipping an orange cone with his dump truck or not getting close enough to the curb line for the cleanest plow job possible.

He’s ready to rely on the side-view mirrors of his International 7300 dump truck with the sander and a blade out front. A plow driver’s best friend, the side-view mirrors, get plenty of action, says Cipriano, 26, who has worked for the city as a snowplow driver in the public works department for almost eight years.

Today, Cipriano will join dozens of other snowplow drivers for the city in the competition. They hail from his department, the city’s parks department and the Providence Water Supply Board.

They’ll inspect a snowplow truck as if they were preparing to go out on snowy roads. They’ll drive a slalom course of cones backward and forward – trying not to even nick one of the cones. And, they’ll drive through a timed obstacle course while avoiding the fake mailboxes and cars and working to get as close as possible to the curb lines.

The competition in the parking lot for the Roger Williams Park Zoo tends to draw a crowd.

Last year, the competition brought snow with it, too.

“Believe it or not, the day after the Rhodeo last year, we had a nice snowstorm,”
Cipriano recalled.

Are you ready for that? We’re not sure we are, but Cipriano is.

Even though there’s no snow on the ground yet, he said driving a snowplow truck today isn’t that much different than driving one in snowy weather.

“When you have the load of material in your truck, it weighs the truck down and you really don’t slip and slide,” he said. “It’s different in some ways, but in some ways, it’s the same.”

Today’s competition is from 9 a.m. until noon. The winner will move on to compete in the statewide 12th Annual Snow Plow Rhodeo, which will be held on Sept. 26, also at Roger Williams Park.