The second annual Tough Tower Competition tested the climbing and technical skills of telecommunication tower technicians Saturday and Sunday at the Tri-County Tower lot in North Jackson.

Called “Tower Dogs” in the lingo of the profession, tower technicians are responsible for keeping communications technology operating, said Tri-County Tower CEO Chris Thomas from Berlin Center. They keep communications that are so vital to American society operating, he said.

Technicians and judges came from all over the country including Utah, North Carolina, Arizona and Michigan to compete. The technicians competed on company teams. In all, eight teams competed in eight different tasks Saturday. The best four moved on tournament-style to the semifinals and finals on Sunday.