Deckhands – The Backbone Of Towboating

Maritime Throwdown was the brainchild of Capt. Kenny Brown, an experienced yet still young (recently an IMX 40 Under 40 Award  winner) captain with a passion for towboating. Its impact and potential is maybe more relevant today than ever as we hear from many who are having a harder time than usual finding qualified deckhands. The Throwdown competitions help demonstrate the skills and professionalism of current and former deckhands who are truly the backbone of the industry we serve.

That is why it has been an honor for Inland Marine Expo (IMX) to host the finals competition the last several years and offer complimentary space on the tradeshow floor. As expected, Maritime Throwdown has developed into a popular attraction at IMX. With several events and considerable social media content year-round, the organization focuses on the skills exercised daily by deckhands, including rope-throwing, line-handling, rescue-pole climbing and more.  They highlight not just towboating skills, but they also help emphasize safety awareness.

Beyond creating solidarity in the industry, the events can help give interested young people some exposure to what towboating is all about and the real life professionals on whom the industry depends.  

Videos of past Maritime Throwdown events are available on Youtube and Facebook and continue to build interest. Its Facebook page proclaims, “Maritime Throwdown is the caffeine and creatine to your company’s already great training programs.” 

We salute the efforts of Maritime Throwdown, and we salute all who chose a career as a deckhand.  Towboating offers great wage and career growth opportunities, and it all starts on the deck.