A city bus turned and accelerated between two rows of suspended tennis balls. The tennis balls mimic a narrowing tunnel, and the driver passed without knocking over any of the balls. The driver then came to a gradual stop before an orange cone. Judge Stephen Forner measured how close to the cone the driver stopped.

This was just one of the obstacles bus drivers from around the state faced during the 2009 Minnesota Bus Roadeo. The contest was held in the Albert Lea High School parking lot Saturday.

The Roadeo is supported by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Minnesota Transit Association and the Minnesota Rural Transit Assistance Program.

“It’s kind of a reward for them — their year of hard work. It’s a little stressful for them about the competition, but it’s fun, too,” said Gary Hart, manager of Cedar Valley Service, which operates Albert Lea Transit.

About 50 drivers representing about 30 transit organizations across the state competed. Drivers maneuvered buses through a series of obstacles mapped out by orange cones. The course is designed to test driver skills like clearance, right turns, left turns, backing up, accelerating and braking.

The event is designed to improve driving and safety skills, said Lynn Frank, Roadeo coordinator and a MnDOT employee.

Frank said it’s one of the largest and longest running bus-driving competitions in the country and has been going on for more than 20 years.

Drivers competed in a small bus category and a large bus category. The top three drivers in each division receive plaques, and the winners will represent Minnesota in the Community Transportation of America’s 2010 National Bus Rodeo in Long Beach, Calif. The drivers also select a fellow driver to receive the Driver’s Choice Award.

Frank said the event also is positive for the drivers who don’t win. She said her favorite part of the event is recognizing the drivers and their work.

“A lot of these drivers work very hard and don’t receive a huge amount of compensation, and this is the one time of the year where we get to make them rock stars,” Frank said. “That’s the best part to me, is just lifting these people up and making them realize that what they do is so important — so important for the public, so important to safety.”

This was the first year the event was held in Albert Lea. It was held in Bemidji last year and will be in Alexandria next year.

The different obstacles are designed to mimic real life situations. Drivers treat the course like a real road with real vehicles and passengers.

The course begins and ends with simulated bus stops, and at each stop the driver maneuvers around orange cones, which simulate a parked vehicle. The driver stops near the curb and announces the stop to the passengers, even though only a judge and the driver are on the bus.

Other judges calculate the points at each obstacle, and each station has separate rules and scoring.

For example, the narrowing tunnel obstacle requires drivers to accelerate to faster than 20 mph as they pass between two rows of tennis balls suspended from orange cones. Drivers lose points if any tennis balls are knocked over, and drivers also lose points if they drive slower than 20 mph.

Once the bus clears the tennis balls, the driver then stops gradually before coming to a complete stop within 6 inches of an orange cone without touching it.

Michael Terry, a driver with Metro Transit, said the drivers take chances on the course they wouldn’t take on a typical day on the job.

“It’s a little bit tougher here than what the street is. It’s a little bit tighter and little bit different doing it in a parking lot,” Terry said. “One of the things is backing into a loading dock. We don’t do that with a bus.”

One obstacle simulated driving through a narrow street with only a few inches between the bus and orange cones, which represented vehicles.

“That way it’s a little bit different. Most of the time, we’re trying to avoid close calls,” Terry said.

Smaller Roadeos are held across the state, and one is held in the Twin Cities each year for Metro Transit. Terry finished in the top three there to qualify to come to the Roadeo in Albert Lea.

The weekend also serves an opportunity for the drivers to learn and improve certain driving skills.

The drivers in the small bus category attended a class on professionalism in the high school while the large bus drivers competed.

While the event is a competition, it also serves as a time for the drivers to meet and talk with other drivers.

“It is one of the most inclusive, helpful environments,” Frank said. “The best experience the drivers get at this roadeo is meeting other drivers.”

All the drivers stayed at the Country Inn & Suites, and a mixer was held there for the drivers to get to know each other and to talk about the course.

“I am absolutely awestruck by how helpful these people are to each other,” Frank said. “People who won the competition will stand on the sidelines and literally talk to other drivers about how they did it, point how a bus is driving through the course and say, ‘See, turn right there.’ They help each other win.”