COEUR d'ALENE - When the orange curtains illuminated with the hot light of the welders, the young faces behind the masks were cool, calm and collected.

Teams from Kootenai Technical Education Campus (KTEC), Sandpoint High School and Lakeland High School participated in the third annual high school SkillsUSA regional welding competition Friday, using their welding education to prove who was hot stuff while handling the hot stuff.

"I like fire, that's really what it comes down to," Lakeland senior Tyler Michaud, 17, said with a smile. "Industrial mechanics is where it's at. I thought the name of it was really cool. You go through all the electives, you see industrial mechanics, you're like, 'That's pretty sweet,' and with all the knowledge I've learned, I would never trade it in for anything."

The students showcased their skills in cutting as well as gas metal arc and shielded metal arc welding while they worked in small booths and had only a half hour to complete each project. They couldn't ask instructors for help while they worked and they were evaluated on consistency, ability to interpret blueprints and the ability to complete tasks in a short amount of time.

"It's always kind of nerve-wracking to see how you match up," said Coeur d'Alene High School senior and KTEC student Jackson Costa, 18.

Jackson has previously participated in the competition and currently does his own fabrication work at home. He plans to make a career out of welding.

"It's kind of second nature," he said.

The competition was hosted by North Idaho College and took place in NIC's welding technology building located off campus on Industrial Loop in Coeur d'Alene.

"They're doing really good," said NIC welding instructor Jeremy Dodge. "Of course, some of the students aren't doing as well as others, but I'm pretty impressed with some of the stuff I've been seeing."

He said welding is a difficult skill to refine, requiring hours of practice before a student can master it.

"As an instructor, I love to see how well my students react under pressure and how well they manage their time," said KTEC welding instructor Katie McIntire.

The highest scoring students will advance to the SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference in Boise in early April.

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Overall competition winners

1. Trevin Wiedmaier, KTEC

2. Mike Masser, KTEC

3. Kade Hern, KTEC