No matter what the profession or endeavor, somewhere, someone is honoring “the best.” Even if they’re just doing it to create a promotional opportunity. Such is the case of the “2007 Tank of the Year,” an award bestowed by Tnemec Company, “a leading manufacturer of protective coatings for water tanks for more than 30 years.”

The winning Anderson, SC water tank (actually, a pair)  is designed to look like a hot air balloon complete with gondola and passengers. Lest anyone think this was not a notable achievement requiring grit and determination, here’s a photo of the painting in progress:

Of course, for every victorious winner there is a runner up. For the 2007 tank design derby, that was the Wahoo, Nebraska Water Tower, featuring a fluid, flowing American flag. Here are the Wahoo painters, laboring with the relative luxury of a crane assist:

Anderson photo #1 by xxxmean jennyxxx; Anderson painting photo by sisudave. Wahoo water tower photo by impala.1079. All from Flickr.