The inaugural day of the 2014 SEMA Show was a lively hustle and bustle that saw thousands of media folks, vendors, buyers, and sellers roaming around to see or show off their latest wares. The South Hall’s second floor was the place to be for fresh off-road products and designs, which was where we found Bubba Rope’s booth and with it, the “Gator-Jaw” soft shackle line.

The Gator-Jaw soft shackle may look innocent, but it can pull its fair share with a 32,000-pound rating.

On hand for our interview was the company’s general manager, Jim Flowers, who was able to shed light on the product and its features. “The whole idea around this was to get the metal out of the recovery,” said Flowers.

What he was referring to was the common practice of using recovery chains or tow hooks that had the possibility of snapping and flying off at high speed, “to the point that it becomes like shrapnel,” said Flowers. To fix this issue, Bubba Rope utilized HMPe (high modulus polyethylene) to construct the new design, which could handle a much greater amount than its size seemed to hint at.

“Using the same materials that winch lines are made out of, our Gator-Jaw is able to handle up to 32,000 pounds,” said Flowers. “It locks over the loop, and then it won’t come off, which was how we arrived at the name.”

For more demanding situations, the alternate version of the Gator-Jaw accommodates 82,000 pounds.

Flowers went on to explain that during testing, the 12-ton steel shackle (which was part of the booth’s display) that was hitched to the test bed gave way and bent, emphasizing just how strong the Gator-Jaw truly was.

Topping all this off was the 2014 New Product Award from SEMA, which Flowers and his team were very proud of. “We believe this is going to revolutionize people using this kind of technology rather than steel, because it’s less dangerous and far more reliable than conventional methods.”

Bubba Rope has its Gator-Jaw available now, and you can find out more by contacting the company by either a ring on the phone or visit to the website via the contact information posted below.