On Sunday July 5, the third annual Elysian Water Wars splashed off on Main Street right in front of the Fire Hall. With eight teams battling for one solitary trophy, Fire Departments from Elysian, Montgomery, Le Center, St. Peter, Cleveland, Waterville, and Manterville competed in a high-pressure, thrill-seeking, and fun-soaked conclusion to Elysian’s Fourth of July celebration.
These Water Wars are a bracket-style tournament with each department sporting two separate three-man teams. The main objective sounds simple: push an empty steel barrel across the opponent’s endzone. However, manning a live fire hose pumping out enough pressure to knock a small child down creates an atmosphere of intense coordination.
Though he didn’t compete in the Water Wars, Rich Droog–a member of the Elysian FD–served as the event’s coordinator for the third straight year, “This is an event we brought back after a long break. Other departments started asking to bring it back, and it’s something our guys love being a part of. We want to keep doing this every year.” Before the competition officially began, each FD selected their teammates by way of Paper, Rock, Scissors.
A healthy crowd of 50+ spectators gathered at the start of the Water Wars with more joining as the competition went on. Some seemed to enjoy the tense moments of a barrel being pinned to the wall while others walked over to simply cool off in the refreshing mist created by the competing streams. Thankfully, an inadvertent jet of water narrowly missed a few attendees. Children attending sported swimsuits, splashing just beyond the barricades in the wayward pools.
In the opening round, the hosting Elysian FD lined up against the Le Center FD. Though there was friendly banter during the pre-game, once the water pressure rose, so too did the focus and teamwork between the three-man squads.
Thankfully, the home team rallied to win the match 2-0. Waterville suited up in the following match against Mantorville; the neighboring lake-locked department won the match 2-0, but Mantorville proved itself in the later rounds to eventually claim first place in the Championship round.
This third annual Water Wars challenge continues to bring community support, friendly competition, and an excuse to bring a bathing suit to the Fire Hall. A hearty thank you to all the Fire Departments who competed.
