Huron Lake, PA (August 11, 2015) – Yesterday afternoon’s Tug of War extravaganza at Camp Huron Lake was a sight to behold as all the teenage boy divisions tugged, pulled, and jerked the rope in absolute epic battles. The wars between the 13 year-old Seniors, 14 year-old Supers, and 15 year-old Teen divisions each lasted at least two and a half minutes as each young man yanked the taut, rock hard rope with all their energy.
The Tug of War is a contest in which two teams pull at opposite ends of a rope until one drags the other over a central line. This has been a marquee event in camp Color Wars across the country for the past century. At many camps, the Tug of War is used as a chance for divisional teams to dress up in costumes such as lumberjacks or ballerinas as a sign of unity.
The Red team dressed as 1980’s Scottish men
Typically, the younger boys side Tugs of War last between 30 and 40 seconds but the teenage boys Tugs can last up to five minutes. The discrepancy between the teens and pre-teens has puzzled experts for ages.
“We’ve been studying this for years. The rope lies on the ground in a limp, flaccid state but once the teens pick it up and begin pulling and yanking on it, the rope takes on a life of its own and becomes much more rigid and firm allowing the boys to get a better grip,” explained Dr. Martin Schwartz, a PhD candidate at the MIT Center for Athletic Performance. “The forearm and wrist strength on these pubescent boys is far more advanced in terms of growth than any other part of their developing bodies. The only thing that is so perplexing is why only one forearm and wrist are strengthening while the other is not.”
Yesterday’s Teen Tug of War was one of the fiercest Camp Huron Lake had ever witnessed. With severely calloused hands, the Red Scare team, after almost three minutes, closed their eyes and yanked the ever stiffening rope in one final desperate effort to reach the battle’s ultimate climax. As the Yellow Belly team haphazardly spurted across the Win-Lose line in all different directions, the victorious Red Scare collapsed in exhaustion, smiles beaming across their faces for a job well done.
After the monumental struggle, the teens retreated to their bunks where all the boys predictably had to use the bathroom to catch up on the latest issue of Penthouse Forum Steamy Nights.
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