Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Water Wars: Girls vs. Guys!!

It’s time I blog about something that doesn’t involve (lack of) “catching” or “killing”. I found a new outdoor adventure and it’s right here in the middle of Oswego County!

Yesterday morning, after a Tourism Advisory Council (TAC) meeting, a group of us tried out this new game called Water Wars at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park, located on County Route 16 in Mexico.

The object of the game is to stand across from your opponents and launch water balloons at each other with bungee water balloon launchers. The best part about the game is that you can’t run away, you have to stand there and take it! (Well I thought that was the best part until I was the one getting hit!)

The three volunteers from our office were Laurie, Mel and me (Laurie and I are pictured in the photo above, posing with Yogi Bear). We took on Brian Leary, from the Pulaski/Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce, and County Legislator Shawn Doyle from Pulaski, who is also chairman of the Economic Development and Planning Committee. Both (pictured below) were suckered into playing because they also attended the TAC meeting held at Yogi’s. On our way to Yogi's we pictured playing on a nice warm sunny day. Well guess what… it was NOT nice, it was NOT sunny, and it most certainly wasn’t WARM! (The sun came out periodically just to tease us.)

As we took our places, Laurie confused “Exit” for “Enter”. I can see how that must be confusing… they both start with “E”s. For future reference… the exit is in the front of the game, the entrance is on the side (for those of you who also confuse words that start with "E").

The brave volunteers took their places. On the count of 3 everybody began launching! Laurie had the technique figured out right away and she was ruthless (it must be the fact that she is the mother of two boys). I, on the other hand, kept launching the balloons straight into our little roof soaking myself instead of the opponents. After some deep frustration, I ran out and launched a couple of balloons by hand – which normally isn’t allowed but I am a little cheater!

Before the boys got their A game on, I switched places with Mel so she could give the game a try. Right about that time the boys started to figure it out, convenient for me, not so much for Mel. Mel and Laurie ended up pretty wet… but Brian and Shawn were soaked, along with the guy who fills up the balloons!

If I was judging I’d say that the girls team won (no bias whatsoever :) ).

So, if Water Wars is fun when it’s cold and cloudy outside… imagine how fun it is when it’s nice outside! Please stop down and give it a try! It’s one of those games that you usually have to drive to a theme park to try out and we have it just a couple of miles away! If you go now until Labor Day there is a special: $17 for a group of 4 to play one round of Mini Golf and one game of Water Wars. For any extra games of Water Wars it costs $5 for two buckets. The hours are 10:30-noon, 1-4pm, 6:30-8pm everyday.


The guys team - getting ready to launch their first balloons

Laurie had just released a balloon and I was putting one in the launcher.

Getting soaked!!

Laurie cheers after a victorious launch!

After I cheated, Shawn went eye-for-an-eye and threw one back at me... I was prepared and caught the balloon with my bucket!!

Getting in launch position

Mel jumped into my place just in time to get wet!

Shawn and Brian were relentless!

Laurie contines to cheer as she pays the boys back!

The Water Wars Gang all soaking wet!! (L-R): Mary Ellen Barbeau, Me, Ed Lighthall - Owner of Yogi Bears and Chairman of TAC, Brian Leary, Shawn Doyle & Laurie Spicer.