Wet and wild Waterball contests honed firefighters’ hose and nozzle skills

It’s been described as a kind of tug-of–war, but waterball requires a more complex set of skills. Instead of relying on brute strength, firefighters must use teamwork and precision to maneuver the ball to the other side’s court. They must battle to control an unwieldy hose under 90 pounds of pressure and accurately aim the stream to control a 15-pound ball suspended in the air by a cable. The mist created from the battling water streams can be so dense, the hose handler can barely see and must rely on directions from the backup firefighter. In this 1978 Blade archive photo, the Perrysburg Township fire department, left, bested the Waterville fire department in a match played in Whitehouse. The Montezuma, Ohio, fire department won the state competition, which was hosted by the Whitehouse Fire department and attracted 45 teams. Go to thebladevault.com/memories to purchase more historical photos taken by our award-winning staff of photographers, past and present, or to purchase combinations of stories and photos.