Firefighters will put their skills to the test in the annual South County Fire Fourth of July Waterball Competition beginning at 2:30 p.m. at City Park, located at 3rd Avenue South and Pine Street in Edmonds.
The free event has been a Fourth of July tradition in Edmonds for years. Waterball is like a tug-of-war with water. Two teams of three firefighters compete in each round using a fire hose to blast water at a ball suspended on a long overhead cable. The winner is the first team to push the ball over to the opposing team’s side.
It takes a combination of teamwork, good communications and hose-line proficiency to win the competition. “Waterball may be just fun and games, but it requires many of the same skills firefighters need to successfully fight a fire,” said Leslie Hynes, public information officer for South County Fire.