HOLLAND, Michigan — A tug-of-war competition is making its way back to Holland.
The Hope College Pull tug-of-war competition is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 30 at 3 p.m. It'll be on the south side of 11th Street, between Lincoln and Fairbanks avenues.
Admission is free and everyone is invited.
The Pull, as the event is called, has strong roots in the community. It was first held in 1898 and became an annual fall highlight, organizers say.
Freshman and sophomore teams will be entrenched in shallow pits on opposite sides, attempting to pull the rope over the boundary. This year will feature the Class of 2026 and 2027.
Each side will have up to 18 students apiece as "pullers," and an equal number acting as guides or "moralers." Freshmen are coached by the junior class and sophomores are coached by seniors, creating a rivalry between even-year and odd-year classes, organizers say.
Over its 125-year lifespan, the event has only been canceled five times. The latest was in 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic, and the other cancellations were during the world wars in 1918, 1943 and 1944, and then during a campus-wide flu epidemic in 1957.
The event has had only a few homes over the years. It was held across the Black River near US 31 and M-21 until 2018. High water levels pushed it to an on-campus location in 2019, where it remains today.
The longest Pull in history was set in 1977, with a time of three hours and 51 minutes before judges called a tie due to darkness. The shortest pull was in 1956, with a time of two minutes and 40 seconds.
Last year's winners were the Class of 2026.
During the contest, 11th Street will be closed between Lincoln and Fairbanks. There will be no parking in this area until the contest is over.
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