‘Intense’ water fight at Porter Park

“It has something to do with Freedom”...“West side”...“Water”

Porter Park looked like a battle scene from a movie Saturday afternoon as hundreds of students and community members gathered for what was described on Facebook as "an Epic Water fight: The Battle of Porter Park.”

“They got everyone all pumped up before hand you know, chanting lots of, kind of a 'Braveheart,' 'Lord of the Rings' things going on,”  said Chad Burt.

Ford Erickson organized the fight thorough Facebook more than two months earlier.

“He sent me a memo via the Facebook and said we are invading, and I said we will not stand for that. And so we set up a day for war. We have been talking back and forth trying to work things out but it looks like we are at an impasse,” said Tom Widdison, leader of the west side. “We here to defend our homes, our land, our water park.”

Almost 1,800 people registered. The event became so popular t-shirts were even sold.

“I think it is really cool that they have everyone here and that everyone is participating.     It is not all that often that we get the whole campus together to just have fun,” said Kalina Blackwood.

For Ford, It was a childhood dream come true.

 “Yes I am pretty excited. This is a childhood dream, I am not even joking,” Erickson said.

“It was really interesting. Exhibit A, who was that I am going to have to go hit them later,” said Chad Burt.

 “I didn’t think it was going to be this big… I thought we were all going to run out of ammo in like five minutes and that it would be over, but it has been lasting like a half an hour I think,” said Alera Saul.

“The west side is chanting victorious, the east side is not going to buy it though. You can see there are hundreds of balloons have been spread across the ground and another battle is just beginning.”

 “It has been crazy — everyone is just shooting each other throwing stuff at each other — it has been a ton of fun,” said Jameson Bird.

Neither team was deemed victorious. The east side had more spirit, but the west side had more people. In all more than 500 people participated and more than 100 came to just watch.

 “This was a lot of fun. If there is another one I am definitely going to come,” Bird said.

The water fight lasted over an hour. Many left asking when will the next fight be?

“It is not over yet. One battle doesn’t decide the war,” Erickson said.

Whenever the next fight is, it will definitely be coordinated through Facebook.
From Porter Park, I’m Brian Johnson, I~News.