Hope College in Hopes of New Tug of War Location

For over 120 years there has been a tug of war contest in the exact same place at Hope College, but high water is causing the event to be moved for the first time in over a century.

According to the Holland Sentinel, high water along the west Michigan river is making the contest a no go for its normal location.

The tug of war goes all the way back to 1898 and this weekend will be its 122nd event which is pretty impressive to keep an event going 122 years.

Instead of hosting the event over the Black River it will be held a along one of the Holland streets. The tug of war features the freshmen and sophomore classes.

When the contest first started, they used to hold it over a stream but after a few years they moved it to the Black River.

The tug of war adviser, Richard Frost, said, "students agonized over this, they're dedicated to tradition but mindful of the safety of the participants."

The competition will likely return to the Black River when water levels are safer in the future.