First off, holy shit. I had no idea of the scale. Saw this on Reddit, there's some great pics in there.
I'd love to hear everybody's stories about this tradition.
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First off, I concur, holy dogshit!
Second, how many eons has this been going on?
Third, absolutely loved the Ted heads.
Fourth, could someone please explain to me the significance of the gorilla masks?
I was there for the battle of '98.
The Corps was just too organized for us.
Haha, anybody who shows up to a snowball fight in combat fatigues complete with kevlar helmet and vest means business.
They laid siege to Pritchard Hall after we were driven back from the drillfield. It was hardly a sanctioned event back then and was after dark. We barricaded the doors and were dumping water on them out of upstairs windows. One of my greatest memories in Blacksburg.
'98 was payback from a few years of the corps being held back if I remember correctly. In '95 on one of those fabricated snow days I mentioned a large group of civilians were on the drillfield having pockets of fights among friends during the night. Then there was the unmistakable sound of the corps marching towards the War Memorial from the Library. It was one of those moments where groups of complete strangers immediately look at each other, know exactly what each other are thinking and come to an agreement without a single spoken word.
In a flash a hundred civilians rushed the hill cresting to see at least a thousand corps marching. With reckless disregard to numbers we took the advantage and fired from the trees. Corps members were instantly conflicted. Keep marching as ordered or break ranks and fight back? The first half managed to keep order and march on under heavy fire, the second half of the march however were overwhelmed and had no choice but to return fire with a hasty retreat. With their superiors trying to maintain order and command the corps men & women back to upper quad we continued our assault, now bolstered, as if by magic, by three more large groups of civilians from north of War Memorial, from the Library and from our rear adding to our numbers.
With the corps retreating we pursued to their very doorstep where we bombarded every door and window. It went on so long that eventually a lone man came out the front door, stating that he was the man in charge.... He spoke, rather yelled, with authority. The civilians were unsure what to do. He was threatening police and otherwise if anyone threw another snowball. The tide stopped.... and died away. After a tense ten minutes where a few hundred, maybe a thousand, civilians could have absolutely throttled this man if they wanted to they turned away and returned back from whence they came. Although pockets had slipped around the building into Upper Quad laying siege to any and every open window they saw. I heard tales from both civilian and corps of yellowed and rock filled snowballs being employed in the open window assault, but cannot confirm.
The mass however had been turned away and was returning back towards Eggleston Hall when a car came driving up to its main door. A man and woman stepping out, clearly dropping off his girlfriend back at the dorm, and noticed the huge war party. We were in good spirits and were laughing and joking and had no inclination to attack at all. We had had our fun and were returning default victors. But someone halfheartedly lobbed a snowball towards them. The girl, infuriated by such an action, turns to address the crowd: "Fuck you! He is just dropping me off! You better not throw another fucking snowball" (closest as I remember but I am going to say it is damn near accurate) Most everyone in the group just stared at her, some jeered and returned with clever comments about her already seeing a lot of white stuff that night.
I, however, took it as an invitation and I just so happened to have a snowball in my thermally insulated hand.
A lone snowball flew threw the air. Everything silent and in slow motion as a few hundred eyes watched it sail. It wasn't a particularly good throw, or with much gusto, but it found it's mark landing high on the right shoulder. Hitting her as she was saying... something. A hundred more snowballs were in mid-flight by the time they turned for the door. I had never seen anyone be hit with so many snowballs at one time, and have not since. The boyfriend, a much larger target, staggered but composed himself and ran to his car while the girl made haste for the safety of the dorm. Snowballs following him every step and as he drove off.
I believe in 96, the corps were again attacked and held back. As I was involved in a mass civilian vs civilian outing that year. In 97 there were pockets of corps vs civilian, which culminated in a large clash on the Drillfield before the corps returned. And in 98, the order had been issued within the corps, if they were going to participate they were going to do so as they had been trained. Again I was informed that leading up to and afterwards that corps members had planned their assault for weeks in advance.
This is all from my recollection but I was one person in a crowd. I would love to know if anyone else was there during those years and had that same memory.
I'm actually relieved to know that we were making penance for the sins of our forebears, because to this day I've wondered what we did to piss them off so thoroughly. I picked the wrong year to participate in my first civilian vs corps snowball fight.
Ha! Great recap fernley! #somuchtomclancy
I was on the Corps side of that one, my freshman year! We had to go watch a women's b-ball game and were allowed to leave halfway through if desired. I stayed the whole game, of course, but those that left early were jumped by civilians while walking back. As we were crossing the drillfield we saw that the smaller Corps contingent was getting abused as they were very much out-manned. Great thing was we were wearing normal clothes so we somewhat blended in on the way back since not in formation. I remember walking up to some kids using those water balloon launchers with snow and ice chunks and firing point blank range with snowballs to the face, then sprinting before getting jumped by hundreds of course. It was a back and forth battle on the big hill leading up to the upper quad for a long time, that was before Torgerson Hall/Bridge was built. Thankfully everyone started to pour out of the upperquad, even though ordered to stay inside by some higher ups for some reason, and it became an even fight. You're right, the organization really helped and just rushing at small groups was huge. I do remember it getting pretty violent at times but then would just trail off in good fun. Pretty friggin crazy....
I was also a rat that year. Somehow got separated from my buds between Cassell and Upper Quad. I got stopped by three guys between Deitrick and Pritchard, who decided to skip the snowballs and go straight for hand-to-hand. I got away in decent shape, but I attribute it less to skill and more to (A) their lack of sobriety and (B) their underestimating my adrenaline and willingness to escalate (aka, fear)...
Is SF in your name for San francisco or group or neither. Is HT for highly righty or no?
I was one of the civilians that tailed you guys from Cassel to upper quad that year, peppering all the way. Then reinforcements were had when the battle was at the upper quad. Still remember Corps looking out as the civilians converged on the dorms. Then the push back onto the drillfield.
That was a crazy night, and I recollect the whole drillfield being full. Many water balloon launcher outposts throughout (I assisted the Main Campbell one a bit) and it did get a bit violent. I also recall there being multiple ambulances with sirens on, themselves being pelted as they were trying to leave.
Oh good times.
Spring Semester 2010. It was a lot more like snow wrestling en masse really. There would be snowballs flying between the two groups, someone would yell charge, and then we would all reenact scenes from Braveheart, but with snow. There was a civilian wearing a ghillie suit who led a glorious flanking maneuver on the cadets that were launching snowballs from the war memorial.
That battle was brutal. Great freshman year memory.
I was a part of those charges that year, great event.
A long time ago (2 years) on a frozen tundra that the university calls a "drillfield" two armies clashed. Blood was spilled (literally if I remember right), Capt. America fell before the might of the Corps, and a rag tag group of civilian militia briefly thought they had out-strategized the better trained cadets (okay only trained).
Look at them all ready to fight for their homes err...bragging rights
The battle did not start well for us civilians. Disorganization and chaos ruled the day. Our great leader, Capt. America, quickly became the victim of targeted assaults (I thought only militia were allowed to take out officers???). Anyways...the cadets managed to steal Capt. America's shield and his power collapsed.
Oh how the mighty fall...
We were quickly pushed back against the wall that was Drillfield Drive, unable to maneuver and taking heavy fire.
We were in a fine pickle
But then, by a stroke of pure luck the Corps made a fatal error. In a flanking maneuver, they left their center completely exposed.
We're saved!
With a triumphant yell, a few of us led the charge through the breach, splitting the cadet army in half.
Totally how we looked
After badgering the cadets for a few minutes we moved to the high ground in front of Burruss Hall (Honestly who expected the cadets to give up the high ground?? rookie move guys). As we turned to face our enemy, we thought we had won! The cadets had sprinted towards War Chapel and doven behind stone walls in apparent flight.
Victory!!
We boldly approached to vanquish our foes once and for all. As we grew close, the cadets popped up behind their walls and opened fire. We had fallen into a trap. The Corps had earlier stashed stockpiles of snowballs and slingshots behind the walls, anticipating they would make a stand there.
So many...
The civilians tried to respond, but ungunned and out-positioned our superior numbers meant little. And so the Corps triumphed that day and the Snowball Fight of 2013 was over, civilians scattered.
defeat...such defeat
I was a member of this great snowball fight...it was so epic I actually broke my leg in two places. Twas quite epic
a leg for a broken leg
OMG!!! Epic post hunterhokie!
I was following along, reminiscing of the gallant 20th Maine at Gettysburg...
then the pic of the "wounded" guy with the snowball in the chest prostrate on the snowbank...
LOL, classic! What a great thread.
I remember seeing an ambulance for this great fight. Was that you?
Nah I thought it was a sprain so I hung around a bit longer then hobbled to my friends car. It was still black a week or two later so I figured I should go get a boot and schiffert demanded some xrays. (They're like 10$ there) so I got some xrays and low and behold I had broken my leg
Seems like every time the poor Hokiebird shows up all attention turns to him and he gets destroyed by snowballs from both sides. This also holds consistent to when he shows up to the world's largest pillow fights on the drillfield. He never stands a chance :(
I remember the 2009 edition. The civilians had a grand victory that day, for once displaying superior planning and posessing superior firepower. Mostly because we had 3 of the 3 man slingshots, and were reasonably accurate with them.
Leg for 3 man slingshots. I had Pritchard 5055 (initially a triple) in a year to be unnamed to protect the guilty...
The "triple" room mate introduced us to the 3 man sling shot, water balloon version. We had a commanding (and silently stealthy when the dorm lights were off) position over unsuspecting drunken victims careening home in the darkness across - what was then, before "infill" - the open field of "the prairie".
We struggled to get the hang of it at first. A three man team needs a lot of practice getting the vagaries of that surgical tubing balanced just right. Most shots somehow missed the window glass, but nonetheless smashed against the block wall soaking the holders of the surgical tubing, along with the bed by the window. The intended "victims" in those early training efforts, meandered home blissfully unscathed, and equally unaware of carnage that the whims of fate mercifully spared them.
But we began to slowly master our craft. We learned to launch our bombs in total darkness, splashing cascades of water around bewildered victims, walking in a huge, open field, unable to ascertain where it came from. It had to be like (without the whole lethality thing) getting attacked by present day drones. That baby would drop water balloons out of nowhere from 100 yards away at that height, a full 5 stories up. I often wondered what went through their minds....seeing huge splashes of water cascading around you with no sound, and nobody in sight.
I'm also thankful now, that no one ever took a direct hit...
I could never successfully shoot a water balloon in the one I made. They always exploded in the sling. Great for snowballs and lacrosse balls, though (never fired the latter at people, just for distance up at the south rec fields)
Yeah 2011-2012 was a good one for my freshman year.
I can't remember if it was 2003 or 2004
A Forlorn Hope of civilians invaded the upper quad and began pelting the cadet barracks and any poor cadet caught outside. After this brief assault, the Corps mobilized, company flags flying, sending what seemed to be all but the seniors into the quad. We fell back to the Drillfield, the Corps hot on our tails.
We drew the Corps towards the field. Two lines of the Civilian Army stretched in a diagonal on the Drillfield to welcome them. The Forlorn Hope dove at the undriven snow in front of the main battle line as a volley of snowballs fell amongst the Corps. The main line now hit the deck, revealing a carefully concealed row of 3-man Slingshot artillery, that unleashed hell into the ranks of Cadets.
The Cadets knew they couldn't absorb this level of fire for long, so they charged at the Civilian lines. The second part of the trap had been sprung. Two divisions of civilians appeared. One coming from West Campus heading across Drillfield Dr in front of Burruss, the other up Kent St, towards Torgerson. The double envelopment was complete.
The Corps tried to break out, but the mass of the Civilian Army kept them from succeeding. Four company standards were seized and carried back to Pritchard, West AJ, and Slusher.
The Civilians had won the day.
Awesome tradition, I know we kicked those civies asses '97-'01 when I was there. Of course there was always one or two jackasses on each side that would try to make it into an actual fight instead of a fun snowball rumble but those events were usually quelled pretty easily and quickly so everyone could go back to having fun. Glad to see the tradition is still alive...
I was in the shit back in '97 and actually watched the Cadets run a textbook flanking maneuver on the weakest part of the civilian line in '97. I remember turning to my Pritchard Hall brothers to close in the ranks, I then got pelted right in the earhole with a snow ball. It was like something out of the Civil War.
Props to the Cadets that day. You may have won the battle, but we went to Slusher Tower, while you went back to the barricks
I was there from 98-02 in the corps. I remember it the same way. Pretty sure we won in 02 as well.
in '04-'05 I brought a home made 3 man slingshot to the fight. We hadn't had much of a chance to test it out so our shots either sailed way over the corps lines or drilled some poor cadet at what might as well have been point blank range. At one point, we made our way around to the burrus rostrum (now the 4/16 memorial) and were trying to hit the cadets from behind. May have actually hit civilians instead (see bad aim comment above). After my friends went back to AJ, I kept at it. My night ended when I caught a snowball in the eye. couldn't see out of it for a few days. One of those times when you think "did I just permanently cripple myself for life doing something stupid?"
So glad I read this this morning.
Can't remember the year - fall of 83 or winter of 84 (we were on the quarter system then!). I had a late class and missed the initial engagements. Reportedly, we - the VTCC - drove the civilians all the way across campus to Prairie Quad before they regrouped and realized that we had strung out our lines, and they had superior numbers. They pushed us back to Brodie, where I joined the fight as one of the reserves. One of my Marine ROTC buds (first year for the program) stood alone at the base of the hill calling the civvies cowards and worse. I couldn't let him stand alone, so I made my way down and stood beside him.
For my bravery, I took a snowball in the ear from friendly fire to end my night. Fortunately for America, my assailant was Navy ROTC (also first year for the program) and probably would never have to try to figure out on his own, before firing, that the guys down in the very front lines, facing AWAY from him, are probably not the enemy.
Was part of one in '86. It started at about 1:00 am and went back and forth across the drill field and upper quad with several hundred on each side. One of my favorite memories.
Was anyone around for the '03-'04 (might have been '04-'05) snowball fight that ended in a one on one cadet vs. civilian dance-off?
IIRC, the night of chucking snowballs at each other was winding down and it had been decided that one of the cadets who was regimental or battalion staff would wrestle the biggest civilian there to decide the winner. I remember the cadet's last name was Lisa. So we all circle up and Lisa and this big civilian dude prepare to grapple. At the exact same moment they both bust out their best dance moves. No music. Just ridiculous dance moves.
I am FABULOUS Groot
I don't think it was 04-05, that one got rough. I remember real wrestling in circles and some civilian suplexed a corps dude on his head. That one ended when a girl took one too the face from a 3-man and got an ambulance ride. I did get to pull a classic northern trick on some cadet. You throw one snowball with a high arc and while they are watching it you zip one at them on a line. That southerner never saw it coming. Facial.
This actually made the front page on imgur, which pretty much means it has gone viral. Always cool to see VT getting some love
I can't remember what year it was, whether 95-96 or 96-97, but some voicemail made the ROLMPhone rounds informing all of the on-campus students that a snowball fight would be classified as a riot by the local police, and that we shouldn't initiate one unless we wanted to face riot consequences.
I think the snowball fight happened anyway.
I can confirm that the February 1983 blizzard resulted in one of the most epic Corps vs Civilian snowball fights of all time. The cadets went all the way out to Pritchard to provoke the battle, and were slowly driven back to Brodie and Rasche Halls over the course of several hours. The battle on upper quad was truly historic, with seemingly several thousand students running around in 20 inches of snow pelting one another until sunset. We in the Corps ultimately were overwhelmed by numbers, but the joy of snow combat was unforgettable. Sweet memories...
I participated in the 1980 Cadet attack on Lee Hall. The Cadets had us civvies pinned against Lee Hall and then reinforcements arrived from O'Shaughnessy, Pritchard and the Quad. We counter-attacked and drove the Corp back across the drill field to their fortress. A couple skirmishes during their retreat occurred near Eggleston at the tunnel (classic box canyon ambush by the Corp) and in front of the Neumann Library. Eventually we had the Corp dorm surrounded. It faded after that - or I left due to need to study, can't remember which, was a long time ago. The entire event lasted a few hours and was completely at night.
Seems this has gotten a lot more organized by the warring factions over the past 10 years from the stories above., Awesome!
The Imgur link above is epic, the best picture for me was this one. Professor Robertson would be proud of that one. Bryson, that picture is awesome! Kudos to you sir, hope your OK with me using it here.