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Snowball Fight!

Professional snowball throwers battle it out in Japan

February 2019
By Ariel Bleicher

JEFF BARTLETT MEDIA

Ready, aim, fire! People from around the world compete in yukigassen snowball battles during the winter.

Two teams of athletes line up on a snowy court. They wait for the referee to shout “3, 2, 1 . . . snowball fight!” The game begins and snowballs fly!

Every February, athletes from around the world gather in Japan. They compete in the world championship of a sport called yukigassen (YOO-kee-gah-sen). That means “snow battle” in Japanese.

The sport is a cross between dodgeball and capture the flag, explains Ky MacMaster. He’s the captain of the Snowbattlers. They are a team from Alberta, Canada. They’ve competed at the Japanese event five times.

There are two teams of athletes. They line up on a court. It’s covered in snow. A referee shouts “3, 2, 1 . . . snowball fight!” The game begins. Snowballs fly!

Every February, athletes from around the world go to Japan. They compete in a world championship. It’s for a sport called Yukigassen (YOO-kee-gah-sen). That means “snow battle” in Japanese.

The sport combines dodgeball and capture the flag. Ky MacMaster is the captain of the Snowbattlers. They are a team from Alberta, Canada. They’ve competed five times at the snow battle.

HEIKKI SAUKKOMAA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Teams get 90 snowballs to throw for each match.

There are seven players per team. Each team has a flag on the court. Players try to steal the other team’s flag while hurling snowballs at each other. If you’re hit, you’re out!

A team can win in three ways. They can grab the other team’s flag. They can tag out all the other team’s players. Or they can have the most players left when time is up.

More than 100 teams will face off at this month’s championship. But in the past 30 years, no team from outside Japan has won. “The Japanese are very intimidating,” says MacMaster. “Their aim is extremely accurate. They hit an opponent 8 out of 10 times!”

In 2016, the Snowbattlers were the first international team to advance to the second day of the tournament. This has made them minor celebrities. “Everyone’s always asking for our autographs,” says MacMaster.

The Snowbattlers aren’t competing in this month’s championship, but they hope to go back next year. “We play to win,” says MacMaster.

Each team has seven players. Each team also has a flag on the court. Players try to steal the other team’s flag. They also throw snowballs. If you’re hit, you’re out!

A team can win in three ways. They can grab the flag from the other team. They can tag out all the players from the other team. Or they can have the most players left when time is up.

More than 100 teams will compete at the championship. A team from Japan has won for the past 30 years. “The Japanese are very intimidating,” says MacMaster. “Their aim is very good. They hit a person 8 out of 10 times!”

In 2016, the Snowbattlers made it to the second day of the tournament. They were the first international team to do so. This has made them minor celebrities. “Everyone asks for our autographs,” says MacMaster.

The Snowbattlers aren’t competing this year. But they hope to come back next year. “We play to win,” says MacMaster.

MATH TALK:

Say you’re a yukigassen player. How could knowing the area of different parts of the court help your team?

MATH TALK:

Say you’re a yukigassen player. How could knowing the area of different parts of the court help your team?

Area

Area

The yukigassen court is a rectangle. It has a length of 36 meters and a width of 10 meters. Label these dimensions on the diagram of a yukigassen court above.

The yukigassen court is a rectangle. It has a length of 36 meters and a width of 10 meters. Label these dimensions on the diagram of a yukigassen court above.

What is the area of the snowball court?

What is the area of the snowball court?

The court has zones where teams keep extra snowballs. They are shaded purple on the diagram. The length of each zone is 6 meters. What is the area of each zone?

The court has zones where teams keep extra snowballs. They are shaded purple on the diagram. The length of each zone is 6 meters. What is the area of each zone?

The court has 6 snow shelters to hide behind. Each shelter has a width of 90 centimeters (cm) and has an area of 4,050 square cm. What is the length of the shelter?

The court has 6 snow shelters to hide behind. Each shelter has a width of 90 centimeters (cm) and has an area of 4,050 square cm. What is the length of the shelter?

When you hide behind a shelter, the area protecting you is shaped like a square. Each edge of the square measures 90 cm. Draw the square on another piece of paper and label the dimensions. What is its area?

When you hide behind a shelter, the area protecting you is shaped like a square. Each edge of the square measures 90 cm. Draw the square on another piece of paper and label the dimensions. What is its area?

There is a smaller court for junior athletes. Its length is 4 meters less than the adult court. Its width is 2 meters less. Draw the court on another piece of paper and label it. What is the area?

There is a smaller court for junior athletes. Its length is 4 meters less than the adult court. Its width is 2 meters less. Draw the court on another piece of paper and label it. What is the area?

Geometry
Area
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