Super Soaker Central

"Operation Skipper345" was a series of summer water battles that lasted from 1997 to 2002. It was my earliest involvement in water warfare and the first battle predates my move to Ridgewood. The name includes the Willauer's dog and 3 random numbers, which hid our intentions. No water guns were used, only hoses and water balloons. Myself, Charlie, and his brother Peter stocked up on hundreds of WBs to use for these battles. Their roof was perfect for launching ambushes on visitors when they came to the front door. We would fill the balloons in the upstairs bathroom, put them in baskets and haul them to certain spots on the roof. Once in place, we would leave the roof, coming back up when a friend or parent was coming to see the Willauers. The angle of the roof area near the door hid us from view and we easily could ambush those near the door. We once even filled huge animal balloons with water and dropped them in front of the door, soaking several people at once with each. There was a hose in both the front and backyards, and our parents used those to try and drive us off the roof. The hoses could reach any point on the roof and eventually we scrambled back through the window, giving up. In 1998 I moved from Duxbury to Ridgewood, but we continued Operation Skipper 345 when I visited each summer. Charlie's dad no longer allowed us up on the roof in 2002, ending those battles. While we no longer have the roof wars, water balloon fights still take place every summer. Due to its seaside location, the people there have high tolerance of water warfare, but more towards water balloons and less towards guns. During the July 4 parade last year I was "sprinkled" by a parent with a lowly XP. I wished so badly I had my CPS 2500 then! This year I'm bringing my guns. The town will be mine!