The 2013 Pull was won by the Class of 2016 (the sophomores).
Held across the Black River north of Holland on a beautiful fall afternoon, Saturday's Pull went the full three hours. After taking a measurement of the rope, the judges declared the Class of 2016 (Even Year) the winner with an advantage of 15 feet of the 600-foot-long rope.
SEE PHOTOS OF THE FRESHMAN CLASS (EVEN YEAR-CLASS OF 2016)
SEE PHOTOS OF THE SOPHOMORE CLASS (ODD YEAR-CLASS OF 2017)
SEE COVERAGE BY HOLLAND SENTINEL
A PULL BACKGROUNDER
The Pull, first held in 1898, is an annual fall highlight at Hope. In the competition, freshman and sophomore teams, entrenched in shallow pits on opposite sides of the river, attempt to gain the most rope through their strength and stamina.
Each team has 18 students on the rope as “pullers” and another 18 acting as guides and morale boosters, or “moralers.” The freshmen are coached by the junior class while the sophomores are instructed by the seniors. The coaching arrangement also leads to a rivalry between the even-year and odd-year classes.
In 1977, the Pull set a record for length and uniqueness. The freshmen and sophomores tugged for three hours and 51 minutes before judges called a tie due to darkness. In contrast, the shortest Pull lasted two minutes and 40 seconds in 1956.
New rules were implemented in 1978, following the 1977 marathon, limiting the event’s duration. The rules now allow the judges to determine the winning class by measuring the amount of rope pulled from the other team if one team has not claimed all of the rope within three hours.
Through the years, the sophomores and even-year classes have held the edge in the win-loss column. Since 1909, the sophomores have taken 66 contests to the freshman class’s 31; the even-year/odd-year split for the same period is 55 to 42. There have been four draws and four cancellations since 1909.