When Color Wars starts at 9 a.m. tomorrow, members of all 10 teams will face their first test – the Tug of War.

The competition has been an event since Color Wars started in 2003, said fitness teacher Virginia Clevenger.

“Mrs. O’Keefe, as the head of the SGA back then, was the person who came up with all the events, including the idea for tug of war, with the help of

the SGA,” Clevenger said.

History teacher Sharyn O’Keefe said there have been many “memorable experiences” throughout the years.

”Sometimes there are faculty members involved, but that will not be happening with my team this year,” O’Keefe said. “I am not doing tug of war.”

Because of its competitive nature, the event gets intense, according to senior Reanna Penn of Howell.

“Everyone always gets really dirty, in a fun way,” Penn said, who claims she falls every year.

Senior Seymone Jeannot of Asbury Park agreed.

“I remember my team had to compete three or four times in a row, and our hands started to get really red and sore from pulling on the rope. We ended up losing because of that,” Jeannot said.

The rope itself has split in the past, according to Clevenger.

“It sounded like a firecracker going off, and then everyone fell backwards,” Clevenger said.

Freshman Allie Kuo of Tinton Falls eagerly anticipates the event.

“I’ve heard great stories about Color Wars, specifically the tug of war competition, and I’m really excited to compete,” Kuo said.