If tonight’s Rope Burn is any indication, the remaining three days of Frontier Week are going to be HOT! It’s hard to explain the uniqueness of Frontier Week without talking about Rope Burn. I have been lucky enough to be present for 6 Rope Burns throughout my tenure at Owego, and each summer somehow manages to top the last. If you think you’ve seen Rope Burns at different camps, you’ve seen nothing. Owego’s Rope Burn is one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever witnessed.
Six teams of Hi-Seniors, six Tribes cheering them on. Kindling collected for two straight days, carried to the Upper Field on “stretchers” and piled so high it’s a wonder there are trees left standing. Counselors and Hi-Seniors carrying the stretchers over their shoulders, straining under the weight of an insanely massive amount of wood. I can only imagine what is going through the minds of the Juniors as they watch this kindling parade, mouths agape. Someday, they will be the ones who carry the stretchers.
Once the piles of wood have been deposited in front of each Tribe’s rope, the teams of “burners” go to work breaking apart the branches to create more manageable pieces of kindling. The spectators take their places at a safe distance, ready to cheer. Each Rope Burn team is allowed one box of matches to get things started, but once the flame is ignited the skills learned in Camp Craft are what make the difference. With shouts of “Burn that rope!” coming from the crowd, the team members run back and forth between the pile of wood and the fire, adding to the pyre. Burners lay on their stomachs, blowing into the base of the fire, hoping to fan the flames even higher.
The fires begin to grow, first into a small blaze and eventually into a massive inferno. The ropes, suspended about 20 feet in the air, begin to feel the heat. The flames lick the rope, sending sparks high into the air. The commotion from the crowd reaches a fever pitch as the flames climb into the night sky. Before you know it, there are 6 raging bonfires competing for supremacy. The heat emanating from these fires is impossible to describe.
In the end, one rope catches fire before the others. One rope burns faster and breaks first. Tonight, that triumph belonged to the Tribe of Comanche. The crowd went wild as the team members celebrated their hard-earned win. Another year of Frontier Week Rope Burn in the books. One of the most “Owego-y” nights of the summer, we are already looking forward to next summer’s spectacle.
