Players duck behind shelters to avoid incoming snowballs!

Robert Harding/Alamy Stock Photo

STANDARDS

CCSS: 8.G.B.8, MP4, MP5

TEKS: 8.7B, 8.7D

Snowball Fight!

Competitive snowball fighters will battle it out at this winter’s world championships in Japan

December 2024/January 2025

By Ariel Bleicher

For many winters, Ky McMaster traveled 4,350 miles from his home in Alberta, Canada, to Sobetsu, Japan. There, at the foot of a volcano, he prepared for battle.

In the center of a snow-covered court, he and his six teammates faced their rivals. The members of the two teams shook hands and wished each other “Good fight.” Then they retreated to opposite ends of the court and waited for the countdown: “3, 2, 1 . . . Yukigassen!”

Yukigassen means “snow battle” in Japanese. The sport is a cross between dodgeball and capture the flag. There are three ways to win: capturing your opponents’ flag, tagging all of your opponents out with snowballs, or having the most players left after a three-minute match. The team that wins two matches out of three takes the game.

For many winters, Ky McMaster traveled to Sobetsu, Japan. That’s 4,350 miles from his home in Alberta, Canada. Six teammates traveled with him. On a snowy court at the foot of a volcano, they prepared for battle. They shook hands with their rivals. They wished each other “Good fight.” Then they retreated to opposite ends of the court. They waited for the countdown: “3, 2, 1 . . . Yukigassen!”

Yukigassen is a Japanese word. It means “snow battle.” And it’s a sport! The game is a cross between dodgeball and capture the flag. There are three ways to win. You can capture the other team’s flag. You can tag all of your opponents out with snowballs. Or you can have the most players left at the end of a match. Each match lasts three minutes. The team that wins two matches out of three takes the game.

90!
The number of snowballs each team gets per match

Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images

Officials in Sobetsu created Yukigassen 35 years ago to draw tourists to the snowy region. The sport has since gained a worldwide following, with teams in countries like Canada, Norway, China, and Armenia. More than 100 teams will face off this February at the world championships in Sobetsu.

But so far, no team from outside Japan has ever won the tournament. “The Japanese are very intimidating,” says McMaster, the former captain of a team called the Canadian Snowbattlers. “Their aim is deadly accurate—they can hit an opponent 8 out of 10 times!”

McMaster’s team came up with strategies to try to beat the Japanese teams. “They are a quiet and respectful people,” says McMaster. “So one of our tactics is to be loud and obnoxious to confuse them.” The team’s efforts paid off: In 2016, the Canadian Snowbattlers were the first international team to advance to the second day of the tournament. Their success made them minor celebrities in Japan. “Everyone was asking for our autographs,” McMaster says.

After a few years off during the coronavirus pandemic, international teams joined the competition again this past winter. Yukigassen enthusiasts hope to get the sport added to the Winter Olympics someday!

Officials in Sobetsu created Yukigassen 35 years ago. They wanted to draw more tourists to the snowy region. The sport has since gained a worldwide following. There are teams in countries like Canada, Norway, China, and Armenia. This February, the world championships will be held in Sobetsu. More than 100 teams will face off!

So far, no team from outside Japan has ever won the tournament. “The Japanese are very intimidating,” says McMaster. He’s the former captain of a team called the Canadian Snowbattlers. “Their aim is deadly accurate—they can hit an opponent 8 out of 10 times!” he says.

McMaster’s team tried everything to beat the Japanese teams. “They are a quiet and respectful people,” says McMaster. “So one of our tactics is to be loud and obnoxious to confuse them.” The team’s efforts paid off. In 2016, the Snowbattlers advanced to the second day of the tournament. They were the first international team to do so. Their success made them minor celebrities in Japan. “Everyone was asking for our autographs,” McMaster says.

For a few years, the coronavirus pandemic kept teams from traveling for the tournament. But international teams were able to join again last year. Yukigassen enthusiasts hope the sport will keep on growing. They want it added to the Winter Olympics someday!

FINDING DISTANCE USING THE PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM

The Yukigassen court is like a coordinate plane. You can use the Pythagorean theorem to find the distance to run or throw snowballs at your opponents.

EXAMPLE

How far is point X(2, 2) from point Y(-2, -1)?

STEP 1

Plot both points on the coordinate plane.

STEP 2

Draw a vertical ray down from point X. Then draw a horizontal ray from Y to intersect with the first ray in a right angle. Label this point Z.

Z(2, -1)

STEP 3

Find the distance between points X and Z. This is a.

a = |2 – (-1)| = 3

STEP 4

Find the distance between points Y and Z. This is b.

b = |-2 – 2| = |-4| = 4

STEP 5

Use the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the distance between points X and Y along the triangle’s hypotenuse, c.

a² + b² = c²

3² + 4² = c²

9 + 16 = c²

25 = c²

Square route of 25 = c

5 = c

So point Y is 5 units away from point X.

FINDING DISTANCE USING THE PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM

The Yukigassen court is like a coordinate plane. You can use the Pythagorean theorem to find the distance to run or throw snowballs at your opponents.

EXAMPLE

How far is point X(2, 2) from point Y(-2, -1)?

STEP 1

Plot both points on the coordinate plane.

STEP 2

Draw a vertical ray down from point X. Then draw a horizontal ray from Y to intersect with the first ray in a right angle. Label this point Z.

Z(2, -1)

STEP 3

Find the distance between points X and Z. This is a.

a = |2 – (-1)| = 3

STEP 4

Find the distance between points Y and Z. This is b.

b = |-2 – 2| = |-4| = 4

STEP 5

Use the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the distance between points X and Y along the triangle’s hypotenuse, c.

a² + b² = c²

3² + 4² = c²

9 + 16 = c²

25 = c²

Square route of 25 = c

5 = c

So point Y is 5 units away from point X.

The grid below shows the dimensions of a Yukigassen court. Your team’s snow shelters are marked in green, and your opponent’s are red. Each unit on the grid is 1 meter. Use the grid to answer the questions that follow. Round distances to the nearest tenth. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

At the start of the match, your team is lined up at the back line (vertical blue lines at x = 12 and x = -12). You are standing at (-12, -4). How far is your team’s flag at (-10, 0)?

Your teammate is at (0, 1), near the center shelter. She wants to throw a snowball at an opponent behind the shelter at (5, -2). How far is that?

Each team receives 90 snowballs, which are stored behind the shelter at each end of the field. Your team’s stash is at (-17, 0). If you grab a snowball and run to (1, 4), how far did you go?