Dunk tank on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
A dunk tank, also known as a dunking booth or dunking machine, is a common feature at Canadian and American
A dunk tank, also known as a dunking booth or dunking machine, is a common feature at Canadian and American fair
A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks.
Types
Variations of fairs incl ...
s, fundraisers
Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...
, and celebrations. It consists of a huge water tank
A water tank is a container for storing water.
Water tanks are used to provide storage of water for use in many applications, drinking water, irrigation agriculture, fire suppression, agricultural farming, both for plants and livestock, chemi ...
with a volunteer sitting on a collapsible bench above. When the ball hits the goal, the seat collapses and "dunks" the volunteer into the water. People often volunteer to be dunked while fully dressed for comedic effect.
Origin
African dodger
African dodger, also known as Hit the Coon or Hit the Nigger Baby, was a carnival game played in the United States. In the game, an African Americans, African-American child would stick his head through a curtain, and attempt to dodge objects, suc ...
, also known as Hit the Coon, was a popular American carnival game
A carnival game is a game of chance or skill that can be seen at a traveling carnival, charity fund raiser, amusement arcade and amusement park, or on a state and county fair midway. They are also commonly played on holidays such as Mardi Gra ...
from the late 19th century up to the mid-1940s. It involved an African-American man sticking his head out through a hole in a curtain and trying to dodge balls thrown at him. Hits were rewarded with prizes. People were sometimes seriously injured or reportedly even killed after being struck. In response to attempts to ban it, a less dangerous game was invented: the African dip, in which a person was dropped into a tank of water if a target was hit by a ball. ''Popular Mechanics
''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...
'' noted in 1910 that African dodger had become "too old and commonplace" and was being replaced with dunk tanks, in which an African American would fall into a tank of water when a target was hit with a ball. The illustration accompanying the article shows a game labeled "Drop the Chocolate Drop" and is captioned "Amusing to All but the Victim".
Safety
General safety guidelines include keeping hands off any part of the tank assembly—some rental companies recommend that the volunteer keep their hands on their lap when sitting on a dunk tank. Grasping the seat could result in pinched fingers when the seat falls, and holding on to the side of the tank or enclosure could cause arm or shoulder injuries when falling in. There is also a slight risk of slipping on the bottom of the tank, so some rental companies recommend wearingshoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture t ...
s or sandal
Sandals are an open type of footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps going over the instep and around the ankle. Sandals can also have a heel. While the distinction between sandals and other types of footwear can some ...
s. Participants are typically recommended to sit on the edge of the seat as to avoid tailbone and back injuries
Back injuries result from damage, wear, or trauma to the bones, muscles, or other tissues of the back. Common back injuries include sprains and strains, herniated discs, and fractured vertebrae. The lumbar spine is often the site of back pain. ...
.
In 2016, Canadian TV personality Leslie Horton filed a $150,000 lawsuit after she struck her head on an unpadded part of a dunk tank while at a fair put on by the Calgary Police Association on July 4, 2014.
See also
*Cucking stool
Cucking stools or ducking stools were chairs formerly used for punishment of disorderly women, scolds, and dishonest tradesmen in England, Scotland, and elsewhere. The cucking-stool was a form of or "women's punishment," as referred to in La ...
, a medieval form of punishment involving dipping the victim in water
References
External links
* {{Commons category-inline, Dunk tanks Ball games Carnival games North American culture