Hot Time; Summer in the City- Remembering Super Soakers

It was in the 90’s today here on the Northeast.  It wasn’t as hot back in 1992, but it was hot this week in July.

I talked about Batman Returns being the big summer movie, but A League of their Own and  Honey, I Blew up the Kid were also tearing up the box office.

*Back in 2018* Just last week I saw Target setting up for back to school. For me this is the first sign summer is coming to a close.  We’ll see Halloween candy on shelves in a few short weeks.

But in 1992, the summer was at it’s apex.  We haven’t hit the dog days yet, and we were having the time of our lives.  We’d cap the summer off with a trip to the Allentown Fair to see WWF wrestling before Labor Day, but until then we were the kings of summer, the lords of all creation.

Why didn't we go see Hammer?

That summer, Super Soakers had taken the world by storm, everyone had their favorite model. Our local newspaper accuses them of causing violence due to a series of unfortunate events.

My parents would get my brother and I Super Soaker 50’s for our birthdays.  That was when we entered the world of Super Soaker class warfare. 

We thought we ruled the water gun world with these water guns. They staved us off the entire summer.  We were aware there was a more powerful Super Soaker 100, and a more stealth Super Soaker 30, but everyone we knew that summer had the 50.

That all changed when we went back to school that September.  My best friend at school was bragging about getting a Super Soaker over the summer.  I said I got one as well, and some other kids at school had them.  He invited us all over for our first weekend sleepover, and we were told to bring out water guns.  I had my SS50 all ready to warfare, until he came out with the 100.  We all had gun envy as his had more power and held more water.

My Super Soaker 50 just never seemed the same.

The Philadelphia based Laramie would release the Super Soaker MDS (Multi-Directional-Shooter) the Super Soaker 150, the 200, the 300, the 500, the small stealth 25, and the 10.  There were TONS of Super Soakers.  Eventually the heat broke, and the summer ended.  Halloween and the fall were coming, and our Super Soakers were stored in the shed till next summer.  We always used them, but they were never as popular as they were that summer in 1992.

It was a hot one, and it’s a hot week here in Allentown, Pennsylvania.  I’d love for a couple of SS50’s for Enchantress and I to have a water gun fight, but until then we’ll just remember this rad year when a liter of pressurized water was just as fulfilling as an entire swimming pool.

What are your Super Soaker Memories? Let me know in the comments below.

The Rad Years Summer Vacation continues tomorrow!

-RK