The Water Wars family includes, from left, Tom and Peggy Woog and their son, Tommy Woog, and their daughter and son-in-law, Missy and Bryan Trees. Not pictured is Lisa Woog, Tommy’s wife
Kids getting wet while launching their balloon.
Water Wars – a family business created with fun in mind A Nisswa father and son team, with help from all family members over the past 26
years, has built and sold an amusement industry game that has clients worldwide and is a
Photo by Rick Corwine
• Drag Racing • Road Racing • BIR Performance Driving School • On-site Camping
Photo by Rick Corwine
Photo by SDE
Photo by SDE
May June July Aug. Aug. Sept. Sept. For a
58
27-29 Street Car Showdown 17-19 MAP Proving Grounds 1-3 PleasureLand RV Show & Go 12-14 NHRA Divisional Drag Race 18-21 Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals 2-4 GSTA Muscle Car Shootout 9-11 MAP Proving Grounds complete list of events, visit our website.
2016 Nisswa Destination Guide
www.BrainerdRaceway.com Local: 218-824-RACE (7223) Toll free: 866-444-4455 5 miles north of Brainerd on Hwy 371
001306251r1
2016 Major Races
familiar site in the Lakes Area – Water Wars. Tom Woog created the game and founded the business, whose manufacturing headquarters is in the Pequot Lakes Industrial Park. Tom and his wife, Peggy, sold Water Wars to son Tommy and his wife, Lisa, three years ago. The business has been a family affair since the beginning. “Working together is hard and challenging, but rewarding,” Tommy said. “We couldn’t be more opposite. We drive each other crazy,” he said of his father, explaining that Tom is the creative visionary who solves problems, while Tommy is more of a process-oriented person. But they balance each other out, especially with the help of other family members. In the summer of 1988, Tom Woog invented Water Wars where competitors launch water balloons at each other from separate battle stations. The family operated the Free Wheelin’ Family Fun Center in Crosslake at the time, which included a track and trail for allterrain vehicles. “Water Wars came about as a necessity,” Tom said, noting it was incredibly hot that summer. “The water slide opened in Crosslake and our business went there. We didn’t have a cool-down event. “The idea came at 2 a.m. I woke up and www.nisswa.com