US Naval Academy ritual Herndon Monument Climb leaves Class of 2027 plebes covered in Crisco as their instructors take to them with the water hose

U.S. Naval Academy recruits embarked on a slippery climb to the top of a greased obelisk as part of a beloved ritual marking the end of their first year.

The class of 2027 banded together beneath rainy skies in Annapolis, Maryland on Tuesday to participate in the Herndon Climb, a tradition that has been going strong for more than eight decades.

Around 1,175 'plebes' worked together to scale the 21-foot monument, which had been slicked in vegetable shortening, to replace a 'Dixie cup' hat with the more formal cap reserved for upperclassmen.

Throngs of recruits, many shirtless and clad in Navy-issued shorts, linked arms to brace the weight of their classmates as they built a human pyramid. Hoses aimed at the recruits doused them in a relentless spray of cold water.

Following the climb, they would be deemed fourth class midshipmen rather than plebes, marking successful completion of their inaugural year at the Academy. 

First-years at the U.S. Naval Academy embarked on the annual Herndon Monument climb on May 15

The new recruits are tasked with replacing a 'Dixie cup' hat with an upperclassmen's hat to mark the end of their first year at the Academy

The obelisk was smeared with grease and the plebes were doused with cold water to further complicate their task

After the climb, the newcomers are deemed fourth class midshipmen

Around the two-hour mark, Ben Leisegang, a 20-year-old California native, finally got close enough to place the upperclassman’s hat near the tip of the obelisk.

Many of his classmates erupted into cheer, but the celebration came too soon, as the Dixie cup hat remained in place.

The plebes quickly reassembled to finish the job, and just minutes later, Leisegang was able to whack the cap away with a waterlogged shirt and leave the formal hat in its place.

He stood proudly on their shoulders as the underclassmen broke into triumphant whoops. After two hours, 19 minutes and 11 seconds, the task was complete.

Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Yvette M. Davids congratulated the newly-christened midshipmen on their victory.

She noted that they were but a link in a chain before passing on messages from the class of 1977, urging them to never forget their experiences as plebes.

'You represent so much, not just the past but the future,' Davids professed.

The person who gets the hat to the top of the obelisk is said to become the first admiral in the class - and competition is rife among their ranks, as evidenced by an eight percent acceptance rate. 

The underclassmen formed a human pyramid as they attempted to reach the top of the monument

The class of 2027 completed the climb after a grueling two hours, 19 minutes and 11 seconds

The Herndon Climb began in 1940, though the tradition of placing of an officer’s cap atop the obelisk came seven years later

Twenty-year-old Ben Leisegang (pictured) was finally able to knock the Dixie cup hat off the tip of the obelisk

Admission into the U.S. Naval Academy is extremely competitive, with an eight percent acceptance rate and student body comprised of varsity athletes and honor society members

Leisegang (middle) was able to knock the cap away with a waterlogged shirt and replace it with a formal hat

This year's student body is comprised of varsity athletes (90 percent), members of the National Honor Society (56 percent) and captains or co-captains of sports teams (68 percent), according to a class profile on the admissions website.

The Herndon Climb began in 1940, though the tradition of placing of an officer’s cap atop the obelisk came seven years later. 

The class of 2023 was forced to postpone their to 2021 after the 2020 event was canceled amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The climb has undergone several changes, including the addition of grease in 1949. 

The first Dixie cup was placed atop the monument in 1962, the same year the Naval Academy began recording the time it took each class to complete the mission.

A record of one minute and 30 seconds, set by the class of 1972, has gone unbroken for decades. However, there is a catch: at the time, the obelisk had no grease.

Midshipman 4th Class Michael J Maynard of the class of 1975 made it to the top in 20 minutes - believed to be the fastest time since the tradition of greasing the monument began. 

Conversely, the record slowest time was set by the class of 1988, who took four hours and five minutes to replace a Dixie cup hat that had been glued and taped to the obelisk.