If you live in Michigan’s Copper Country, known for its record amounts of snow and cold, you have to embrace winter or it will get the best of you. That’s why Heikinpäivä’s Polar Bear Dive is so popular. Each year an increasing number of brave souls put on their best swimsuits, and bravely, sometimes dramatically, jump into a hole in the frozen Portage Canal.
Event coordinator Cheryl "Pikku-Karhu" Faller and her helpers make sure each participant has a number, because there are cash prizes for the top three dives. Radio personality Linda Graham, host of Laulun Voima, provides the competition's play-by-play, while hundreds of spectators shiver to see yet another “polar bear” slip into the icy waters. The MTU Aquanauts manage the site and provide a safe environment for the participants and spectators alike. Mike and Sharon Lahti, owners of the Ramada Inn are the consummate hosts of the event, welcoming the divers into the pool, hot tub and sauna of the motel complex.
Registration for this year's dive begins at 2 p.m. Those who just want to dive for fun must pay $1; anyone who'd like to compete for cash prizes must pay $5. Divers who are competing for prizes will dive first. Prizes will be awarded by three judges, who will choose the winners based on costume, presentation, and execution of the dive.
To register in advance (not required), e-mail cherylf@up.net
Back again at this year’s Polar Bear event, designed to warm your spirits, is the jääsauna (a sauna made of ice). Only a Finn would think of something so “cool."
Make it a point of being there and be sure to bring a bathing suit!
