• Monday-What'sUP January 24 - 07:12 pm

The annual Polar Bear Swim took place this past Saturday in Hancock, as part of the Heikkinepäivä festivities. Truly hearty souls to be braving the cold temperatures of the Keweenaw on a normal winter day, but this year the temps were sub-zero with the windchill. I'm not sure who's crazier, the people jumping in that frigid water or Z-Man for braving the blizzard-like conditions to record it for all of us to see. A big thank you to him for taking the long drive and snapping these shots. I wonder if the first fellow thought he'd get less chilled if he went in fully dressed? And that second young man, such form as he walks right into the deep freeze!

Then Brian and Shawn Malone spotted someone doing a bit of cold weather surfing in the Marquette area. The gentleman on the board is known as "Hardcore Dan" and after seeing these shots, I can understand why. From what Brian and Shawn posted in their Guest Gallery Album, the best surfing waves on Lake Superior are usually when the winter lows move across the lake.

So, any Pasty Cam viewers ready to take the plunge or catch a wave? :->

Brrrrrrr.............not for me!

The closest I'm able to take the plunge is looking at these pictures. I'm with the Trollperson, "not for me!" Not a lot of competiton for Hardcore Dan, either.

Wow!! They definitely have SISU. Unfortunately, the Pack didn't have enough. Maybe next year. Question: Is Brett Favre going to play next year?

Favre will be back.
brrrrrrrrrrr ... i need to try that

After looking at these shots, I poured my scalding hot morning coffee on myself..."ON PURPOSE"!

All I can say is "OH MY GOSH!!!"

C O W A B U N G A!

I would have loved to have seen that, maybe next year.

Can't help but notice no women doing this crazy stuff! Hmmmmm....

Mary says: Oh, there were women there too...

I'll bet he wishes he really was suspended in mid-air now!...Dude,you weren't even in the sauna first!

Brings back memories of being a student at Da Tech.. Going in the sauna and drinking beer and then diving in the icy water... Was it SISU, or just a lack of brains?

Oorah! Sign him up for the Jarheads! Semper Fi.......BAM (Beautiful American Marine) Yooper Cathy

go giants beutiful win over the limberger cheese heads go tom brady a great michigan quaterback ===== i remain walter p

Yes, there were women there-kids too! My sister, Babette,did the plunge. I am so glad that the divers were there. My dad was there
and took pictures. Love the picture of the
St.Bernard dog with his wooden barrel around
his neck. You sure are tough sis!

Those surfing pictures are some of the coolest pictures I've ever seen!!! When I was dating Nate(now my hubbie) he used to surf the winter Lake Superior waves in his Kayak. He'd come back to my place and borrow my hairdryer to thaw his wetsuit zipper!

This is Nate kayaking Piers Gorge in Norway.
http://gallery.pasty.com/nalwine/albup09/PiersGorge_011.jpg.html

Just wait til I show these pics to some of my friends. They already
think Yoopers are a strange bunch...

I can't imagine doing this. Not kayaking or diving into truly icy
waters.

bobbysgirl,
i've heard 'cowabunga' before. but what does
it mean?

Click ® Cowabunga

wow, brave brave people doing the polar dive. i've not done it myself (i've jumped into a SNOWBANK after a sauna tho), but you never know.

and the winter surfing. HOLY COW i would love to try that if i weren't such a chicken!!! ;) that is the coolest thing ever (literally).

I would think those people would be blue!

Just got back to Kansas after spending the weekend up at Heikinpäivä. If you haven't had the chance to check it out, it is a really great time! We ran in the Lumijouksu before the parade to help support the track program at Tech. Although it was a bit fresh (maybe not as much so as the Polar Bear Dive), we were plenty warm to take in some of the other activities like the wife carrying and boot throwing contests. The dinner and dance at Finlandia University were outstanding as well! I have included a few photos in my gallery at: http://gallery.pasty.com/keithinks/?g2_page=2

SISU maybe...but brains? I'm not too sure. Brrrr....I can't even stand it when my shower gets cold for a second. No way!!

Okay, help. What does SISU stand for? I'm laughing at myself because I'm sure I should know.

Great pictures! Really makes me appreciate the warm office I am currently in. : )

Debra J. McCumber (Debwaugh):
"What does SISU stand for?"

Click ® Wikipedia:Sisu

Doesn't anyone ever look these things up themselves?

Frank we have all become dependent on you.

Michael Du Long (Mikie):
" Frank we have all become dependent on you."

What a shame, if true! (But I know you're kidding!)

The Internet really is your/our friend! Such a wealth of information is available if we only knew where to look. (Google®, Wikipedia®, OneLook® Dictionary Search and Snopes® are some of my favorite references.)

Pytavey, of course I could have answered the question about Sisu myself, but I couldn't have said it better!

Frank I like it when you post I find you very informative, but truthfully I do check the internet constantly for information. How did we live without it? Keep up the good work.

Wikipedia works ok for a quick & dirty reference; that's usually true. I would not use it as a major reference for something that really counts, though, because the authors of the articles are not vetted--that is, anyone can post an answer. Or, that was the case, at least until recently. Many schools do not even allow it to be used as a reference anymore, after some people got into several areas of Wikipedia and deliberately sabotaged it, to make their points. Those were cleaned up, but I don't know what has been done since then.

A library requires that books be vetted before resources are committed to them. But there are no such checks and balances on Wikipedia, unless they were very recently added. It is sad, but true. You should have to be an expert in a given area before you are allowed post or update subjects. Encyclopedias are supposed to be comprised of facts, not fiction.

BRRRRRRRR i had to help organize some of the events for heikinpäivä. haha i was even asked to be in the parade but said no because i was already sick and the zero temps would've made me really miserable lol i hear it was fun but i would have checked it out if i wasn't under the weather...oh well. i go to finlandia so yes that is how i know who orgaznizes these events and such ...i get asked to help. i saw the plunge pics in the paper, heard about 100 people took the dive into the canal...that is sooooo not for me, but it looks fun haha.

Frank - Thank you for the definition of SISU, that totally makes sense and I figured it must be something like that given the context it was used.

I am just a few months shy of obtaining my MBA/Global Management degree so I do use the internet a ton of times each day. I guess I was just busy yesterday and took the lazy way out. I also thought that perhaps it was just local slang and I didn't realize I could find it on the net. : )

I appreciate your answer!

~Deb

Debra J. McCumber (Debwaugh), Marianne Y (Marianne), et. al:

Just to be clear, I certainly don't object to anyone asking, it just seems to me that if you ask here, you might see an answer in 24 hours or so; if you do a quick check of some of the available Internet resources, you can have an answer in two minutes or less. (Personally, I couldn't stand waiting!)

Marianne certainly has a point about credibility, although Wikipedia® has been a bit more assertive about monitoring things since some earlier sabotage events — which of course tend to be a bit more problematic with more controversial subjects. Not much controversy about Sisu, though.

As a matter of fact, generally I don't post a Wikipedia® link here unless I am comfortable with the article, either: (a) it's a subject that I am familiar with, and is therefore "personally vetted", or I've got a "second opinion" from another credible source. In either case, it just saves a bunch o' keyboard smashin'!

Debwaugh: I'm glad you found it helpful!

I think most people are aware of links , searches, info websites etc. and if not they should be.
My thoughts though are many come to websites such as this one to interact, socialize, share thoughts, opinions with like interested folks as they are! This website in particular is unique in upper peninsula, Copper Country and Finnish heritage subjects. They simply may want an "in" or connection with these people and their own past and heritage! They probably want local live real human opinions! Give em' a break! They shouldn't have to apologize for not using an info link!

We went through similiar years ago with the "CB radio" people. Some would get annoyed when others, particularly newcomers kept "breaking" for someone or talking a lot, telling jokes, asking questions etc. and those annoyed folks would tell them to be quiet, shut up, back off etc. I used to remind them this (Citizens Band radio) is a public communications device for the purpose of interacting! Granted at times there can be abuses to this all to be dealt with. Dave Hiltunen knows about CBs as this is how I met him. Your thoughts Dave H.?

Hello up north. I am always delighted to see what is going on in the UP during the winter. But these water pictures are crazy. We have tented at Fort Wilkins for almost 40 years in August and have always wondered about what a winter vacation would feel like. Now that I see these ice swimming folks, I think I'll pass. I'm sitting here in Indy with four layers of clothing on and a heater at my feet. That's Michigan layering and I'm in Indy with a zero temp happening. The difference is that we have a few days or a week of this at the most before the southern breezes come along. So...seeing the pictures today gave me a view of the north that I just can't comprehend. What are some of you thinking???

FRNash, I was pointing out the care should be taken in general, when using Wikipedia as a reference. I am sure that you know the subject or have at least a second source before you use it here, but too many other people are not aware of Wikipedia's crediblity issues, in general, on other topics. I just wanted them to realize that Wikipedia could work for a quick and dirty reference, but for anything important, they should check it out the subject with other sources that are respected, before quoting it. :-)

Marianne Y (Marianne) I totally agree with you about Wikipedia, ever since the scam part of it came out. It is too hard to trust that site.

FRNash don't be so critical of other folks who want to asking for a meaning of something they might not quite understand. Pasty.com is to have the knowledge to ask what might not understand. Have fun reading the entries.

Helen in the U. P.! (Lahelo):
"FRNash don't be so critical of other folks who want to asking (sic) for a meaning of something they might not quite understand."

Speaking of "not quite understand(ing)":
I have to wonder what did you not understand about:

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Quote:

By FRNash/PHX, AZ (Frnash) on Thursday, January 24, 2008 - 02:22 pm:

Just to be clear, I certainly don't object to anyone asking …

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FRNash I wasn't being negative I misread your quote on what you said. So accept my apology.

You said
"'Tis just amazing how some folks will work overtime struggling to misconstrue something in a negative fashion!"
I am sorry but to me that seems to be a negative out put. Take it the way you will. It just so happens that I do work overtime alot, with 2 jobs some people just can't get on line as much as others can!
Not working overtime on misconstruing something you quoted.
Leave it at that please. Have a great day!

FRNash, Now let's see that smile! :)

Helen in the U. P.! (Lahelo):
"Now let's see that smile!"

OK, here ya go, Helen!