• Thursday-What'sUP January 28 - 09:12 pm

The Bear Rolls Over or Karhu kylkeänsä kääntää, is one of the Finnish weather proverbs the Heikinpäivä Mid-Winter Festival in Hancock is based on. There have been numerous activities going on for several weeks now, but the events that attract the most interest will be held this coming weekend. You'll find the complete schedule of events by clicking here: 2010 Schedule. The annual parade down the mainstreet of Hancock, will take place Saturday morning starting at 11:00. There's sure to be plenty of entries with a Finnish theme, some serious and some not so serious, as seen in these photos taken by Daryl Laitila.

One of the biggest draws for spectators though, is the Polar Bear Dive, into the Portage Canal. That will also be held on Saturday afternoon at 3:00, near the Ramada. This is always an entertaining event and one that the participants display plenty of Finnish "Sisu," whether they're of Finnish descent or not. We hope to bring you some photos from this year's events sometime next week. Better make your plans now to attend the fun and celebrate the Finnish-American way!

Between this Winter Festival and John Dee's Make a Wish snowmobile ride in, going to be a lot of excitement U. P. there!

Could you imagine if Porta-potties were mobile? I give those girls credit, I hope that was last week when it was warmer. Have a great day everyone and thanks for sharing your "Finnish Festival" with us!! Looks like a lot of fun and a lot of good laughs.

The Polar Bear Dive always amazes me. I was wondering how deep the water is at the dive point and is there any current there.

As cold as it's been outside, we don't even have to do that out here. All we have to do is walk outside and we freeze. Brrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!

Alex,I have asked before,how deep is the channel. But no one answers me, I guess they don't know. How about it mary Drew,do you know.

According to the NOAA chart #14972 for the Portage & Torch Lake, the depth near the Ramada is 23'. Depths as you move further west towards the pipeline area are 35, 32 & 37'. The channel depth (dredged) is listed as 41' under the bridge.

Hope this helps you out, William. I found the info here:

http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/14972.shtml

Cheers!

Thanks Mel.Them poor girls,are playing with danger. If they go under the ice.

Gratiot Lake did this same theme about 35 years ago!

Hmmm...I wonder if anyone ever chased down one of these porta-potties screaming "I gotta go, I gotta go!"

Looks like fun! (To watch activities, not jump into the icy depths.) Wish I could be up there to see it all.

I can hear the screams at they hit that frigid water. I imagine those folks hanging around in the wetsuits are there to retrieve any wayward divers. Brrrr....!

No Alex, but one little kid did ask his dad "Why does that camper have a chimney?"

His dad told him "...it's for the apartment in the basement!"

If you're interested in mobile "Porta-potties", don't forget the Trenary Outhouse Classic, in Trenary, MI, to be held this year on February 27, 2010. See also: Trenary Outhouse Classic.

Egad! More Winter swimming. How do they do it?

I believe the word you're looking for, Thomas, is SISU.

:)

Since the polar bear dive is near the Ramada, we might be able to see the event on the bridge cam??