A large hole in the ice is usually a hazard to avoid, but it will be just the opposite for participants in an upcoming Flin Flon Trout Festival fundraiser.
The festival will hold the area’s first ever Polar Bear Dare on March 21. Participants will jump into the frigid Amisk Lake for up to 10 minutes each.
“The dares are really popular throughout the rest of the world,” said event planner and secretary Annette Last.
Last did a glacier water jump herself last summer, inspiring the Polar Bear Dare.
Participants will jump into an 8-by-10-ft. hole with five feet of water for up to 10 minutes each.
Pledge forms and rules state that participants must submerge their heads under water to complete the challenge, but Last says she won’t be enforcing the rule.
“I’m not going to make you do that,” she said. “Even if you put your foot in, I’ll be happy.”
Reduce slips
The hole will be surrounded by rubber to reduce slipping. There will be a ladder inside the hole to allow participants to climb out.
The Trout Festival will supply life jackets for participants, though Last says they are not mandatory.
Water shoes or other footwear, however, will be mandatory for participants as the cold water can reduce the feeling in feet.
“You never know what you [could] hit,” said Last.
The Polar Bear Dare is slated for the Main Beach in Denare Beach.
Last says if the temperatures are below -20°, the event will be postponed until the following weekend.
“If everyone is frozen solid it won’t be enjoyable, so -20 is our cutoff right now,” said Last.
The event could again be postponed as needed to ensure a fun time for everyone involved.
“If we’re past a [safe ice thickness] we can wait until there is a shoreline showing and do a group run in,” said Last. “That’s what a lot of the larger places do. It wouldn’t be as fun…but if that’s what we have to do, that’s what we’ll do.”
Polar Bear Dare participants are encouraged to wear as little as possible for the jump.
“I’m going to wear a Halloween costume, but the less you wear the better because it will be very cold when you get out and it will cling to your body,” said Last. “My best advice is to wear heavy winter boots right up until the moment you jump in the water.”
Once jumpers have completed the challenge, they will go to the warm-up tent where Last says it’s important for feet to be dried first.
“Dry your feet, put on socks and then put on your winter boots, then dry your hair and put on a hat,” she said.
All participants will be required to bring their own towels, blankets and other items to keep warm.
“The Trout Festival will have a shack to get you out of the elements,” said Last.
Though medical checks will not be required prior to the event, Last says those with health conditions are discouraged from participating.
“If you have anything wrong you shouldn’t go in,” she said, noting there will be nurses and EMT on hand as a precaution.
Last says one of the main risks from participating in the Polar Bear Dare is elevated blood pressure.
“If you even have a question if you have a health concern, please don’t do the [jump],” she said.
Participants are required to raise at least $50 in pledges for the Trout Festival. With those funds, Last hopes to host an open-field concert at the Creighton Ball Diamond this summer.
Last hopes to see local musicians play at the diamond during the festival with no admission charged. She hopes to raise near $5,000 from the Polar Bear Dare.
The challenge will be held off the shore of the Main Beach on Mar. 21, weather permitting, with the jumps starting at 12 noon.
The event is open to those over the age of 18, though Last says if a 17-year-old has a parent present, he or she will be allowed to take part.
Pledge forms can be found on Facebook by searching for the Flin Flon Trout Festival.
