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It’s official – there will be no polar bear dive at this year’s Heikinpäivä celebration.
The saga ended with an official announcement yesterday afternoon by the Finnish Theme Committee.
The dive began in the earliest years of Heikinpäivä as a small event at the waterfront at the Ramada Inn in Hancock. It eventually outgrew that venue. The Michigan Tech Phi Kappa Tau fraternity took it over, and moved it to the Copper Island Beach club property.
It has been held only once in the past three years. The 2017 event was called off because of warm weather and unsafe ice conditions. Last year’s event was canceled because of cold weather. At that time, Phi Kappa Tau discontinued its sponsorship.
The Alpha Phi Omega fraternity recently expressed an interest in coordinating the dive this year, but no location could be found that would provide a safe jump site, with plenty of plowed parking and a warming facility. The Beach Club property is in foreclosure, and unavailable.
David Maki of the Finnish Theme Committee says another organization has expressed an interest in reviving the dive next year.
Other Heikinpäivä events will continue as scheduled, including the parade Saturday morning in downtown Hancock, the wife carrying contest and kids kicksled races afterward, and the toris at the Finnish-American Heritage Center and the First United Methodist Church.
