I'll admit that I have been a participant in the craziest of all M*CH*G*N week traditions because there's nothing more uncomfortably comfortable than ice water in 20-degree weather in late November.
I last made the Mirror Lake Jump in 2004...and I've since retired. Not only because I graduated from Ohio State, but because it's no longer necessary to do so.
Anyhow, thousands of Buckeye students will brave the cold and risk hypothermia as they celebrate the last stage of Beat Michigan Week (an unsanctioned event, mind you) before The Game.
Legend holds that if you jump in on even years, you stay out of the water on odd years. According to legend, I'd be obligated to make the jump if I were still there this year.
By the way, even if you're only in for five minutes, it feels like pins and needles constantly stabbing your legs and other important parts of your anatomy. You will not gather your breath for another ten minutes after escaping the arctic climate.
If you've never been to one of these jumps even as a bystander, you do not understand how loud it is at these events, either. The cheering is constant and carries on as if Ohio State just scored the first touchdown of the game.
I've included several pictures documenting jumps of years past and what the beautiful Mirror Lake looks like before and as the jumping happens.
My friend, Dawn Durkot, actually covered this event in 2006.
Across The Field by Justin Hearn is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at drivedriveondownthefield.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://drivedriveondownthefield.blogspot.com/.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment