Twenty Below

Check out the tools used to carve ice!

Several weekends ago, Joensuu held its annual ice festival.  Located on the north bank of the river, all the townspeople came out to enjoy each other's company despite the frosty temperatures.  Children were given blocks of snow to carve out their imaginations while the teenagers participated in snowboard competitions.  Meanwhile, the adults used specialized tools to form marvelous ice sculptures.

My favorite ice sculpture.

And where were the grandparents, you ask?  A short walk across the bridge revealed a part of Finnish culture I have yet to come to terms with.  Approximately a hundred people were gathered around a large hole in the river's ice.  Across this hole were strung several ropes that formed swimming lanes (like those found in pools).  Every few minutes, a whistle blew, the crowd went wild, and four or five people would jump in the water to swim a few laps.  And the grandparents—they were the ones swimming!

AnKa and I watched the ice swimming
competition while attempting to stay warm.

Given that my feet had already gone numb and my fingers were on the verge of falling off, I have not a clue how these people could jump into the water and then proceed to swim laps.  I think I will cross "ice swimming" off my list of sports I'd like to try.  Brrrrrrrrrr (roll the r's in "brrr" if you want to sound Finnish).

One of the ice swimmers after her swim.