car plunge contest
 

why is this not a thing here?

https://rotaryimk.org/car-plunge-contest/

Pretty interesting. My first concern was environmental friendliness, which is remedied by the removal of all the contaminants, etc. Pretty cool learning opportunity for the local tech school.

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Isn't this kind of like our Ice-Out Guess Contest, except we use Emerson Aviation instead of a car plunge?

Interesting concept. We do have the Lakes Region Community College that might be interested in a project to prepare the car. No human input and no way to alter the results.

I suppose if the prizes were big enough someone would be out there in the dark putting rock salt under the car just to get the car to go through the ice at their chosen time. :look:

Or the Nenana Ice Classic in Alaska
 

Certainly the Car Plunge is a neat idea, and our own Ice Out Contest is certainly an item of interest. Whenever I think ice out, I am reminded of my time spent stationed at an Air Force base outside Fairbanks. A tripod is placed out on the ice in the Tanana river in Nenana AK, and when the ice moves sufficiently to stop a clock that is connected on shore to the tripod by rope or cable, the person who guesses the correct time the clock stops, or closest time either side of that time.
I was in Alaska from 1967 to 1972, so this ice out contest has a lot of history. In fact, it dates back to 1917. In fact, this weekend is Tripod weekend, with activities all weekend. Later today, the Tripod will be placed on the Tanana River. They even have a webcam overlooking the site.

Here's a link to the Nenana Ice Classic website.

https://www.nenanaakiceclassic.com

Dave

I remember as a kid, going to the Kingston carnival on the 4th. They used to build up a bunch of railroad ties in kind of a crib, with a car on top. The grand finale was to light it up and wait for whole thing to cave in. We didn't have EPA then :)

http://www.cripplecreektoday.com/fou...fire-memories/

2018 Video


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At a frozen lake in Iron Mountain, Michigan, in the upper peninsular, close to Wisconsin so for a similar spot here in New Hampshire, maybe someplace like Cambridge, NH ...... close to Maine, and south of Errol, NH ..... up above the north country notches.

You ever hear of Cambridge, NH ..... probably not .... so, that makes it a good place for this ..... on some frozen pond in the middle of no-where!

I wonder who bares retrieval costs? Bet that would be the stumbling block here unless you charged for guesses and had a large cash prize.


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A local organization (can’t remember who) partnered with a radio station (ditto) to do this very thing on Meredith Bay back in the mid to late 90’s. The car was located on the ice right in front of the space where the Rotary trailer is for the derby. I believe it was a guessing game similar to area ice out contests. On a warm early spring day I recall seeing a group of snowmobilers doing tight, aggressive circles around the car to thin the ice with their studded tracks and eventually made it fall in early. I believe they had all fluids drained from the car and it was attached to a chain to make retrieval a bit easier. Regardless of all the steps they took to make it as environmentally friendly as possible the public’s perception was that it was not a great idea and it was never done again.


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About 20 years ago, the Wall Street Journal ran a story about this contest. IIRC, at the time, it was the only form of legal gambling in the state.

Reminds me of the Nenana Ice Classic in Alaska. Uses a tower instead of a car. This will be it's 102nd year. It's a big money-maker for the town.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nenana_Ice_Classic

ETA: Oops! I should have read through to the end of the thread. Sorry.

Flagpole
 

In the 50's there was a raft apparatus in Weirs Bay with a flagpole. When the ice melted enough for the flagpole to fall, that triggered a clock and a winner was declared. This was an explanation from my father, so I really don't know much more. Anybody know when the tradition about the Mount and her four ports started? That seems more "recent", but it may be that it is just more widespread now that we have internet. Before that, I doubt it was reported much outside the circulation area of the Laconia Citizen.