• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / News / Cold, what cold? Okoboji Winter Games open

Cold, what cold? Okoboji Winter Games open

January 23, 2020 By Matt Kelley

Some Iowans detest the freezing weather, but hearty snow lovers in northwest Iowa are embracing the chill with today’s opening of the 40th annual University of Okoboji Winter Games.

While the university is fictional, devotion to the event is very real, according to Kylie Zankowski at the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce. The games feature a host of indoor and outdoor activities. “One, of course, is the signature broomball tournament that started this whole event back in 1981,” Zankowski says. “There’s a chili cooking contest, there’s a dessert contest, there’s snow softball. We have our Okoboji Winter Games twist on all sorts of different activities from hammerschlagen to a beanbag tournament.”

The games include a Snowball Drop where thousands of pingpong balls will fall from the sky, some with special numbers for prizes. While most people would avoid falling into a frigid lake, others run toward the hole in the ice — the Polar Plunge is a fundraiser for the Arnolds Park-Okoboji Fire and Rescue Squad.

“They cut a hole in the frozen waters of West Lake Okoboji and a hundred-plus brave souls line up and they actually pay to jump into the lake,” Zankowski says. “It’s $20 to jump. You jump into the freezing water surrounded by all sorts of friends, family and cheering people.” The closing ceremonies of the Winter Games will come on Saturday night with what’s known as the Burning of the Greens.

“We kick off with the cheerleaders doing one last cheer, the chairs announcing the winners of the different tournaments, and then we start the chant, ‘Light that fire!,’ and they light up the giant bonfire made of hundreds of Christmas trees,” Zankowski says. “Everyone cozies up and stays warm and the sky is lit up with a beautiful fireworks display.”

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: News, Outdoors, Recreation / Entertainment, Weather

Featured Stories

Iowans 65+ now eligible in next phase of Covid vaccinations

Bill would remove transfer limits in five Iowa school districts

Former Iowa sports talk host sentenced to federal prison for ticket scams

Feenstra only member of Iowa delegation not at Biden’s inauguration

Congresswoman Axne favors Biden pandemic relief plan, Hinson not ruling out a ‘yes’

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

UNI adds two nonconference games to basketball schedule

Iowa State-Kansas postponed

Iowa-Michigan State postponed

Fire damage to Riverfront Stadium electrical system will cost Waterloo thousands

Iowa State at Kansas State postponed

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC