A Yooper Tradition: Michiganders Bet On When The Saturn Will Sink

Back in the 1940’s civic groups in Iron Mountain would set a car on a frozen lake every winter and wager when the ice would thaw and the car fall through. Back then they would rig one end of a rope to the car and wrap the other end around the electric cord of a wall clock at an adjacent gas station. When the car sank, it unplugged the clock freezing in time the hour and minute the car plunged into the water.

Today, the Iron Mountain Rotary Club 2019 Car Plunge Contest invites you to guess when a 1998 Saturn SL will break through ice and there’s even a live feed showing the car sitting on frozen East Chapin Pit, a flooded, abandoned iron mine near town: “When will the ice melt enough to sink the Saturn? Guess the correct month, day, and time and you could win $1,500 in the Rotary Club of Iron Mountain – Kingsford’s Fifth Annual Car Plunge Contest! Scroll down to see previous years’ plunge dates and times.”

Here are the contest rules:

“Must be 18 years of age or older to participate. All times are current local Central Standard Time (CST). Deadline for online entries is 3/15/2019. In the event the car plunges prior to this deadline, any entries submitted one day prior to the actual plunge date will be rejected. If no entry exactly matches the date and time, the winner will be determined by the entry that is closest to the exact date and time. In the event of a tie, the prize will be split equally between the winners. Winner will be notified no later than 5/1/2019. All proceeds benefit LOCAL projects of the Rotary Club of Iron Mountain – Kingsford.”

Good Luck.