The Lake Geneva Cruise Line is now taking reservations for seats to see its mailboat jumpers in action, as the candidates for the coveted summer jobs are preparing for the annual tryouts.
The tradition has been part of summers on Lake Geneva for more than a century.
The jumpers need athletic ability and public speaking skills.
They work on the 75-foot US Mailboat Walworth, delivering mail to more than 70 private docks.
It’s a tradition that dates to a time when some homes on the lake were easier to access by boat.
The jumpers also serve as tour guides, entertaining passengers.
They jump off the moving boat, put mail in mailboxes on the docks, and jump back onto the boat.
It never stops moving. The jumpers have just seconds to complete the task without missing the boat, so to speak.
Sometimes they end up in the water.
Tryouts for this season’s jumpers take place on June 11th.
Just four will be hired. They come from a pool of young people who have worked for the cruise line for at least a year.
The tours start on June 15th.
