Wisconsin Teens Tryout To Be Mail Boat Jumpers
LAKE GENEVA, Wis. (CBS) -- It's sound advice for most people to avoid jumping on or off a moving boat.
But for some teens in Wisconsin -- a successful leap -- is the key to landing a coveted summer job.
Teens are literally jumping at the chance to make special deliveries as mail boat jumpers -- a Lake Geneva tradition more than 100 years old.
The 12 teens are trying out for six coveted spots. They say they have to be laser focused as they deliver mail from pier-to-pier.
"The advice I would say is run faster than you think you should be because you'll be running and say, 'Oh I'll make it back,' and then you'll turn around and the boat will be almost gone," said mail boat jumper Jessa Burling.
Mail jumpers make deliveries to 75 homes every day during the summer.
The mail boat also offers tours for spectators who just want a front row seat to the action. Unfortunately, not every leap is successful.