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At Hyland Hills, Meltdown Doesn't Stop Pond Skim

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Skiers and snowboarders came out to brave the cold Saturday for Hyland Hill's fifth annual Pond Skim.

Härdsmälta is the Sweidsh term for "meltdown" and is this year's new name for the Pond Skim.

"I'm excited. I think I'm also prepared," said one skimmer.

On this cold March day, the hustle and bustle of the Hyland Hills Ski Area was interrupted with a big splash.

"Scary. It's cold, really cold," another skimmer said.

The annual Pond Skim draws dozens of skiers down the big hill and through a man-made pond.

"It's gotten bigger and better every year," Hyland Hills Ski Operations Supervisor Andrew Berns said.

Costume required.

"I'm wearing a unicorn onesie, I thought it was the way to go," a brave skimmer said.

People either made it or ate it.

"This year we had to get a little creative. The snow melted off in the last couple weeks so we had to scrape all the snow from other parts of the hill to make an elevated platform and then dig it out, put tarps in it and fill it back up with water," Berns said.

He says the warm winter doesn't stop the skiers. And it definitely didn't stop the skimmers.

"I thought I was going to fall but I didn't. I was so surprised, I screamed like all the way down. My goodness. Feels so good. I'm very happy," a skimmer said.

"A little cold, but at least with the birthday suit you just get the invigoration of just being like, I'm me, this is me in all my essence," one very brave skimmer said.

The people who made it vs. the people who ate it was about 50/50.

The event was free, but people were encouraged to bring canned foods for the local food shelf.

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