Polar Bear Dip
Photos courtesy of Richard Pratz (as Richard Scott)
In Richard Scott's Own Words
A remote broadcast taping for my TV variety/talk show whose title was a direct steal from Johnny Carson, “The Tonite Show”. This was a Polar Bear Dip in the Matagami River in February of '74. It was minus 21 degrees Fahrenheit. I got well-fortified with
booze to do this. I also caught pneumonia and was off work for 10 days! But the show was a success and lots of fun. How I managed to keep from being electrocuted holding onto a microphone after jumping out of the ice, I’ll never know! I remember getting on my bathing suit, the crowd had gathered behind a snow fence, jumping in a few times to cheers, and THEN being told there was a technical problem and we wouldn't begin taping for another 15 minutes! There was a portable sauna brought onto the ice of the river to try to warm me up. It helped... a little! We broadcast a lot of stunts for that show including wild west chariot racing! It was a fun time!