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Founders Dip

Celebrating the 50th anniversary edition of the long-running Bates tradition

By Bates College

February 21^st, 2025

‘Best Buds for 50 Years’

Half a century after the first Puddle Jump, the event’s founders — Chris Callahan ’78, Scott Copeland ’78, and Lars Llorente ’78 — returned to campus to kick off this year’s edition.

On Feb. 7, they walked onto the Puddle and held hands at the edge of the hole in the ice on Lake Andrews. Callahan gave a kind of blessing, a sweet summing up of the enduring power of Bates friendships: “Best buds for 50 years.” And in they went.

Thanks again, Guv!

Hours earlier, up in Augusta, Maine Gov. Janet Mills stepped outside the Maine State House to continue a long tradition — begun by Ed Muskie ’36 when he was governor — by lighting a ceremonial torch to celebrate Winter Carnival.

With her was Bates running club member Ellie Schueler ’25 of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Once lit, the torch made its way to Lewiston, 30 miles south, to light a bonfire along the Lake Andrews shore, kicking off the Puddle Jump.

CUTTING A HOLE IN THE ICE

“I didn’t know Chris. I met him that day. I was walking back to the dorm, and Chris was trying to dig a hole with a screwdriver. He told me that he was going to start a tradition.”

— Scott Copeland ’78, speaking to The Bates Student about how he first met Callahan, on March 17, 1975, the day of the first Puddle Jump

Delivering the Torch

Wyatt Weekes ’25 of Sudbury, Mass., delivers the torch to Lake Andrews, where it lit the annual Winter Carnival bonfire, to which jumpers hastened for a post-dip warmup.

Walking the Walk

“I remember looking out the window. We were living in South Smith, facing the Puddle, and there was a lot of ice. And I just said, ‘You know, this would be kind of fun to jump in there and celebrate spring.’”

— Callahan, speaking to The Bates Student about how he got the idea for the first Puddle Jump in 1975

‘It’s So Cool’

The trio of founders have been friends since Bates. “We’ve been to everybody’s weddings,” said Callahan.

“And to our kids’ weddings,” added Copeland, whose granddaughter, Abbey Rowe ’26 of Derry, N.H., was one of this year's jumpers.

It was actually his second time doing the jump with granddaughter “I actually did it two years ago when she was a freshman,” Copeland said. “It’s so cool.”

WALKING TO THE WATER

“First, the jumper would strip to either a bathing suit, underwear, or in some cases, just a birthday suit. They would then proceed to hop up and down and swear rather loudly as they made their way across the snow toward the hole in the ice.”