Local leaders vie for frog supremacy
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $75*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $5.77 plus GST every four weeks. After 52 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.99/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/08/2010 (5767 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Outside of fairy tales, Manitoba’s lieutenant-governor isn’t a big believer in kissing frogs.
Lt.-Gov. Philip Lee was one of 20 celebrity competitors Sunday afternoon in the National Frog Jumping VIP event at the 41st annual Frog Follies Festival in St. Pierre-Jolys, a village about 50 kilometres south of Winnipeg.
Unlike a handful of veteran competitors, Lee decided not to motivate his frog — named the Duke “after the Duke of Edinburgh” — by giving it the “traditional” pre-jump kiss on the lips for good luck.
“That is something for a princess,” Lee joked, moments after the Duke registered a three-jump total of 86 inches, finishing well back in the pack.
But the lieutenant-governor was willing to follow a traditional bit of advice from local frog-jumping experts — blow on your frog’s hindquarters just before you let it go in the starter’s circle.
“It was slimy, but good,” Lee chuckled after his first attempt at competitive frog jumping. “The Duke was very energetic.”
The champion’s crown in the VIP event went to Bill Ginter, the deputy mayor of Morris, and his frog Dale, named for Bill’s boss, Morris Mayor Dale Hoffman.
“Well, I guess it’s not like winning the Grey Cup, but winning is winning,” Ginter joked after Dale rocketed to first place by jumping 132 inches in the required three consecutive leaps.
Ginter said he didn’t have any special technique, but noted that as a former high-school science teacher, he is more accustomed to dissecting frogs than getting them to jump.
“I just put him down and let him jump,” Ginter said, laughing. “Jumping frogs is less stressful (than dissecting them).”
Free Press humour columnist Doug Speirs, who vowed to redeem himself after a miserable performance last summer, finished in 14th place after his frog Bob had a three-jump total of 93 inches, half an inch less than last year’s effort.
On the upside, several observers pointed out that at least Speirs didn’t shriek like a frightened child this year when his frog repeatedly squirted out of his hands in a mad hop for freedom.
— staff