Wisconsin teens are jumping their way into one of the coolest summer jobs in Lake Geneva. On Tuesday, June 11, the Lake Geneva Cruise Line will hold their annual tryout to choose this year’s mail delivery jumpers aboard the U.S. Mailboat Walworth. There are only a handful of places in the country where mail is still delivered by boat.
2024 marks the 108th year that the U.S. Mail has been delivered by boat on Lake Geneva.
High school and college-aged applicants will compete for the four coveted mailboat jumper jobs by hopping from the U.S. Mailboat Walworth to piers on Lake Geneva, delivering the daily mail to mailboxes and then back on the boat with any outgoing mail before it pulls away. The boat never stops. Interested applicants are Lake Geneva Cruise Line employees with at least one year of work experience.
During tryouts, potential jumpers test their athletic abilities, often ending up in the lake when they don’t get the timing just right. Mailboat jumpers also act as tour guides during the Mailboat Tour, so those trying out are also asked to narrate a portion of the historical guided tour for judges to evaluate their speaking and tour guide skills. Their athletic abilities may be top-notch, but if they cannot narrate a great tour, they may not get the job.
Passengers on Lake Geneva Cruise Line’s U.S. Mailboat Tour go along for the ride as jumpers make the rounds. Mailboat tours open for the season to the public on Saturday, June 15, beginning at 10 a.m. and run daily through September 15. Reservations are recommended and may be made at www.cruiselakegeneva.com.
