Remembering the “Catch the ice dude.”
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Every year when it starts to get colder this video pops into my head. As I look out our office window I can see the first real snowflakes of the year falling outside, marking the first day of winter in my eyes. And what is the first day of winter without thinking about some of the fun and not at all physically punishing winter activities you are about to get up to with your friends over the next few months?
The infamous “catch the ice dude” took the internet by storm a few years ago, being shared and gif-ed into oblivion. It’s hard to say why this guy giving his all, and utterly failing, to try and do a cannonball nearly naked onto his frozen backyard resonated as much as it did. But I have my own theory.
First, what we have here is slapstick at its finest. Of all the possible ways a blind cannonball onto a patch of ice could have gone, the sheer resistance his posterior met on impact is comedy gold. It shows not a crack (the ice I mean, and pun intended), not a modicum of weakness against the power of this man’s rump. And the force exerted back into his body to ragdoll it is poetry in motion.
Bonus points for the fact that he was not hurt of course. Like watching any friend do anything dumb, a TRUE friend is always rooting for it to go poorly but with no lasting consequences. Watching your buddy physically fail at something is one of the greatest joys in life.
And speaking of joy, the pure joy both in his reaction and that of his friend behind the camera is utterly infectious. I honestly have no idea what either of them are saying, but the language of two-people having a silly giggle is universal.
The only other thing I would add to this hard-hitting analysis is that you gotta respect the confidence with which this guy approaches his jump. He has no concern for what might go wrong. So stalwart in his conviction is he that he will break through the ice – the idea of failure doesn’t even cross his mind.
Let’s all approach this chilly season with the same joy and carefree abandon as the “Catch the ice dude.” The weather may be miserable, and our inclination might be to burrow in and hibernate, but why not jump in rear-end first and embrace everything the season has to offer.
Just maybe wear some clothes and keep an eye out for the slippery patches.
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Phil M., Co‑Founder & Content Strategist
Phil is one of Thunder Dungeon’s co‑founders, doubling as our resident meme analyst and dark‑room brainstormer. He specializes in trend‑spotting across social platforms and shapes the editorial calendar to keep our galleries fresh, topical, and worthy of your valuable procrastination.
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