Project blog about the new dipping baskets

Teekkari dipping 2023. Photo Henrik Laakkonen, TT-Kamerat.

Teekkari dipping 

Tampereen Teekkarit has been organizing Teekkari dipping since 1966 and traditionally all freshmen are dipped in Tammerkoski on 1.5. and new teekkaris are born. Until 2022, the original dipping basket from 1966 and another dipping basket built in 1991 have been used for the Teekkari dipping. Over the years, thousands of freshmen have been dipped as teekkaris using these original dipping baskets. Over time, the baskets had become patinated and needed updating. A project to replace the baskets had been under consideration for several years and last year it was time to try this project once again. 

Old dipping basket from Teekkari dipping 2022. Photo Juho Nuottimäki, TT-Kamerat.

The first steps of the project 

The project was launched in spring 2022 by putting together a project team. The team had six members: Pyry Lindberg, Mika Vaheri, Lassi Vuotari, Kaisa Vornanen, Petteri Lehtonen and Jere Pohjonen. Also, the minister of culture was acting as an advisor and link between the team and the board of Tampereen Teekkarit. In 2022 the board member was Josefiina Aitalaakso and later in 2023 Emmi Eronen. 

The project manager was Pyry, who had been working on the maintenace of the old dipping baskets and doing a preliminary study for the purchase of new ones. At the first meeting, the scope of the project seemed to become clearer to everyone and a few thoughts were expressed about what we were doing. However, the main aim of the project was clear to all; to ensure the continuation of the Teekkari dipping, to improve the safety of the event and to have brand new dipping baskets for the 2023 Teekkari dipping. 

Although there was old material from the dipping baskets available, the idea was to start from scratch. To the delight of the project team, the Teekkarikomissio in Turku had already started their own basket project earlier and received their first basket for Wappu 2022. After their first dipping, we contacted the Teekkarikomissio and arranged a first basket inspection with them in May. by the way, Mika Hannula, the rector of the former Tampere University of Technology, was the co-founder of the dipping idea in Turku, so go Tampere! 

Partners and the baskets themselves 

After the trip to Turku, the project started to move forward quickly by contacting the people behind the Turku's dipping basket project. They were convinced that it would also be worth to work with us on the basket project, and soon we had partners for the new dipping baskets. The baskets were designed and implemented together with Elomatic Oy, Dinolift Oy, Stera technologies Oy and Pemamek Oy. These four companies also donated one of the dipping baskets. The council decided to purchase one of the new baskets for Tampereen Teekkarit, and it was possible with help from Cinia, A-Insinöörit, Tekniikan akateemiset, Tampereen Teknillinen Seura, Tampereen ylioppilastalosäätiö and TTY-tukisäätiö. The new dipping baskets are based on the Turku dipping basket, which was then improved to meet the needs of our Teekkarikaste. 

Elomatic took the main responsibility for the design and project management. In the autumn 2022 the project team visited Elomatic in Turku to discuss the baskets and the next steps of the project. Our team was free to share our own ideas on the design, functionality, and appearance of the baskets. It can be said that this project combined the skills of the partners with the Teekkari dipping expertise of Tampere. In late winter 2023, the baskets went into production and in April, we took a day off from celebrating Wappu and headed to Raisio for a test dipping. The engineers and passers-by were amazed when 12 teekkaris from Tampere were dipped several times in the chilly East Sea shouting "it's not cold". The test dipping was a spectacular simulation of the Teekkari dipping, and of course, even the bottles of champagne were opened in the air! 

Test dipping in Raisio April 2023.

The new dipping baskets are octagonal, red and can dip a maximum of 12 people at a time. The upper part of the baskets is dominated by the graphics of Tampereen Teekkarit and the lower part has space for ads. A competition was held to name the baskets and the new names are Näsi and Pyhä. In addition to the new baskets, more than 1100 freshmen and the new rector of the Tampere University, Keijo Hämäläinen, received their first dipping. With this project, Teekkari dipping can continue to run more smoothly, more spectacularly and more safely! 

Photo Juha-Matti Hakojärvi, TT-Kamerat