Meet the people behind this giant ice smiley face

Shanda Hill is no stranger to icy bodies of water.

The ultra-endurance athlete has been plunging into cold water for over 15 years for both enjoyment and the health and healing benefits that come with it.

But this weekend, at Kalamalka Lake, she and a crew of determined helpers took the notion of passing on a smile to another level.

After carving out smaller chunks of ice earlier in the week, the team decided to pick up their axes and notch a giant smiley face in the dwindling ice on the lake.

“I knew if we were going to carve something big it had to be now,” Hill told Kelowna10.

The amateur artists walked about 30 or 40 feet out into the lake, where the ice is about 4 or so inches think – more than enough to support the troupe’s weight and, actually, enough for a snowmobile – to start their masterpiece.

The team spent around 2 hours chipping away, carving the face, mouth, and eyes, before hopping on and setting sail on the lake.

Hill described it as a “good old fashioned fun time” with friends and family.

“It was just about sharing a smile with others,” she said. “It’s all just good fun.”

A video of the undertaking, put together by Trent Dorais and Jacs Apollo, has gained thousands of views online.

Hill urged anyone interested in starting cold water plunges to check out their local plunging or polar bear dip group online.