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Snow Melting, Far North Teens Ski in Water for PE Class (Video)


YouTube footage showing teens trying to ski for their PE class in the Far North city of Severodvinsk.

Put on your skis and hit the … water puddles?

Teens studying at a trade school in the Far North region of Arkhangelsk might have hoped to learn something about cross-country skiing during their physical education class this week. But instead they found themselves navigating huge pools of water left by melting snow outside their school in the town of Severodvinsk.

A neighbor living in an apartment overlooking Trade School No. 22 captured the odd view of the students trying to fulfill their PE requirements from his window on Wednesday.

The resulting video footage, set to circus music and titled "The Circus Has Left but the Clowns Remain," shows the teens walking gingerly through the water with skis strapped to their feet and ski poles in their hands.

The video's poster, Dmitry Peptsev, said the outdoor temperature was 10 degrees Celsius — well above Severodvinsk's average of zero degrees in April.

Skiing is a required part of the PE curriculum for many Russian schoolchildren. PE is also offered in trade schools, where teens aged 15 to 18 learn specialized skills.

Severodvinsk has a population of 192,353 and is located 35 kilometers west of the city of Arkhangelsk on the delta of the Northern Dvina River.

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