Winkle’s Way Too Early Camp Predictions
It’s October. We are closer to when Summer 2019 ended than we are to when 2020 will begin. Yet, here we are- focused on Summer 2020 and doing all we can to make it the best summer yet. We have a little more than a week left in our early registration (and wow are those Crazy Creek Chairs cool!) So there’s no possible way we can provide a registration update yet, right? Wrong! And right? True, we haven’t even ended early registration yet (that comes on October 25). However, we have an in with our man Chi Winkle who has some fortune telling experience. In fact, as we learned in the 2018 early registration video “he knows the future.” So we saw down with Chi Winkle and had him share with us his predictions for Summer 2020. He cautioned us and we are cautioning you- these are very early predictions and the crystal ball was a little cloudy (unlike the weather next summer he said), but we feel obliged to share Winkle’s Way Too Early Camp Predictions for Summer 2020 with you. So here are the 10 predictions he has for Summer 2020:
1. Waitlists will Form, but they necessarily open
Winkle told us the trend we’ve seen recently will continue with Summer 2020. We will once again fill cabins and villages and move to waitlists, but we won’t be able to fit everyone into that waitlisted session. That makes sense as we are nearing record-breaking numbers in early registration. Winkle continued to say that will be more than just Second Session (as mentioned in prediction#3.) Winkle said that Take 2 will fill quickly, especially for Shoreshim (4th & 5th grade) and Chalutzim (7th grade.)
2. All the grilled cheese you can hope for
Chi Winkle loves camp food. We all know that from his famous stature. And his favorite meal? Sunday grilled cheese of course! And he is forecasting for the cheesiest summer yet. Imagine stacks upon stacks of the ooey gooey grilled yuminess complete with the best tomato soup known to humankind. Can you say seconds? Thirds? Do we dare go for fourths? Only if you leave some for Winkle.
3. Session 2 will be a hot commodity
This should come as no surprise to anyone. Session 2 is always pretty full, but Winkle is doubling down on it being at complete capacity this summer. With each village filled to the brim, Second Session will continue to sell out. And here’s where Winkle got very daring he said to expect session 2 to sell out by the end of 2019! We’ve sold out Session 2 for the past two years, but not always that early. The message was clear- don’t delay in securing your spot!
4. The Loudest Song Session Ever
We all know that there is loud and then there is song session LOUD. Well according to Winkle this summer, we are in store to hear a new kind of loud. He said the ruach will be unmatched, but that actually will help him find song session this summer, as his hearing has deteriorated over the years.
5. Yeladim will be FULL
The Mini Session for rising 4th & 5th graders will be full both sessions, says Chi Winkle. Not only that, he saw some campers who had to switch to other sessions because the waitlist didn’t open. The Mini Sessions are great for campers who want a longer experience, but aren’t quite ready for a full month away. And we suggest you heed Winkle’s words- you don’t want to be the camper on the waitlist, waiting and hoping.
6.1400+ Bulls eyes
What few people realize is that Chi Winkle is actually quite an archery fanatic. He spends quite a bit of time by archery in the off-season and gets plenty of practice. And he saw a sharp uptick in the number of bulls eyes next summer. In fact, of the 1400+ he saw, he is saying that nearly 700 of them come from campers going into 3rd-6th grade. So dust off those bows and arrows!
7. Teen Camp Continues to be Popular
Noar, the village for 9th & 10th graders will be packed once again. Winkle said that he’s never seen a hang-time quite like the one his crystal ball displayed, with campers all over the village, enjoying both the deck and the hangout. And it’s not surprising- teen programming is something we do best! With dailies and intensives, plus additional field trips, Noar is the perfect experience for your teen this summer.
8. Shabbat Will Be More Meaningful Than Ever
Few things bring tears to Chi Winkle’s eyes. But as he described each Shabbat to us, the emotion was real and the tears of joy were flowing down his face. He said that each of the 6 Shabbat we celebrate will be special in it’s own right, but the pride our campers have in their Jewish identity is really what made him so emotional. We all know song session will be loud (#4 above), but he said the real magic will be at our Friday night services next summer.
9. PNW will be full
Winkle couldn’t quite make out the number of buses, but he did say that they are FULL. And why not? What’s not to love about 5 weeks camping with your camp friends as you explore some of the most beautiful sites in the US and Canada? Surfing lessons? Professional sports games? Not having to shower every day like at camp? It makes total sense to us that PNW will sell out. And believe us, you don’t want to be left off those buses.
10. Some awesome surprises are coming
Chi Winkle gets excited for summer. Maybe more than anyone else. And he saw some things in that crystal ball that really got him going! He refused to share the details with us, but he said that next summer looks absolutely incredible, with some new stuff coming in and a passionate staff. We tried to pry it out of him, but even Chi Winkle has secrets.
So now that you’ve seen his predictions, what can you do? It’s still fall and camp is months away, but your magic 8 ball won’t have all the answers. Luckily Chi Winkle and his crystal ball tend to be much more accurate and they gave us a clear message- DON’T WAIT TO REGISTER. That makes sense- we have filled camp the past few summers and once those waitlists form, there is no guarantee they will open up (as noted in #9 above). So don’t delay- Register Now for Summer 2020! And if you register for 2+ weeks by October 25, you’ll get the Camp Chi Crazy Creek Chair!