WATCH: Mailboat Jumper tryouts in Lake Geneva

LAKE GENEVA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A summer tradition that's more than a century old is back in the resort town of Lake Geneva.

The community is looking for its newest crop of mailboat jumpers. The tradition dates back to the days when they didn't have trucks to deliver the mail.

Tryouts were held in Lake Geneva for a new crop of teens looking to become mailboat jumpers.  CBS58's Mike Curkov and Pauleen Le also tried out to see if they have what it takes to be a mailboat jumper.

Every summer, young workers climb aboard the mail boat which travels from pier to pier. The boat doesn't stop but if the jumpers do it right, they have just enough time to hop off, run to the mailbox, run back, and jump on board before the boat pulls away. 

Sometimes the jumpers don't quite make it and end up falling into the water. 

One experienced jumper described one of his missed attempts. 

"So I got a little cocky and I was gonna put on a show for everyone on board. So I waited 'til the very last second to jump off the boat and then kind of lost my hand on the mailbox, I got caught. Then I was late there too and then the jump at the end, I had no chance," said mailboat jumper Connor Handel. 

Timing is everything for the job.