Bring vodka.

Duluthians are indeed introverts.  What's the deal with that anyway?  I'm told that it takes years to break the ice.  Quite different from the Midwest norm alas.

I can put you in touch with the folks at Skydive Superior. I'm not sure they do many jumps in January however.

January shows a different side of Duluth. The college students are gone, which is nice. Tourists are gone, which is nice. And the weather makes life interesting. 

I would recommend hitting up the Beargrease sled dog race, check out a few shows downtown, head up to Spirit Mountain for a day, take a stroll down Park Point to chat up some of the ice fisherman out on the bay, and go check out a high school hockey game.

I'll happily photograph you freezing your pants off in January.

I think it sounds like a great idea. I'm new to Duluth myself, preparing for only my second winter here, so I would love to see the finished project and perhaps be involved as well.

wow -- thanks for all the responses! i can't wait to get into the city and start working. and it already sounds like there will be far too much to do in a single month.

i'm going to start a website, e-mail address, etc. in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for that.

I don't think all Duluthians are too introverted to talk to you. Maybe certain PDD users are introverted. 

You should do it! If your angle is "why do people stay in the ninth coldest city in america in the dead of winter... and what do they do here?" then yeah, by all means, hit up the all the local dram-shops, college hang-outs, ice hockey rinks, ski and snowmobile trails, etc. you like and get acquainted with what it is, exactly that keeps people here in the midst of such unforgiving conditions. 

Me, personally? It was sharing good times with good people like our mutual friend, Jamie Blodgett, and other great friends with whom I grew up here in Duluth that brought me back on breaks from college and even afterward. Plus, it's always swell to see the area get some positive press... as long as this isn't some dark, twisted mental-health exposé or something... ^.~

Just get ready to drink! I know people from The Good Land pride themselves on their drinking ability but you haven't seen anything close to a drinking Duluthian. We are the best of the best. Real pros!!! One more thing, if Duluthians are such introverts then why are the bars packed with party people all the time?

When I was in college we had "J-Term" and most other similar schools had the same.  Taking January, our coldest, darkest month a time to explore the place and ourselves.  Look at diffrent ideas, etc.  

Now my school and all the others have abandoned J-term.  Sad.

Dress up really warm one night in a winter storm and go down to the shore to watch the waves come crashing in.

Sub-zero bar crawl?