Happy New Year…
from the Polar Bear Club
Wish you could try the yearly Polar Bear Plunge that takes place every year on Brooklyn – Coney Island? People from all over the world bring in the New Year by popping champagne. But on Coney Island, people stand at the edge of thle ocean, ready to test their mettle by plunging into the icy waters of the Atlantic to see how long they can stay there!
The Polar Bear Club is responsible for putting on this event – they consist of seasoned member swimmers who each Sunday between November and April will swim these waters. But their New Year day is their big, traditional ceremony, growing in popularity since it started way back in 1903. Well over 2000 swimmers take part with thousands watching from the dry safety of the shore.
You don’t need to be a Polar Bear Club member to participate. It is suggested on the website that you check with your physician before taking the plunge though. The whole idea of this event is for the fun of it, to see how long you can stay in the freezing water.
It is reckoned that the average time for staying in is around 2-3 minutes. Some Polar Bear Club members who are used to the ‘plunge’ are known to stay in for about 10 minutes. Before the rush to the water, participants do frantic jumps on the sand, getting their blood to flow. A conch shell is then blown and into the sea they go!
Because water is associated with being renewed, it’s no wonder people are so eager to participate in this event for New Year – it wouldn’t attract the crowds if it was just any random day apparently. The people find it very invigorating and intense, and this is what they find such a drawcard
It’s a free event this, but it is suggested you can make a donation to Camp Sunshine; for children with life-threatening diseases. The Polar Bear Club has been supporting them since 2007.
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