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Polar bear plunge

January 03, 2024

"Polar bear club" redirects here. For the New York-based band, see Polar Bear Club.
See also: Winter swimming

A polar bear plunge is an event held during the winter where participants enter a body of water despite the low temperature. In the United States, polar bear plunges are usually held to raise money for a charitable organization. In Canada, polar bear swims are usually held on New Year's Day to celebrate the new year.

Participants in the water during a polar bear plunge when there is ice on the water.

Canada edit

In Canada, "Polar Bear Swims", "plunges" or "dips" are a New Year's Day tradition in numerous communities across the country.[1][2][3][4] Vancouver, BC's annual Polar Bear Swim Club has been active since 1920 and typically has 1,000 to 2,000 registered participants, with a record 2,128 plunging into English Bay in 2000. Registration is not enforced and the actual number of swimmers may be significantly higher. Estimates of the number of observers are typically up to 10,000.[5][6][7] Suburban White Rock, BC's was founded in 1958, and other suburbs including North Vancouver, Surrey, Delta and Langley also hold swims.[8][9][10]

Other locations include Bowen Island, BC,[11] Sidney, BC,[12]Edmonton, AB,[citation needed] Calgary, AB,[citation needed] Ottawa, ON,[citation needed] Oakville, ON,[13] Toronto, ON,[14] Perth, ON,[15] Clarington, ON,[16] Sarnia, ON,[17] Montreal, QC,[citation needed] North Hatley, QC,[citation needed] Halifax, NS,[citation needed] Prince Edward Island,[18] Ness Lake north of Prince George, BC and St. John's, NL.[citation needed] In Yellowknife, NWT, the "Freezin for a Reason" plunge is held in May after the spring thaw.[19]

Netherlands edit

 
The Nieuwjaarsduik in Scheveningen (2010)

Every New Year's Day around 60.000 people dive collectively into the icy cold sea water at Scheveningen, a Dutch beach resort town, since 1960. In 89 locations on beaches and in lakes all over the country, each year many people participate in this "Nieuwjaarsduik" (English: New Year's dive). Since 1998, Unox, a Unilever food brand often associated with winter, adopted the Nieuwjaarsduik and ever since it is tradition to wear Unox branded winter caps and gloves. [20][21] After diving in the cold water you warm up with hot chocolate and traditional Dutch pea soup. [1]

New Zealand edit

Polar plunges (the local name) are held at various beaches in New Zealand, usually on the weekend closest to the shortest day in late June. Among other places, polar plunges are led at Papamoa Beach (Tauranga),[22] Saint Clair Beach (Dunedin),[23] and Castlecliff (Wanganui).[24]

United Kingdom edit

 
Christmas Day swim at Exmouth

In the UK, the majority of winter swimming events take place on Christmas Day or Boxing Day,[25] with many hundreds of people swimming in the sea at the largest events in Exmouth, Lowestoft and Brighton.[26][27]

An annual "Loony Dook" takes place in South Queensferry, Scotland, on New Year's Day. Several thousand attend the event with over one thousand taking the plunge.[28] Participants regularly dress up for the occasion and will usually parade through the local town acting like "loonies" proceeding the "dook". Aside from the regular enthusiasts, most are still inebriated from New Year's Eve celebrations and have more than likely lost a bet.

Another, smaller plunge occurs on Christmas Day at Blackroot Pool in Sutton Park, Birmingham, England.[29] Often, participants aim to raise money for charity.

There is a Christmas Day Harbour Swim in Weymouth, Dorset[30]

In the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, an annual swim is held on Boxing Day.[31]

Since the event's inauguration in 1983, thousands of people have taken part in the annual New Year's Day Dip on the Isle of Man, a British Crown Dependency. Events are held in Peel, Laxey, Douglas, Port St Mary, Ramsey and Castletown for various charities.[32]

United States edit

 
Two women prepare to enter the water in Milwaukee

Polar plunges are held across the United States. Annual events are held in Seattle (since 1993); Evergreen, Colorado;[33] New York (the Coney Island Polar Bear Club);[2][34] Lake George, NY;[35][36]Boston (since 1904);[37] Milwaukee's Bradford Beach (since 1916);[38] New Hampshire;[39] and New Jersey.[40] Some, such as Minnesota's,[41] are held to raise proceeds for the Special Olympics. Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College also organizes an annual "Polar Plunge for Health Equity" into Occom Pond.[39]

The Polar Bear Plunge event in Maryland is the largest polar bear plunge in the United States. It is held annually at Sandy Point State Park and raises funds for the Special Olympics.[42] Sponsored by the Maryland State Police, in 2007, Plungapalooza raised $2.2 million and had 7,400 participants.[43] In 2008, an estimated 12,000 people participated.[42]

Every Super Bowl Sunday, Long Beach, New York, hosts one of the largest in the US. Since 1998 thousands of people have flocked to the beaches of Long Beach to jump into the ocean on Super Bowl Sunday. All proceeds are donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.[44]

From February to March each year, Polar Plunges are held in numerous locations throughout the state of Illinois. Donations and proceeds raised for the Special Olympics.[45]

South Korea edit

 
Busan Polar Bear Swimming Contest in Busan, South Korea

An annual Polar Bear Swimming Contest takes place annually at the Haeundae Beach in Busan, South Korea.[46][47]

Midsummer polar plunge (Antarctica) edit

A polar plunge is also held every midsummer in Antarctica – a rite of passage for scientists and visitors to New Zealand's Scott Base. It is held in late December.[48]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ . CBC News. January 1, 2010. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Canadian polar bear dippers brave freezing temperatures". CBC News. January 1, 2013.
  3. ^ "Polar bear dips: deep freeze doesn't dissuade swimmers". CBC News. January 1, 2014.
  4. ^ Watch The Rick Mercer Report segment on Polar Bear Dipping in Canada
  5. ^ City of Vancouver. "Home - City of Vancouver". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  6. ^ Vancouver, City of (January 6, 2017). "Polar Bear Swim". vancouver.ca. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  7. ^ Vancouver, City of (December 6, 2012). "Polar bear swim statistics". vancouver.ca. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  8. ^ "Hundreds take plunge at White Rock's Polar Bear Swim - Peace Arch News". January 2, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  9. ^ "ROTARY ROUNDUP: Rotary-hosted polar bear swim always popular - Peace Arch News". January 27, 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  10. ^ "Here's a list of polar bear swims in the Lower Mainland - Peace Arch News". December 29, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  11. ^ "Correct Link - New Years Day Swim Video 2014". bowen-island-bc.com. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  12. ^ "Peninsula Celebrations Society | Saanich Peninsula Community and Family Events". Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  13. ^ "Courage Polar Bear Dip". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  14. ^ "Annual Toronto Polar Bear Dip - In support of Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  15. ^ "Perth Polar Bear Plunge - Official Home Page". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  16. ^ "Clarington Polar Bear Swim". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  17. ^ "'Freezin' for a reason'". Sarnia Observer. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  18. ^ Smith, Katie (December 29, 2018). "P.E.I. Polar Bear swimmers prepare for 2019 plunge". The Guardian. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  19. ^ Short, Dylan (May 16, 2018). "Freezin' for a reason". Northern News Services. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  20. ^ "UNOX NIEUWJAARSDUIK 2018". Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  21. ^ "Nieuwjaarsduik bijzonder populair dit jaar". telegraaf.nl.
  22. ^ Mauger, Rebecca (July 20, 2017). "Papamoa Polar Plunge". Retrieved January 12, 2018 – via www.nzherald.co.nz.
  23. ^ McAvinue, Shawn (June 16, 2013). "Hundreds take Polar Plunge in Dunedin". Retrieved January 12, 2018 – via www.nzherald.co.nz.
  24. ^ LoveThisPaper (June 17, 2017). "Blimey that's cold! Will you take the polar plunge?". Retrieved January 12, 2018 – via www.nzherald.co.nz.
  25. ^ "Bumper year for Christmas swims". BBC News. December 25, 2015. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  26. ^ "Swimmers brave freezing temperatures on Christmas Day". The Telegraph. December 25, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  27. ^ Tarver, Nick (December 25, 2013). "Christmas swimmers take the plunge". BBC News. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  28. ^ "Default Parallels Plesk Panel Page". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  29. ^ "Sutton Park Christmas Day swim: Watch brave Brummies plunge into Blackroot Pool". December 25, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  30. ^ "Christmas Day Harbour Swim". December 25, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  31. ^ "Visit Gibraltar - Previous Events". www.visitgibraltar.gi. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  32. ^ "Locals 'sea' in 2020 with New Year dips". Energy FM. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  33. ^ "Seattle Parks and Recreation - Polar Bear Plunge". seattle.gov. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  34. ^ "Coney Island Polar Bear Club". www.polarbearclub.org. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  35. ^ "Lake George Winter Carnival". www.lakegeorgewintercarnival.com. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  36. ^ hairstylistdude (January 2, 2013). "Polar Bear Plunge Lake George 2013". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2017 – via YouTube.
  37. ^ . Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  38. ^ "Jim Stingl - Polar plunging boasts long, chilly history in Milwaukee". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  39. ^ a b . now.dartmouth.edu. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  40. ^ "Special Olympics New Jersey - Polar Bear Plunge". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  41. ^ "Polar Plunge Presented by Law Enforcement for Special Olympics Minnesota". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  42. ^ a b Abrams, Amanda (February 3, 2009). "Cold Enough For You?". Express. The Washington Post. pp. E7.
  43. ^ "Special Olympics Maryland". somd.convio.net. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
  44. ^ "Special Olympics Illinois". Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  45. ^ "Special Olympics Illinois - Polar Plunge". Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  46. ^ "Calendar". Korea Herald. January 3, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  47. ^ . bear.busan.com. Archived from the original on July 30, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  48. ^ "Antarctic plunge like 'Waiheke in winter'". Stuff. December 29, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2018.

Further reading edit

  • Waldman, Jon (January 29, 2009). "A mighty leap: Nora to take the plunge". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved January 30, 2009.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Polar bear plunge.

January 03, 2024
polar, bear, plunge, polar, bear, club, redirects, here, york, based, band, polar, bear, club, also, winter, swimming, this, article, relies, excessively, references, primary, sources, please, improve, this, article, adding, secondary, tertiary, sources, find,. Polar bear club redirects here For the New York based band see Polar Bear Club See also Winter swimming This article relies excessively on references to primary sources Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources Find sources Polar bear plunge news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2014 Learn how and when to remove this template message A polar bear plunge is an event held during the winter where participants enter a body of water despite the low temperature In the United States polar bear plunges are usually held to raise money for a charitable organization In Canada polar bear swims are usually held on New Year s Day to celebrate the new year Participants in the water during a polar bear plunge when there is ice on the water Contents 1 Canada 2 Netherlands 3 New Zealand 4 United Kingdom 5 United States 6 South Korea 7 Midsummer polar plunge Antarctica 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External linksCanada editIn Canada Polar Bear Swims plunges or dips are a New Year s Day tradition in numerous communities across the country 1 2 3 4 Vancouver BC s annual Polar Bear Swim Club has been active since 1920 and typically has 1 000 to 2 000 registered participants with a record 2 128 plunging into English Bay in 2000 Registration is not enforced and the actual number of swimmers may be significantly higher Estimates of the number of observers are typically up to 10 000 5 6 7 Suburban White Rock BC s was founded in 1958 and other suburbs including North Vancouver Surrey Delta and Langley also hold swims 8 9 10 Other locations include Bowen Island BC 11 Sidney BC 12 Edmonton AB citation needed Calgary AB citation needed Ottawa ON citation needed Oakville ON 13 Toronto ON 14 Perth ON 15 Clarington ON 16 Sarnia ON 17 Montreal QC citation needed North Hatley QC citation needed Halifax NS citation needed Prince Edward Island 18 Ness Lake north of Prince George BC and St John s NL citation needed In Yellowknife NWT the Freezin for a Reason plunge is held in May after the spring thaw 19 Netherlands edit nbsp The Nieuwjaarsduik in Scheveningen 2010 Every New Year s Day around 60 000 people dive collectively into the icy cold sea water at Scheveningen a Dutch beach resort town since 1960 In 89 locations on beaches and in lakes all over the country each year many people participate in this Nieuwjaarsduik English New Year s dive Since 1998 Unox a Unilever food brand often associated with winter adopted the Nieuwjaarsduik and ever since it is tradition to wear Unox branded winter caps and gloves 20 21 After diving in the cold water you warm up with hot chocolate and traditional Dutch pea soup 1 New Zealand editPolar plunges the local name are held at various beaches in New Zealand usually on the weekend closest to the shortest day in late June Among other places polar plunges are led at Papamoa Beach Tauranga 22 Saint Clair Beach Dunedin 23 and Castlecliff Wanganui 24 United Kingdom edit nbsp Christmas Day swim at ExmouthIn the UK the majority of winter swimming events take place on Christmas Day or Boxing Day 25 with many hundreds of people swimming in the sea at the largest events in Exmouth Lowestoft and Brighton 26 27 An annual Loony Dook takes place in South Queensferry Scotland on New Year s Day Several thousand attend the event with over one thousand taking the plunge 28 Participants regularly dress up for the occasion and will usually parade through the local town acting like loonies proceeding the dook Aside from the regular enthusiasts most are still inebriated from New Year s Eve celebrations and have more than likely lost a bet Another smaller plunge occurs on Christmas Day at Blackroot Pool in Sutton Park Birmingham England 29 Often participants aim to raise money for charity There is a Christmas Day Harbour Swim in Weymouth Dorset 30 In the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar an annual swim is held on Boxing Day 31 Since the event s inauguration in 1983 thousands of people have taken part in the annual New Year s Day Dip on the Isle of Man a British Crown Dependency Events are held in Peel Laxey Douglas Port St Mary Ramsey and Castletown for various charities 32 United States edit nbsp Two women prepare to enter the water in MilwaukeePolar plunges are held across the United States Annual events are held in Seattle since 1993 Evergreen Colorado 33 New York the Coney Island Polar Bear Club 2 34 Lake George NY 35 36 Boston since 1904 37 Milwaukee s Bradford Beach since 1916 38 New Hampshire 39 and New Jersey 40 Some such as Minnesota s 41 are held to raise proceeds for the Special Olympics Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College also organizes an annual Polar Plunge for Health Equity into Occom Pond 39 The Polar Bear Plunge event in Maryland is the largest polar bear plunge in the United States It is held annually at Sandy Point State Park and raises funds for the Special Olympics 42 Sponsored by the Maryland State Police in 2007 Plungapalooza raised 2 2 million and had 7 400 participants 43 In 2008 an estimated 12 000 people participated 42 Every Super Bowl Sunday Long Beach New York hosts one of the largest in the US Since 1998 thousands of people have flocked to the beaches of Long Beach to jump into the ocean on Super Bowl Sunday All proceeds are donated to the Make A Wish Foundation 44 From February to March each year Polar Plunges are held in numerous locations throughout the state of Illinois Donations and proceeds raised for the Special Olympics 45 South Korea edit nbsp Busan Polar Bear Swimming Contest in Busan South KoreaAn annual Polar Bear Swimming Contest takes place annually at the Haeundae Beach in Busan South Korea 46 47 Midsummer polar plunge Antarctica editA polar plunge is also held every midsummer in Antarctica a rite of passage for scientists and visitors to New Zealand s Scott Base It is held in late December 48 See also editIce swimming Ice bath Ice bucket challengeWinter swimmingReferences edit Polar bear dippers start 2010 with icy plunge CBC News January 1 2010 Archived from the original on January 5 2010 Retrieved December 31 2010 a b Canadian polar bear dippers brave freezing temperatures CBC News January 1 2013 Polar bear dips deep freeze doesn t dissuade swimmers CBC News January 1 2014 Watch The Rick Mercer Report segment on Polar Bear Dipping in Canada City of Vancouver Home City of Vancouver Retrieved December 26 2014 Vancouver City of January 6 2017 Polar Bear Swim vancouver ca Retrieved December 29 2017 Vancouver City of December 6 2012 Polar bear swim statistics vancouver ca Retrieved December 29 2017 Hundreds take plunge at White Rock s Polar Bear Swim Peace Arch News January 2 2015 Retrieved December 29 2017 ROTARY ROUNDUP Rotary hosted polar bear swim always popular Peace Arch News January 27 2017 Retrieved December 29 2017 Here s a list of polar bear swims in the Lower Mainland Peace Arch News December 29 2016 Retrieved December 29 2017 Correct Link New Years Day Swim Video 2014 bowen island bc com Retrieved December 29 2017 Peninsula Celebrations Society Saanich Peninsula Community and Family Events Retrieved October 27 2022 Courage Polar Bear Dip Retrieved December 26 2014 Annual Toronto Polar Bear Dip In support of Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area Retrieved December 26 2014 Perth Polar Bear Plunge Official Home Page Retrieved December 26 2014 Clarington Polar Bear Swim Retrieved December 26 2014 Freezin for a reason Sarnia Observer Retrieved December 26 2014 Smith Katie December 29 2018 P E I Polar Bear swimmers prepare for 2019 plunge The Guardian Retrieved March 6 2019 Short Dylan May 16 2018 Freezin for a reason Northern News Services Retrieved December 23 2019 UNOX NIEUWJAARSDUIK 2018 Retrieved December 29 2017 Nieuwjaarsduik bijzonder populair dit jaar telegraaf nl Mauger Rebecca July 20 2017 Papamoa Polar Plunge Retrieved January 12 2018 via www nzherald co nz McAvinue Shawn June 16 2013 Hundreds take Polar Plunge in Dunedin Retrieved January 12 2018 via www nzherald co nz LoveThisPaper June 17 2017 Blimey that s cold Will you take the polar plunge Retrieved January 12 2018 via www nzherald co nz Bumper year for Christmas swims BBC News December 25 2015 Retrieved December 26 2018 Swimmers brave freezing temperatures on Christmas Day The Telegraph December 25 2010 Retrieved December 26 2018 Tarver Nick December 25 2013 Christmas swimmers take the plunge BBC News Retrieved December 26 2018 Default Parallels Plesk Panel Page Retrieved December 26 2014 Sutton Park Christmas Day swim Watch brave Brummies plunge into Blackroot Pool December 25 2014 Retrieved September 15 2016 Christmas Day Harbour Swim December 25 2021 Retrieved October 27 2022 Visit Gibraltar Previous Events www visitgibraltar gi Retrieved December 29 2017 Locals sea in 2020 with New Year dips Energy FM Retrieved December 5 2020 Seattle Parks and Recreation Polar Bear Plunge seattle gov Retrieved December 26 2014 Coney Island Polar Bear Club www polarbearclub org Retrieved December 29 2017 Lake George Winter Carnival www lakegeorgewintercarnival com Retrieved December 29 2017 hairstylistdude January 2 2013 Polar Bear Plunge Lake George 2013 Archived from the original on December 21 2021 Retrieved December 29 2017 via YouTube Boston Event Calendar January 2010 Archived from the original on December 26 2014 Retrieved December 26 2014 Jim Stingl Polar plunging boasts long chilly history in Milwaukee Retrieved December 26 2014 a b Students Take Icy Plunge in 19th Annual Polar Bear Swim Dartmouth Now now dartmouth edu Archived from the original on December 26 2014 Retrieved December 26 2014 Special Olympics New Jersey Polar Bear Plunge Retrieved December 26 2014 Polar Plunge Presented by Law Enforcement for Special Olympics Minnesota Retrieved December 26 2014 a b Abrams Amanda February 3 2009 Cold Enough For You Express The Washington Post pp E7 Special Olympics Maryland somd convio net Retrieved December 29 2017 Special Olympics Illinois Retrieved December 26 2014 Special Olympics Illinois Polar Plunge Retrieved August 14 2018 Calendar Korea Herald January 3 2014 Retrieved August 16 2018 The 31st Polar Bear Swim Festival bear busan com Archived from the original on July 30 2018 Retrieved August 16 2018 Antarctic plunge like Waiheke in winter Stuff December 29 2012 Retrieved January 12 2018 Further reading editWaldman Jon January 29 2009 A mighty leap Nora to take the plunge SLAM Wrestling Retrieved January 30 2009 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Polar bear plunge Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Polar bear plunge amp oldid 1193370766, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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