Wednesday, December 24, 2008

The Polar Bear Plunge is still on!

Lots of folks have been wondering about the Polar Bear Plunge because of all the crazy weather we have been having.
The answer is "Heck Yea!"
I've ordered 1000 Badges 'O Courage and they are really cool - this year could be the coldest so don't miss the plunge of 2009!
We will also have pre-numbered wristbands to help us keep track of numbers and everyone can come to this blog later to log in your experiences.

If the weather is really foul on Jan 1 we will let people jump in early and leave if they don't want to hang around. You can still earn a Badge 'O Courage.
But for everyone that wants the bonding experience there will still be the group plunge at High Noon.

(You may also want to bring your own hot beverage too....we are having hard time getting coffee donations)

See you soon!

14 comments:

Charcoal Caves said...

I will be there this year . . . totally pumped and working to encourage friends to join! I have a guy visiting from England that I'm dragging along too :) The though of actual snow on the ground makes it sounds that much more exciting. Can't wait! How early do you all usually arrive?

~ Haley

Brog22 said...

Yeah I am coming. Have had a group of Seabeck Swimmers for 20 some years. Yikes that is in cold Hood Canal water, but summer time.
Perhaps some of you have read Lynn Cox book, Swimming to Antartica, she swims in reg suit in 32 degree water for a mile+. Of course she also swam to Russia and other places.
See you in the water

Janet Wilson said...

Parking at Matthews Beach is very tight. There are only around 75 spots in the lot.
It is best, if you live close, to walk or take the bus.
I get there at around 9 or 10 to start setting up.

~ janet ~

blue_tarp said...

yeah, it's that time again. i like the cold weather we're having; it makes it less shiver-free in the water, and the "cold badge of honor" means more when we enter, immerse, and scamper from that lake washington winter water january 1st. i've been doing it here since 2005, and the only year i missed was '07, because i had just had my pacemaker "installed" around christmas, and it seemed like a good idea to break it in slowly at the time, so i skipped the plunge that year. yeah, i know. i can hear it from here: "what a wimpy excuse!"
-------------
ok, fine, but ask me sometime about what it was like diving 15' down to recover the battery that i dropped from the stern of my sailboat in february of '76...
-------------
in any case, it would be extra-cool to have "The Polar Plunge" while it's snowing/or when there's snow left on the ground.

question: does anyone remember a year when that happened?

anyway, see you there...

Brog22 said...

I am off to the WATERS and guess what I tested on Wed and that water if pretty darn Cold as in Freezing. We are all nuts. Do Not tell anyone but it is in fact 41 degrees. I swam in from the Leschi T dock about ??100' ?? brrrrr from BT

Anonymous said...

Woowhoo! Off the the waters...Happy New Year from Kate, KT and Derek.

Anonymous said...

Are there stats from the pre-numbered wrist bands on how many plungers we were today?
We have 79287 and 79401 from our crew

Brog22 said...

My wrist band came off in a big wave..but Hey I think my Penguin still has his on?. Of course I had to rescue him ,,,drifting out to the south.
What a fun time, thanks to Janet and all the Seattle Parks Dept staff, the Life Guards and also to Starbucks for hot drinks.
Plus I had a nice support group, Cap Jean and company brought hot towels ( orange of course, my colors) and C brought those hot neck warmers. Wow. What fun. See you next year or sooner...when's Easter???

Anonymous said...

YAY, the plunge happened...tho my toes sure were cold by the time we got into the water..maybe I should wear real shoes until it's time to undress instead of water sandles. too bad the tv and newspaper peeps couldn't see a reason to come to OUR jump...bums.
and to answer the question..no, there hasn't been a year with snow (cuz I've done all 7 plunges!)

Marla
Shoreline

Anonymous said...

We did the plunge for our 8th consecutive year (first and third time in Vancouver), although the Seattle Polar Bear Plunge has gotten better over the years it still has room for improvement. Here are a few suggestions.
1)A better pa system so you can actually hear the announcements.
2)Everyone goes in at noon not in waves. Going in waves kills the excitement and buildup. If people have small children or other concerns then they can wait a few minutes before they go in.
3)A shuttle bus from Northgate park and ride.

Brog22 said...

and we thought seattle was cold . take a look at chicago area= snow chunks in the waves. Wow.

==> http://www.flickr.com/photos/liroi/sets/72157611977503413/

Anonymous said...

Love the plunge, but the lack of a countdown has got to go! This year was the worst, nobody seemed to know what was going on, then people just started drifting into the lake even before the top of the hour! (I know, I synced my watch).

Phil
Greenwood

Carina said...

Janet
I'm waiting to hear how the plunge went. I have never taken a plunge myself, but was my brother's towel and beverage carrier for a Polar Bear plunge into Lake Michigan on the Milwaukee shoreline.
Carina

Brog22 said...

oh boy I am in training , meaning not sleeping so I get fully brain dead and won't ahh notice the cold water?