Saturday, January 7, 2017

THE POLAR BEAR SPLASH

There is a strange phenomenon in this world which involves people taking part in abnormal activities.

In Prescott Valley, Arizona, where I live, as in many other places, this takes place in early January, at the local swimming pool.


I should note that the swimming pool is only open for this one event, having been closed for months because of the colder weather.


Yet for some odd reasons, such as manliness and general lunacy, a small group of men come to the pool to take a plunge.


There is also an Ice Princess contest, men only, in which the winner is determined by the amount of hair on his chest!

Each of the Plungers has to sign in, presumably on a waiver of responsibility for the medical problems that may ensue.


A couple of the loonies brave souls were checking out the water.


So why, you might ask, would any individual leave his warm home on a day when the temperature is hovering in the 40's to jump (however briefly) into an icy cold swimming pool?

Maybe it's the free pancake breakfast with which they are tempted.


And it's not only the youngest citizens of the community who join in.

This fellow claimed to be "only" 58!


He asked me if I was going to join him?

I swiftly declined, thinking to myself . . . "my mama didn't raise any idiot children!"

As a matter of fact, the air temperature was cold enough to send me scampering for home over an hour before the scheduled plunge.

You and I can only assume that they actually did it.

12 comments:

  1. Yes, it happens here at New Year's Day... one sees news reports of jumping into the Ottawa River or one of the Great Lakes. I love winter, but that's nuts.

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  2. Would you believe I did this once, jumped into the nearly frozen Columbia River for charity. When finished, I needed a melon-baller to scoop out my testicles which were seeking warmth God knows where.

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  3. I've heard of similar silly events held in different places around the world. And they only confirm my suspicion that the scientist who says our planet only has 10 years left is right on target. :)

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  4. I was in Dusseldorf in Jan 03, and the lunatics were jumping into the Rhine, right among the ice flows. No accounting for nuts.

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  5. Coney Island Polar Bear club here, Jan. 1st...not for me not ever, especially after seeing CC's testicle comment.

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  6. I've seen this sort of thing, but yeah, loonies only.

    And then there is Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner. A movie that...well, must be seen.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atanarjuat:_The_Fast_Runner

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  7. Ah, Lake Michigan here! No big deal! I just finished reading "Swimming in the Sink" by Lynne Cox. Check it out for a real polar bear swimmer. Delightful Tedtalk. What a woman!

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  8. I'd like to the do the New Years day Polar Bear Plunge in Cayucos. Of course it's a bit of one any day up here as the Pacific hovers in the 50's.

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  9. Nuts! I have a male friend 65, who Pacific Ocean swims at 6 am, six days a week, year round!!!

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    Replies
    1. I had an uncle who lived in San Francisco and swam in the Bay 365 days a year.

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  10. Around here, they did it at Lake St. Louis, and raised $98,000 for Special Olympics.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY8Xlai94TU

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  11. I'll pay for my pancakes, thank you.

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