Approximately 75 plungers braved the cold water on Jan. 1
It was the third time the group of polar bears has started the new year by swimming or just jumping into the cold ocean waters of Avalon Harbor and it was the most populated group so far.
The revitalized New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge returned after getting cancelled in 2018 due to a storm. This year the plungers were treated to a sunny morning and water temperatures that were in the high 50s, according to organizers. Estimates were that about 75 participants joined in to jump into the water.
The event offered a one-mile swim, a swim around the pier or just a quick plunge into the water.
“The Polar Swim had a few guest swimmers for the event but the majority of the partakers were regular Avalon swimmers starting off the year, just as they start each day, with a refreshing swim,” Catalina Island Swim Club member Charlie Canby said.
The swim club is a co-sponsor of the event, which was started by Avalon Recreation Director Dan Hunke in 2018. Canby said Dan frequently joins the club in their daily swims, so he approached them about co-sponsoring a plunge.
Hunke said that in past jobs he had organized plunges in pools on New Year’s Day. He said the time between Christmas and New Year is often when community pools get drained for maintenance and water change outs.
Hunke said he thought that would be a chance to offer a plunge as the water temperature was being brought back up. He also knew they were popular in beach cities, so it seemed like a good idea for Avalon.
“I thought it was a nice opportunity to bring the community together at the first of the year with most of us having a love of the ocean in common,” Hunke said.
Hunke said this year was a wonderful event with lots of new faces getting in the water. Canby agreed and said he heard a lot of positive comments from people getting out of the water. He said he heard people saying the water wasn’t as cold as expected, and they were ready to do it again next year. The most amusing was probably “The cold water only gave me pins and needles till I got numb,” Canby said.
While the one-mile swim was tackled by mostly regular swimmers, the other events drew a whole range of participants who wanted to take on the cold water. And with a cruise ship in town, there were plenty of onlookers offering support.
“The Serpentine wall was seated with onlookers and the beach was packed with potential swimmers,” Canby said.
Val Schafer, known more for her exploits on the golf course, returned after taking the plunge in 2018. She also said she is adding next year to her calendar.
“It was a lot of fun. I’ll do it next year,” Schafer said.
