Swimmers plunge into frigid new year
Even the polar bears probably wonder why these strange furless creatures dive into freezing water
By Barb Mckay
The Hamilton Spectator(Jan 3, 2006)
It was a sight to behold. A pack of 146 swimmers dressed in swimsuits or long johns and one man wearing only a festive thong dashed excitedly into the frigid waters of Lake Ontario.
As quickly as they went in, the group of shivering, shrieking dippers splashed through icy waves back onto the snow-covered sands of Van Wagners Beach. The water was just 2 C.
"I would have stayed in longer, but I felt my body was giving out," said 58-year-old Burlington resident Cathy Baxter, who took part in the annual Polar Bear Splash for the first time with her 21-year-old daughter Claire.
"All summer long, that horrible summer, I was dreaming of swimming in the winter."
The annual New Year's Day dip is organized by the East Hamilton Optimist Club, Hutch's on the Beach and Confederation Park, and has run since the 1930s. Funds are raised annually for local causes. This year, proceeds from a raffle will benefit Good Shepherd's Food Share program, the McMaster Children's Hospital telethon and Optimist Club programs.
The event draws enthusiasts of all ages from as far away as the United States. Hamiltonian Mark Cameron has jumped into the chilly water three years consecutively. This year was his 11-year-old daughter Nicole's second dip.
"We're making it a family tradition," Cameron said.
"We started it on a whim. We came down one year and watched and decided, let's do it. We think it's a great way to start the year. It's really cool."
The family rule is that each swimmer must submerge their entire body before they get back on land.
"You can't just run in to your knees and run back out," Cameron said.
Nicole said that last year she ran in too far and dropped into deep water. Her father had to grab her hand and pull her back. She took in a mouthful of water and was sick. But she did win a basketball for her effort.
This year, Nicole put her hand over her mouth when she jumped in.
"This year was colder than last year," she said as she wrapped a towel around her shivering body. Her teeth chattered.
"I was startled and my feet started to go numb."
Hamiltonian Kent Parkinson stayed in the water for five minutes, the longest of the group. Last year he stayed in for 18 and a half minutes but, for safety reasons, organizers wouldn't allow it this year.
"Isn't hypothermia supposed to set in after three minutes?" he joked as he stood dripping under a towel bearing a Canadian flag. He sipped on a cup of steaming coffee. This was his seventh year to do the dip.
Parkinson said he stands out in the cold in his swimsuit for at least a half an hour to prepare his body for the shock.
He sees many of the other swimmers bundled up in blankets and jackets up until the countdown to the dip and they aren't prepared for the icy impact on their bodies.
"It really is painful," he said. He doesn't know why he does the annual polar dip but he doesn't plan on quitting any time soon.
In Oakville, the annual Courage Brothers' Polar Bear Dip for World Vision drew more than 400 dippers from around the Toronto area and about 5,000 spectators.
The dip raised more than $35,000 -- this year's goal -- and will be used to help supply fresh water in Kenya's Kajiado District. The event started in 1985 with five dippers and has so far raised more than $240,000.
"It's been great," said Peter Turkington, who helped organize the event and jumped into the lake himself for the first time.
"We had one guy who is so dedicated he was in Hong Kong and flew back just for the swim."
bmckay@thespec.com
905-526-4629
Photo#1- Cathie Coward, the Hamilton Spectator
Swimmers make a beeline for warm clothing after splashing out of Lake Ontario during the annual Polar Bear Splash near Hutch's Restaurant. Close to 150 registered for the event and Hamilton's Good Shepherd Centres collected canned goods and donations from the participants.
Photo#2- Forum photo, Beach Rescue and event organizer Eric. :tbu:
Posted with full permission from the Hamilton Spectator
